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The software that comes with the Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector only lets you turn a PC with a wired Internet connection like a cable modem or DSL into a wireless access point for your Nintendo DS or Wii. I was looking for a cheap Wireless-G USB adapter to connect a computer with no wireless card to my access point, and found that most Wireless G adapters run about $50 bucks. The Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector is only $35 bucks, and I figured there had to be some way to fool it into working how I wanted. Sure enough, after about an hour of tinkering I discovered there was.
The Nintendo adapter is just a rebranded Buffalo Technologies Wireless G Keychain USB 2.0 adapter with a special driver to turn into into a wireless access point for the DS or Wii. The original Buffalo Drivers can still be downloaded here but installing them won’t do you much good unless you make one little modification:
FOLLOW THESE STEPS AT YOUR OWN RISK! I CAN’T BE LIABLE OR HELP YOU IF YOU BORK YOUR COMPUTER.
1) After you download the drivers to your desktop, extract the ZIP and look in U2KG54_1-01-02-0002\U2KG54\Win2000 for a file named NETU2G54.INF. Open it, and add the text in bold below:
[ControlFlags]
;***********Ralink 802.11g board ***********
;ExcludeFromSelect = USB\VID_0411&PID_005E
;ExcludeFromSelect = USB\VID_0411&PID_0066
;ExcludeFromSelect = USB\VID_0411&PID_0067
;ExcludeFromSelect = USB\VID_0411&PID_008B
[Manufacturer]
%V_Provider%=Adapters
[Adapters]
; DisplayName Section DeviceID
; ———– ——- ——–
%rt2500usb.DeviceDesc% = rt2500usb.ndi, USB\VID_0411&PID_005E
%rt2500usb_nai.DeviceDesc% = rt2500usb.ndi, USB\VID_0411&PID_0066
%rt2500usb_ai.DeviceDesc% = rt2500usb.ndi, USB\VID_0411&PID_0067
%rt2500usb_ai.DeviceDesc% = rt2500usb.ndi, USB\VID_0411&PID_008B
Save the file. (If you get an error that you can’t save the file, uncheck the “Read Only” flag on the file and try to save again.)
2.) Now plug in your Nintendo Wi-Fi USB adapter, and when the New Hardware wizard appears choose “Install from a list or specific location (Advanced).” Check the box that says “Include this location in the search” and then click browse and browse to the driver directory you extracted on your desktop. (The full path to browse to is U2KG54_1-01-02-0002\U2KG54\Win2000.) Windows will throw a hissy and say that the driver hasn’t passed Windows Logo testing but you’re brazen tonight aren’t you, so click continue anyway.
That’s it. A new wireless connection will appear in your system tray, and you know what to do from here.
Look at you. You’ve saved at least fifteen bucks and own a sleek white Nintendo Wireless-G USB stick for your laptop or computer, and can hear that little happy Mario music playing away in your head. Or maybe that’s just me. Either way, that’s all there is to it. The End, by lunacy8m.
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YO! I need your help! I brought this Nintendo WI-FI USB Connector I only use it with the DS but I want to use it to connect my PS3 too what i need to do? Because when I tryed, it ask for SSID and WEP but they don’t tell it.
But can you make it to where its used as a router instead of just an adapter?
Walter,
SSID and WEP information are provided by your router. Nintendo WiFi USB is just an adapter to connect to your WiFi router. Please follow your WiFi router setup instruction.
Jake,
You can use any WiFi adapter as a router only if you run a DHCP service. In order to do this, you have to know how to manipulate your computer. Your computer, basically, will accept incoming request and send it out to the internet. With this said, obviously, your computer must be connected to the internet. Which brings to this conclusion: why bother with all that when you can purchase WiFi router for under $50 these days?
i need help t
what would you do the hardware wizard doesn’t show. I installed the wifi usb connector(not this one) and then deleted that. what do i do
my usb isn’t blinking when i installed it. what happened to it
I have installed the drivers, but i cannot get it to work.. my computer hooked on a linksys router (along with 2 other comps) Is there something i need to do to actually get an IP adress for the connection? because i currently cant
gearsofwar_1313@yahoo.com thats my e mail please help it didnt work
Aye. i need a way 2 get wireless in my room for my 360. my real router is downstaris, but dosnt get a signal in my room, beacuse the 360 adapter is weak. so if i buy this and plug it into my comp in my room which recives the wireless connection, this will send out a different connection therefore i will b able to play xbox live?
i need this for mac. is there any drivers
I installed the thing but it isnt blinking or allowing me to enable the connection…can anyone help me? Email pain_gorillaz@yahoo.com
Hey is it possible to hack it for use with the xbox 360? like to plug it in the xbox 360 and connect to a wireless router?
i hate you,i did exacly what you said to do and now it doesnt work,i deleted the buffalo crap and it still wont work,i even tried downloading the latest software for the thing,i hate you!!!!!
@john;
Sorry you are having trouble. As clearly stated in the article:
“FOLLOW THESE STEPS AT YOUR OWN RISK! I CAN’T BE LIABLE OR HELP YOU IF YOU BORK YOUR COMPUTER.”
I did it and it all worked I think… Awesome! Never has anything that hasn’t worked for me at first ended up doing it.
But…. when you say you know what to do from here, I dont. I clicked on it (wireless network connection) in the sytem tray and then I guessed to click on repair so I did. But it aint workin! Please help me, you’ve gotten me farther than anyone else ever has!
Is there a way of making this support WPA 2
can the Wi-Fi USB Connector also be used as a router for another computer?,or only for wii, and ds?can someone send me info to my email,thanx
i want to use the nintendo wifi usb connector to plug into my xbox 360 to use as a wireless adapter to connect to my router….how could i do that……..
Jake,
You can use any WiFi adapter as a router only if you run a DHCP service. In order to do this, you have to know how to manipulate your computer. Your computer, basically, will accept incoming request and send it out to the internet. With this said, obviously, your computer must be connected to the internet. Which brings to this conclusion: why bother with all that when you can purchase WiFi router for under $50 these days?
becuse i use a usb modem and most routers that use a usb port cost about 150 and most wi-fi routers dont support a usb modem
Dose this work for the PSP Slim?
does it still work as a nintendo wifi after you do this?
Finally I can hook up this old computer to my network! Everything worked just fine. Thank you Internet.
By the way, would this work with a WPA encryption? I guess it’s only the DS itself that doesn’t support it?
is there anyway i can use the nintendo wifi usb connector to make my xbox 360 connect to xbox live without or with the microsoft wireless adapter that connects to the 360…if so what all things do i need and how do i do it??? PLEASE HELP!!!!! email or respond here thanks in advance…
To all the people who cannot connect:
I used the utility provided by Buffalo and now I can connect, as I couldn’t before. Heres the link http://www.buffalotech.com/support/getfile/?ClientMgr3.zip (XP and Vista compatible)
Awesome. It works.
I thought it was to let anything connect from your computer, though… Like, it would broadcast a signal to the Wii or Laptop. Guess not.
But still, it works as it’s supposed to. Great job.
Gr33n3gg
wat does the buffalo utility thing do? do i still need to hack the file?
my light does not blink and it does not show on the computer except for the eject hardware button. does anyone know how to fix this? i am currently running vista so yea.
Jesus, you guys are all such whiney noobs. Some further instruction would have been nice, but seriously, shut the hell up.
“HEI CAN THIS CONECT MY XBOX OAND PSTP HELP I OMG”
@ Zantetsken: No, its a way for your computer to detect wifi, ONLY your computer…
But Anyways I got this to finally work, and i’m using it now on my pc!
Well, I actually want to use for my wired network as an access point for the Wii. Since Nintendo discontinued them I’m going through ebay. Does anyone know where I would find the software and if using this blows the security on my wired network? Did software come with the original?
Hey guys, awesome guide here, I got through this pretty simply… but the Icon in the System Tray is trying to get some signal, but it keeps saying ‘Limited or No Connectivity’… Damnit Im so close to getting it to work except this little block in the road! Im located very close to my wireless router, and the light on the USB is flashing.
Help please! =(
Im only trying to use it to receive internet, as the guide was intended to show me how to do… thanks in advance!
Oh yeah and, my router is completely OPEN. SSID is open too. The router isn’t password protected. I have used the wirelessness of my router for many things just fine, but this… i dont know why this isnt working…
Nice job man, looks like it works and it was very helpful to me. Hats off to you dawg.
I can’t find a way to uncheck the read only attribute in properties because it is grayed out. HOW DO YOU UNCHECK IT? Please email the steps to me
Hey how do you do this on visa when i go to install the drivers it says that the drivers could not be found. I also have vista X64 that might be the problem but im not sure. HELP ME PLEASE