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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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