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DS WiFi On The Way

Posted by Zonk on from the ground-control-to-the-big-N dept.

Edge Online reports that Nintendo's DS WiFi service will be launching in Europe as soon as November 25th. From the article: "As explained a few weeks back, Nintendo plans for the system to be safe, secure and easy to access. Players will be able to access the WiFi Connection service via hotspots in their local shop, their internet service at home (shared with the USB dongle) or via public hotspots. Nintendo Europe is still in the process of signing a deal with a telecomms operator to make the latter work, with an official announcement due shortly." Gamasutra has coverage of the WiFi announcement as well, with details on a Nintendo branded adaptor and new wireless titles.

31 comments

  1. Sooo... by chudgoo · · Score: 2, Insightful

    ..this is a solution for people that do not yet have wireless in their homes? (single computer with an internal PCI DSL modem, for example) It seems that it merely performs the wired-wireless bridging, unless there is something else that I'm missing...

    1. Re:Sooo... by Gr33nNight · · Score: 2, Informative

      Thats exactly it. If you already have wireless setup, you should be good to go. I am curious how the DS will respond to SSIDs and excryption keys and so forth though.

    2. Re:Sooo... by Bobdammit · · Score: 0, Redundant

      Yes, pretty much. If you already have wireless, you don't need this at all, just your DS and your online-enabled game.

    3. Re:Sooo... by NanoGator · · Score: 1

      "I am curious how the DS will respond to SSIDs and excryption keys and so forth though.'

      I think that's the point of the wireless adapter. I imagine it broadcasts a DS friendly wireless signal from the net connection your computer is connected on. (fine with me. I prefer that over trying to type in a bunch of SSIDs + passwords or opening my wireless to the world...)

      Well that could all be baloney, but I did read a Nintendo interview somewhere that said that they were going to address SSID and encryption specifically.

      --
      "Derp de derp."
  2. The DS doesn't work by Deliveranc3 · · Score: -1, Troll

    With normal wifi, it's b but they did something strange to it, they never implemented a stack to connect to a local WLAN and they have no software to connect to any central server. Basically they screwed over their consumers, and now they're charging to fix their intentional mistake.

    1. Re:The DS doesn't work by Bobdammit · · Score: 1

      And obviously you know this because you have tried the online games that are not yet available with the online service that is not yet up and running?

    2. Re:The DS doesn't work by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Whoa. Lay off the crack pipe, pal.

    3. Re:The DS doesn't work by chudgoo · · Score: 1

      On the other hand, Sony's inclusion of a full TCP/IP stack opened the PSP
      up to all sorts of hacks (good for us, but not necessarily good for them.
      It's a back and forth battle I like to call "The Firm-Wars"

      Nintendo didn't break the DS, they just eliminated
      one possible avenue of hack/exploit.
      (which I have very mixed feelings about, btw)

    4. Re:The DS doesn't work by Zangief · · Score: 3, Informative

      What? Mario Kart DS will be compatible with plain old wifi.

      The USB dongle is just a bridge for people who don't have or cannot set up a wifi router. They haven't screwed anyone.

    5. Re:The DS doesn't work by M.C.+Hampster · · Score: 1

      They didn't build the TCP/IP part of the protocol stack into the system, but games that utilize WiFi for gameplay will have it built into their software. You only need to buy this WiFi USB thing if you don't already have wireless. Hence the fact that it will work in any normal 802.11b hotspot. Or did you not even read the blurb, much less the article?

      --
      Forget the whales - save the babies.
    6. Re:The DS doesn't work by chrismcdirty · · Score: 1

      Come on.. this is Slashdot. Since when do the trolls read anything but the headline?

      --
      It's like sex, except I'm having it!
  3. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 1

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  4. Concrete details of their Wifi plans! by MilenCent · · Score: 1

    At long last, we have something solid. We have pictures of the Wifi adaptor. We have confirmed they're making a mass market USB device. We have solid information on how players will meet up.

    Maybe now we can stop speculating and get down to the actual drooling.

  5. Mod parent -1 Informed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I don't see where you get the "charging to fix their intentional mistake" part from. Certainly not from reality. The service is going to be 100% free, no charge to the end user. If they have internet access, they can either use the Nintendo DS on a standard wireless router, or if they *don't have a wireless router*, Nintendo provides an easy solution in the form of a USB adapter to share their internet connection to a Nintendo DS. Even if they *don't* have internet access, it will still be free via sponsored wireless hotspots.

    "They never implemented a stack to connect to a local WLAN and they have no software to connect to any central server." All of this will be coded into the online capable game itself. It makes no sense to implement all of this stuff onto the DS hardware when you're not including a web browser, im client, etc etc.

  6. Just one question by Phantasmo · · Score: 1

    Will the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection support WPA? How about WEP?
    I'd like to be able to play online at home but I'm not about to turn off encryption to do it.

    Also, if you're playing on an untrusted network, how easy would it be for people to grab your username and password?

    --

    The US Army: promoting democracy through unquestioned obedience
    1. Re:Just one question by tepples · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I'd like to be able to play online at home but I'm not about to turn off encryption to do it.

      Then allow only Nintendo's range of MAC addresses to connect without encryption. Your router does support that, right?

      if you're playing on an untrusted network, how easy would it be for people to grab your username and password?

      If authentication data is encrypted (for example, SSL with Nintendo Co Ltd as the root CA), then there shouldn't be much of a problem. The public Internet isn't "trusted" either.

    2. Re:Just one question by gl4ss · · Score: 1

      *Then allow only Nintendo's range of MAC addresses to connect without encryption. Your router does support that, right?*

      would it? I know mine wouldn't.

      they don't cost all that much anymore though so buying another one wouldn't be that bad but it would stink still. the usb dongle probably would be all plug'n'play though.

      --
      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
    3. Re:Just one question by cgenman · · Score: 1

      I'd like to be able to play online at home but I'm not about to turn off encryption to do it.

      Then allow only Nintendo's range of MAC addresses to connect without encryption. Your router does support that, right?

      At which point a quick sniff and anyone can be on your network. I do hope they include encryption. The alternative isn't particularly secure.

      --
      The ______ Agenda
    4. Re:Just one question by NonSequor · · Score: 1

      Why not just pay the $30 for the Nintendo USB adaptor and run the network on a separate channel from your main one?

      Assuming they make it a standard USB network device, it should be trivial to get it working on Linux or OS X.

      --
      My only political goal is to see to it that no political party achieves its goals.
  7. So what about older games? by vertinox · · Score: 1

    I'm assuming that the older games don't have the correct TCP/IP stack in order to play with people online since Mario Kart DS appears to be the first game that supports it. Advance Wars or (don't laugh please) Yu-gi-oh since those games really are fun but the AI can be beaten fairly easy once you've created a bluffing or illogical sacrifice strategy and a human opponent would be greatly welcome.

    Still, there will be dozens of games by Q2 of next year that will support it and hopefully should be kick butt to have internet play from home.

    --
    "I am the king of the Romans, and am superior to rules of grammar!"
    -Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor (1368-1437)
  8. Homebrew by Zed0 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Sgstair from the DS homebrew scene has already cracked this Wifi and is currently working on his demo prjoect to claim the massive DS Wifi bounty we should have it in under a week.

  9. Wi-Fi security? by tepples · · Score: 1

    Mario Kart DS will be compatible with plain old wifi.

    With which versions of WEP or WPA?

    The USB dongle is just a bridge for people who don't have or cannot set up a wifi router.

    Or whose Wi-Fi router is secured using a method that the Nintendo DS isn't aware of.

    1. Re:Wi-Fi security? by Zangief · · Score: 2, Informative

      Nintendo has stated that you will be able to create different profiles to work with WEP or WPA, so it should be no problem.

      I don't see why trolls attack a product they haven't tested yet.

  10. America First? by Blue_Nile · · Score: 2, Interesting

    It's interesting that the US release date for Mario Kart is November 14, yet Japan waits till December 8th. Even Europe gets it before Japan... Weird

    --
    Si Hoc Legere Scis Nimium Eruditionis Habes
    1. Re:America First? by earthbound+kid · · Score: 1

      The DS launched in the US first last year too. It's all my fault. Ever since I moved to Japan, we've been pushed to the bottom of the schedule as part of Nintendo's "screw the earthbound kid" strategy.

  11. Open it only when you're using your DS by tepples · · Score: 2, Interesting

    At which point a quick sniff and anyone can be on your network.

    And then you kick them off and change the SSID when you turn off your game. Then wardrivers will have to 1. predict when you will want to use your DS and 2. sniff every time to get the new SSID.

  12. Re:Mod Parent +1 Insightful by superpulpsicle · · Score: 1

    Nintendo's counter pirate strategy is just contradicting. They always try to market games to the youngest crowd possible, especially pre-teens. But that segment does not pirate nearly as much as the aged 20 to 30 group?

  13. OT: Open it only when you're using your DS by cgenman · · Score: 1

    Please broadcast your SSID. If you don't, it makes it difficult to avoid being on the same channel and polluting eachother's signals. There are 4 wireless routers within earshot of my apartment who broadcast their SSID, and judging by the packets floating around about 8 that don't. The stealth ones frequently wind up sitting on eachother's signals, or sitting on an already-occupied channel of a broadcasted one. Not surprisingly, the ones that show their SSID and channel never wind up interfering with eachother.

    --
    The ______ Agenda
  14. Nintendo Vs. Some Dude in his parent's basement by Hitto · · Score: 1

    What would be funny/cool/(insert superlative here), would be that this guy's API broke out onto the marker BEFORE the clean-and-polished version Nintendo offers.

    http://www.akkit.org/dswifi/index.html

    THE RACE IS ON!

    SEE!
    The Everlasting fight of Homebrew against Corporation-Produced!
    FEEL!
    The rush of ecstasy as one participant battles against sleep, bugs and proprietary locks!
    HEAR!
    The PING? PONG! Of an IRC Client in the works!
    TOUCH!
    ing is good?
    SMELL!
    Uhm, okay, I'm going too far in this old movie poster parody.

  15. 4 ways of DS wireless connections by rishistar · · Score: 1

    From dsupdate.net....

    -Using a Wi-fi router, of which Buffalo's AOSS and NEC's Raku Raku Musen Start were given particular mention.

    -Using a special USB dongle that simply plugs in to the USB port of a online-enabled computer.

    -Using a Nintendo wireless access point, with up to 1000 planned for installation in Japanese. game stores.

    -Using a FreeSpot access point of which 3000 currently are setup throughout Japan.

    --
    Professor Karmadillo Songs of Science
  16. Nintendo WiFi USA Plans by cdneng2 · · Score: 1

    Gamasutra has more details on the Nintendo US WiFi plans. "As for software, the American announcement of Wi-Fi for the DS specifically mentioned Mario Kart DS, for which four players at a time can race over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, and which launches November 14, in addition to Animal Crossing: Wild World, in which players can travel to other players' towns or invite up to three other players to visit their own towns, interacting and playing together simultaneously in one town - this title launches December 5th. "