Nintendo of America

support.nintendo.com

Wireless Home Router Support

Initial Setup Help

Select the problem that best describes the situation you are experiencing:

 

 

My Access Point (SSID) isn't showing when I do Search for an Access Point:
When the "Search for an Access Point" option is selected, the Nintendo DS will display all networks within range. Please follow the steps below if your Nintendo DS doesn't display your home network (SSID) when you perform a search.

  1. Move closer to the wireless router, then select "search again."

  2. Orient the Nintendo DS so that your body or other objects (such as walls, plants, furniture, and other people) are not blocking the signal.

  3. Ensure there is no interference from other devices (such as wireless telephone, microwaves, etc)

  4. Check your router's settings to determine if the option to "disable broadcast" is selected. This security setting hides your network SSID from wireless devices. You can either change this setting, or if you prefer to keep your SSID hidden, you can enter your SSID through the Nintendo DS's "Manual Setup." For how to access your router's settings, please click here, and select your router. For information on how to use the manual setup screen, click here for more information.

  5. Once you have moved closer to your router, and made sure your router is set to "broadcast," try the search again feature in the "Connection Settings."

  6. If there are other wireless devices in the area, they can interfere with the signal so much that the DS will not be able to connect to the router. Changing the wireless channel on your router may help. Typically, the channel settings will be found in the router's main "Wireless" tab.

If you are still unable to detect your home network, please e-mail us for assistance.

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My security settings are not supported or are not compatible
If your network name (SSID) is displayed on the Nintendo DS with a gray locked icon (pictured below), then your router is set up with security that is not supported by the Nintendo WFC. Playing multiplayer over the Nintendo WFC is only compatible with the WEP security setting, even when playing with a Nintendo DSi. WPA and other security settings are not compatible.

Solution:

You will need to either change your security settings on your router to "WEP" (recommended), or disable all security. For information on changing the security settings of your router, click here.

 

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Connection Test Keeps Failing
If you are attempting to establish a connection between your wireless router and the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, and the 'Test Connection' keeps failing, try the following:

  • Keep the maximum distance between systems and the access point at 30 feet (10 meters) or less.

  • The Nintendo DS systems should face the access point as directly as possible.

  • Avoid having people or other obstructions between the Nintendo DS systems and the access point.

  • Avoid interference from other devices. Things such as microwave ovens and cordless devices can affect the ability to connect wirelessly to your network. If possible, move to another location or turn off the interfering device.

It may be possible that the settings of your wireless router are not allowing the Nintendo DS to establish a connection. The following are a few settings you can check. For information on where to find these settings for your router, click here.

MAC Filtering
If MAC Filtering is turned on, your router will not connect with any device unless the device's MAC Address is added to your router information. You can either turn MAC Filtering off, or you can add the Nintendo DS's MAC Address to your router settings. The MAC address of the Nintendo DS can be found by going to the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Setup in the game's menu. Select "Options," then "System Information." The MAC address is displayed on the top line.

Unable to obtain IP Address, check DHCP settings
If you are receiving this error message, you will need to check the DHCP settings of your router. If your network is set up to assign static IP Addresses to devices on your network, you will need to manually enter the IP Address in the Manual Setup screen of your Nintendo DS. For information on the Manual Setup feature of the Nintendo DS, click here.

Connect to access point, unable to connect to server
If you are receiving this error message, the server for Nintendo WFC may be down. Please wait awhile and try the connection again. If it is still not working, it's also possible you may need to enter the Primary and Secondary DNS information from your router settings in the Manual Setup screen of the Nintendo DS. For information on the Manual Setup feature of the Nintendo DS, click here.

Network Speed Compatibility
802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g are protocol for exchanging data, with the letter designations indicating network speeds. In order for the Nintendo DS to be compatible with your router, the router's Network Speed must not be set to just "g." Set your router to "mixed" so that it is using both "b" and "g" settings.

If you are still unable to connect, please click here for additional troubleshooting information.

 

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The Test Connection works, but I can't connect to Nintendo WFC
Check the DHCP and DNS settings of your Nintendo DS with the TCP/IP settings of your computer to verify these are entered correctly. For information on how to do this, click here and select your router. After making any needed changes, test the connection again. If you are still unable to connect to Nintendo WFC, please call 1-800-895-1672 for further assistance.

 

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What do I do if Broadcast SSID is turned off on my router?
If the SSID Broadcast settings of your router are turned off, the Nintendo DS will not be able to detect your access point. There are two things you can do in this situation.

  1. You can enter the name (also known as the SSID) of your access point into the settings of the Nintendo DS. Doing so will let the DS find your access point and connect with it.

    To enter the SSID into the DS, go into the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Settings of the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Setup screen. Tap the Connection you would like to edit, and then Manual Setup. On the following screen, tap "Edit" on the SSID line, enter the SSID of your access point, and tap "OK." Tap "Test Connection" at the top of the screen to complete the setup.

  2. You can turn the SSID Broadcast on. Doing so allows the Nintendo DS to detect your access point when you select "Search For An Access Point" in the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Setup screen. Once the connection is complete and the test connection is successful, you can turn the SSID Broadcasting back off. The Nintendo DS now knows the name of your access point and will still be able to locate it.

If you need help with how to locate the settings on your router, click here.


 

 

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What do I do if I'm using MAC Filtering?
When using MAC Filtering, you will need to enter the MAC Address of the Nintendo DS into the MAC Filtering setting or your wireless router. The MAC Address of the DS can be found by tapping on "Options" on the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Setup screen, and then "System Information." For information on how to access this screen for the game you are playing, consult the game's manual.

If you need help with how to locate the settings on your router, click here.


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What type of router (a, b, g, or N) is compatible with Nintendo WFC?
Nintendo WFC is compatible with 802.11b. Because 802.11g and 802.11n routers are also compatible with 802.11b, these routers will work as well, as long as the router's settings are not set to "g only" or "n only".


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