Hardware How do I get the Nintendo Wi-fi USB working on Windows 7?

10_0ARMY

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So basically I want to know how can I get my Nintendo Wi-fi USB running on my new PC. I've looked and everywhere says to uses the backwards compatibility mode with vista drivers or xp drivers but when it errors and doesn't complete the install. I haven't worried about this till now since I had an xp PC that I usually used this on.....but it broke.

any suggestions? :/
 

10_0ARMY

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But I've seen people getting it to run on Windows 7? Mine errors when it is setting up internet connection sharing and says "please insert the usb adapter into your computers usb port". It had to recognize the usb to start the connection sharing but then it errors
frown.gif
 

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Only way I ever managed to get it to work with Windows 7 was within a Windows XP virtual machine with a shared internet connection.

Basically what I did was to install Windows XP in a virtual machine, share the internet connection with the virtual machine, pass the USB connection of the Nintendo WiFi USB adapter to the virtual machine and then install the XP drivers for it there and run it like you'd normally do except within the virtual machine.
 

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If your windows 7 system is a 64 bit, then you might not be able to run it at all unless you follow Minox_IX suggestion and install it in an XP Mode virtual machine. Though it is kind of hard to get the right USB adapter to connect to the XP Mode. Windows Virtual PC doesn't tell you the information you need.

I would recommend you download VMware Player, which is free, and migrate XP mode to that, and then install the drivers in there. VMware Player gives better compatability with everything, including better graphics, mouse, shared folder, etc. And it's own version of intigration is Unity Mode, which overlaps the virtual machine's desktop with the host, making it look like a program in the virtual machine is running right on the host, with it's own window graphics.
 

Originality

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I know it can work on Vista/7 (without the need for a virtual machine) - I've done it before. However it's been a long time since then, so I've completely forgotten the process. I do remember that it needed the latest version of the software though...
 

Joe88

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I cant believe how many people fell for buying nintendo's crappy wireless internet thing
and still shocking is people are still buying them not for outrageous prices

wireless router is just so much better in comparison
 
D

Deleted_171835

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Originality said:
I know it can work on Vista/7 (without the need for a virtual machine) - I've done it before. However it's been a long time since then, so I've completely forgotten the process. I do remember that it needed the latest version of the software though...
I also got it working on Windows 7, before.

Completely forgot what I did to get it working, though.
-
QUOTE(Joe88 @ May 7 2011, 12:45 PM) I cant believe how many people fell for buying nintendo's crappy wireless internet thing
and still shocking is people are still buying them not for outrageous prices

wireless router is just so much better in comparison
People purchased the connector because the original DS required you to use WEP encryption on your router which is terribly insecure.

Nobody knew it was going to be such a shitty connector, though.
-
@OP:

You'll have to use a Virtual Machine running Windows XP and run the connector from there.

If you have Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, or Ultimate, download XP Mode and run it using that.
 

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It's a perfectly good connector. The rt2500usb chipset is quite good and works very well, as long as you use linux or XP and don't bother too much with the soft-AP mode. The bad thing is that the solution itself is rather dirty and for the same money you could pretty much buy a router which was able to host wep which you could just as easily disconnect. Personally bought it for the same reason, using wifi on my DS as I was not allowed to buy another router back then. After that I learned about wifi-me which got me started in DS homebrew: in that respect the best 25 bucks I ever spent
wink.gif
.

The only thing I will always burn Nintendo for though, is changing the device ID making it non detecable by the default driver. Sure an easy fix is available but it remains quite sad that they thought such a thing would be needed. Making sure no one uses your product with a standard driver I can see trying to be userfriendly (i.e. noob friendly), but perhaps stating download our software / insert the disc would have been enough and would make it easier to use once they dropped support.
 

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Dimensional said:
If your windows 7 system is a 64 bit, then you might not be able to run it at all unless you follow Minox_IX suggestion and install it in an XP Mode virtual machine. Though it is kind of hard to get the right USB adapter to connect to the XP Mode. Windows Virtual PC doesn't tell you the information you need.

I would recommend you download VMware Player, which is free, and migrate XP mode to that, and then install the drivers in there. VMware Player gives better compatability with everything, including better graphics, mouse, shared folder, etc. And it's own version of intigration is Unity Mode, which overlaps the virtual machine's desktop with the host, making it look like a program in the virtual machine is running right on the host, with it's own window graphics.
Yea, I wasn't using XP mode in Microsoft Virtual PC at all for that virtual machine. That much I remember, I'm not sure whether I used Vmware Player, Vmware Workstation or Oracle VirtualBox though.
 

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SoulSnatcher said:
Originality said:
I know it can work on Vista/7 (without the need for a virtual machine) - I've done it before. However it's been a long time since then, so I've completely forgotten the process. I do remember that it needed the latest version of the software though...
I also got it working on Windows 7, before.

Completely forgot what I did to get it working, though.
-
QUOTE(Joe88 @ May 7 2011, 12:45 PM) I cant believe how many people fell for buying nintendo's crappy wireless internet thing
and still shocking is people are still buying them not for outrageous prices

wireless router is just so much better in comparison
People purchased the connector because the original DS required you to use WEP encryption on your router which is terribly insecure.

Nobody knew it was going to be such a shitty connector, though.
-
@OP:

You'll have to use a Virtual Machine running Windows XP and run the connector from there.

If you have Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, or Ultimate, download XP Mode and run it using that.

I have windos 7 home premium, so will xp mode not work?
 

Dimensional

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10_0ARMY said:
SoulSnatcher said:
Originality said:
I know it can work on Vista/7 (without the need for a virtual machine) - I've done it before. However it's been a long time since then, so I've completely forgotten the process. I do remember that it needed the latest version of the software though...
I also got it working on Windows 7, before.

Completely forgot what I did to get it working, though.
-
QUOTE(Joe88 @ May 7 2011, 12:45 PM) I cant believe how many people fell for buying nintendo's crappy wireless internet thing
and still shocking is people are still buying them not for outrageous prices

wireless router is just so much better in comparison
People purchased the connector because the original DS required you to use WEP encryption on your router which is terribly insecure.

Nobody knew it was going to be such a shitty connector, though.
-
@OP:

You'll have to use a Virtual Machine running Windows XP and run the connector from there.

If you have Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, or Ultimate, download XP Mode and run it using that.

I have windos 7 home premium, so will xp mode not work?
Then the only option is to upgrade your system. I checked and I think I found a way to get it installed on your Home Premium, but I'm not sure I can even post the link in here. I'll PM it to you instead.

Edit: It won't work. The only options are upgrade to Professional, or install a copy of XP into a virtual machine. I would still prefer VMware Player. It has better capabilities than Windows Virtual PC.
 

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Sorry for bump but I found it could run on Windows 7.

1. install driver under \NintendoWFCReg\U2G54\WinVista
2. copy NintendoWFCReg.exe and WIFICON.dll from \NintendoWFCReg\SoftAP\WinVista to \NintendoWFCReg\SoftAP
3. run NintendoWFCReg.exe you could see it runs correctly.
 

Jayro

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I bought two of these Nintendo Wi-Fi USB sticks for $35 each when they were still retail, and I use a modified driver that allows me to use them as regular USB Wi-Fi adapters to get online. Device Manager sees it as some Buffalo device, and the driver works all the way from XP to Windows 8, but only on 32-bit systems, sadly. I haven't come across any 64-bit driver that allows me to do the same thing.
 

Originality

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The WiFi adapters ARE Buffalo WiFi dongles, only rebranded for Ninty's purposes until the licensing agreement between them fell out and Ninty had to cease support. The drivers Ninty provide are designed for the SoftAP software that comes with it. I've seen a few customised drivers floating around to access the rest of the dongles WiFi functions, but ultimately it's not worth it due to lack of support/interest when you can get better WiFi dongles very cheaply.
 

Jayro

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The WiFi adapters ARE Buffalo WiFi dongles, only rebranded for Ninty's purposes until the licensing agreement between them fell out and Ninty had to cease support. The drivers Ninty provide are designed for the SoftAP software that comes with it. I've seen a few customised drivers floating around to access the rest of the dongles WiFi functions, but ultimately it's not worth it due to lack of support/interest when you can get better WiFi dongles very cheaply.

I know, but getting one to work in 64-bit windows would be nice... I use mine to get systems online to do System Updates, until their own wi-fi and LAN drivers get installed.
 
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technofarmer

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I use this site a lot but this is the first time posting, Hope I'm allowed to post links... I had this trouble too and found a driver that works with Windows 7 x64. Here is the link and source:
http://www.mediafire.com/file/un3pa..._v2.1.1.15_vista-7_v3.1.3_Incl_NintWiFiUSB.7z
http://forum.driverpacks.net/viewtopic.php?pid=43639#p43639
I am only using it as a regular wifi connector in windows so can't vouch for the RAlink softAP software that comes with it.

To install it I simply unzipped to desktop, inserted the Nintendo wifi usb stick, stopped windows from automatically searching, went to device manager (right click computer->manage), and chose to update the thing manually from the unzipped folder.
 
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