Nintendo unveils DS WiFi USB Connector

by James Ransom-Wiley { Oct 5th 2005 at 12:00PM }

During a Tokyo press conference today, Nintendo showed-off a WiFi USB Connector that will allow users without a wireless router to convert broadband-enabled PCs into DS hotspots. The device is priced at 3500 yen (about $31) in Japan and £30 (about $52) in the UK. The Nintendo WiFi Connection service is set to launch this fall. The service is free, but Nintendo will not prevent 3rd-party publishers from charging their own fees.

[Thanks, Jorge]

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Wee @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

Nice peice of kit for DS owners ... and at a decent price.

shawn @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

Does the DS use 802.11 b or g? I assume it would be b, because it doesn't really need g speeds, and g's has (slightly) more expensive parts, but if that's true, a lot of wifi routers can't run in "mixed" mode (supporting b devices while running g devices at full speed), so this would be quite useful (assuming of course you can avoid interference with current networks or neighbor's 2.4ghz analog cordless phones)

Ruben @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

I can't beleive Microsoft is charging $99 for their wireless adaptor for the 360. What a ripoff.

superberg @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

Wow, a wifi adapter that's not $100. Amazing.

Microsoft, I'm looking in your direction.

Does b or g really matter? Few high-speed providers even hit 10 Mbps, as far as I know.

GTi-VR6 @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

its "b" speeds, but doesn't conform to the 802.11 standards per say.
but at this rate, an 802.11b router shouldn't run you more than $30 anyway. I just picked up a Linksys 802.11g router for $49 last month to replace my "b" router. Works great with Madden'06 and SOCOM FireTeam Bravo on the PSP ;)
(note: the PSP is b as well, i got a g because all of my other devices are g)

unrealMcCoy @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

They should package this with the DS

sadt @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

what are you guys bitching about? MS wifi adapter connects to Xbox, DS wifi adapter connects to your PC that is hardwired to your router. Stop bitching

benderillo @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

#4

yes it does matter.

the 360 supports b,g and a.

Your right, most ISPs dont need that much speed, but the 360 is designed to steam media from your computer. You need a fast connection if you want to stream video.

push2flush @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

the real question is; how many people are going to think they need this to go online? i wouldn't be surprised if many kids with wireless routers tell mom and dad they need this to play animal crossing.

superberg @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

#6:"what are you guys bitching about? MS wifi adapter connects to Xbox, DS wifi adapter connects to your PC that is hardwired to your router. Stop bitching"

1. A router should not be less expensive than a card.

2. This USB adaptor is pretty much the same as the wifi adaptor on the 360. It plugs into a slot and acts as a wifi antenna. How is it different? Does the 360 version do anything besides send out a signal?

The DS adaptor is only needed if you don't have a WiFi router. The 360 adaptor is required if you want to use WiFi. I see MS selling a lot more of their adaptors, only because most routers these days have wifi built in, thus negating the need for this DS apaptor for most users.

unrealMcCoy @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

hey 8, anything that supports b supports a. anything that supports g supports b and a. Its redundant to tout the 360 as supporting all three.

DirtHerder @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

Actually 10, slight correction.

"A" is completely on its own. It uses a completely different frequency than "B" or "G". "B" and "G" are the only ones that are somewhat compatable with each other ("G" supporting "B" but not the other way around).

superberg @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

10: g supports b, but not a.

Of course, I'd wager that less than 10% of all wireless networks are a. It's a very old technology that is really only used by early adopters and people who want security through obscurity.

GTi-VR6 @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

ummm...what have you been smoking? not many b or g routers support a.

Nearly all g routers support b.

J B Cougar @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

You know why 6 was afraid? Because 7 8 9.

Trixie @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

Woo Hoo! Finally naked handheld gaming! I wonder why no prices have been set for the US market?

Todd @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

I could care less on the specs since I have a broadband connection and no other need for a wireless network in my home. It's small, cheap, and will work with my DS and hopefully the Revolution. It's the perfect solution to bringing my DS online. I think there are a lot of other people out there that are thinking the same thing.

Jordie @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

Does any other company out there (Belkin, Linksys, etc.) make something like this that I could use for my PSP?

Mike @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

To anyone living in the UK, the USB adaptor is also available from play.com for �15 ($26) including delivery. Bargain!

unrealMcCoy @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

I stand corrected. My b router supports a. I made an incorrect assumption.

epobirs @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

First of all, no. 802.11a is not "very old technology that is really only used by early adopters and people who want security through obscurity." Despite the 'a' it was introduced well after 802.11b and uses an entirely separate portion of the RF spectrum. It offers far better data rate performance than 802.11g despite G's claims of the same raw numbers.

The advantages of the multi-mode adapter for the Xbox 360 are significant. Supporting G mode means people who G equipment for all of their other needs aren't required to run in mixed mode. This means fewer complications and less preamble delays. It also means higher data throughput for the streaming media functions that are intended to be a major feature for Xbox 360 owners. As well, the data volume for content in X360 games will be much higher than in a DS or even PSP game, thus the need for the best data rates.

Also, there is the issue of spectrum crowding. Where I live my PC can see no fewer than eight wireless access points in addition to my own. Since most of these people don't know enough to change the default channel on their WAP I'm able to get decent signal by changing to a channel none of them are using. But it wouldn't take much more crowding for WiFi to become barely usable at 1 megabit speed. A multiplayer game on DS or PSP can become problematic in this situation. A LAN party using WiFi would likewise have problems but if the LAN if using 802.11a, operating at 5 GHz rather than 802.11b/g's 2.4 GHz range, would effectively have the area to itself for wireless networking purposes.

It should also be kept in mind that wireless networking on the Xbox 360 is an add-on for those who need it. Plenty of people will have no problem simply running a cable to their console for the simplest and most reliable performance. Since the wireless adapter is only for the subset of Xbox 360 owners who have the need it necessarily makes for a somewhat more expensive product due to the high specs and limited market. However, wouldbe wireless X360 owners aren't necessarily going to be limited tot hat choice. Microsoft will like provide generic support for the major USB/WiFi reference platform devices on the market that serve as the basis for dozens of products under different brand names. Those who have added USB WiFi adapters to their TiVo are familiar with this. A single generic driver can driver the primary features of these devices that under the hood are identical. So Xbox 360 owners should have cheaper alternatives if they don't want the full feature set of the Microsoft adapter.

It should be noted that this Nintendo adapter is no great bargain. It is a generic OEM part sold under many brands. Fry's Electronics has recently advertised it under their Airlink brand for under $20.

epobirs @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

#17

Many companies sell this same adapter under their brand. You just add one to your PC, set it to ad hoc mode, and then enable Internet Connection Sharing on Windows. Most operating systems have their own version of this if you aren't running Windows.

superberg @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

#20:Talk about flying off the handle. Calm down, take a deep breath.

1. Considering we've got pre-n wireless stuff on the market, a AND b are both old technologies, figuratively. 802.11a was ratified in 1999, making it quite old. 1999 was the first year of Pentium III's, also, now, old technology. We didn't even have PS2's then. So yes, 802.11a is OLD. 802.11b products swarmed the market due to lagged release of 802.11a equipment. b may be slower, but it does handle phsysical interference (walls, for example) better, as does g. Therefore, security through obscurity. And less radio interference... due to obscurity. If everyone in your neighborhood had 802.11a routers, my 802.11g card would be the envy of the 5ghz spectrum.

Furthermore, it is doubtful an elegant solution for wireless on the Xbox 360 will come from third parties; if I recall, the wireless slot is proprietary, and if MS isn't letting people make wireless controllers, I doubt they are going to allow third-party wireless ethernet adapter. Maybe you could use a cat-5-to-wireless adapter, but they are hardly an elegant solution, and typically cost almost as much.

Wires are indeed faster and interference free (or should be), but not always practical. Few homes are prewired for ethernet, and not everyone has all their net enabled equipment in one room; even if you do, no matter how hard you try, securing wires never looks nice. Believe me, I've tried. In a perfect world, we'd all have fiber-optic lines running into the back of our homes, with gigabit ethernet routed to every room. But most people are lucky to get 3 megs a second from their internet provider.

Whether the Nintendo adapter is a bargain or not, it's still a full $69 less than Microsoft's, which, as I said, will be selling in a much greater quantity. Supply and demand used to mean lower prices for popular, readily available products.

Stephen @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

I don't think is necessary, at least not for me. I have a wireless router, but I would like to have a USB WiFi thig that I can just carry around and plug into the back of any internet capable internet and play the DS online. School anyone? :D

superberg @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

Well, I withdraw my comment about MS's wireless being any more elegant than anyone else's. I was under the impression one could actually buy a wireless card for the 360, similar to a PCMCIA card for a laptop. After looking at the old 360 brochure, I realize I was mistaken.

Everything else still stands, though.

Rhine @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

Excactly what i was thinkin #23 (stephen) except my school has a school wide wifi set up already i can play online from anywhere

epobirs @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

##22

I don't know why you think I was excited just because I was correcting you. Yes, 802.11a was ratified in 1999 but it was quite a while longer before product were widely available. Don't be misled by the pace of the PC world. Ratifying new RF standards and getting them into the market is a many years long process. Look how long it's taking to hammer out the fine details on 802.11n. It could be 2007 before it truly becoems a consumer standard with reliable interoperability.

As I suspect you've noticed, the adapter for the Xbox 360 is a USB device. Nothing proprietary involved and readily accessable for third parties.

Home wiring is not that big a deal. Any region worth living in will have any number of businesses that do residential wiring. Most houses need only a few trunk lines to strategic locations. Everything else is easy place behind or under runners. Most people don't do because the thought simply never occurs to them or they don't know how simple it actually is.

As I've already mentioned, the data rate for the wireless has absolutely nothing to do with the household broadband feed's rate. The issue for Xbox 360 is communicating between it and PCs, especially Media Center systems. Streaming HD video is part of the pitch for selling both of these products as an end to end solution. Wireless throughput becoemes critical for that while far less is needed for keeping a DS or PSP busy. The DS can get away with a cheap device and must due to it market position. Consumers putting together a home entertainment system with HDTV and other niceties are going to be less price sensitive on the adapter if it delivers the needed performance. I'm sure Microsoft wishes 802.11n were out of committee so they could go with that to max out the chances of getting the streams across reliably but that is beyond their control.

Cheap solutions are fine where they're effective. What Microsoft want to achieve for their adapter is not one of those cases. Consumers looking for a lower performance cheap alternative will very likely have the alternative I mentioned above.