Misc Mario Cart wont connect

[victorlammy]

Need help here. I recently set up a wireless router at home. After struggling with the settings for a while I get it to work somehow. But now I found that Mario Cart cant go online, while all the other games' wifi are working. It is very wield. It was working be4, and the wireless router's setting didn't changed much apart from the WEP key.

When I put in the WEP key in Mario Cart's wifi set up, it will ask me if I would like to save the setting (if I put in the wrong key it wont ask). I click save and then it will test the connection. The signal icon shows no signal at all when it is testing the connection (it was full when DS detects the network). And then it reports a 51300 error. I noticed in other games' testing process, the icon was also red (shows no signal) at the first 4 to 5 secs, and then it turned to green and reports a successful connection.

I am using R4, but I doubt this has any thing to do with the cart.

Any help appreciated!!

 

[Another World]

First clear out any previous WIFI settings and then power cycle your NDS.

Your router must be using the following settings according to Nintendo.

WEP 64bit or 128bit with a valid key
Channels 1, 6 or 11
802.11B
Public broadcasting of the SID must be set to enabled.
Range Enhancing features should be turned off.

For better security store the MAC address of your NDS in your router and only allow wireless access via MAC address. The MAC address for your NDS can be found in the boot up options, before you load a game/flash kit. Please understand that WEP is a very old encryption method now. It is very simple to scan for the WEP key and get into a network. If you have unpatched software, bad firmware, file sharing turned on... well I'm sure you can see the security issues here.

It also helps if you change the defult SID for your router. If you have two routers with the same SID the NDS can have issues trying to find the correct one. Keep in mind that your NDS might see a neighbors router with the same SID.

Make sure you "apply" the settings using the feature present in your router so that the router *updates* itself. This is the only way to make the settings active for some routers. Wait about 10 minutes after doing this to make sure the router is sending packets back around your network correctly. Sometimes it can take less time or more time for an *updated* router setting to be present and active.

When you load the "WIFI" settings for a game it is actually the WIFI settings of the NDS itself. Any adjustments you make here will be stored in the firmware of the NDS. You are not simply adjusting each game on a game for game basis. So with that understood, open the WIFI settings using any game and input your SID and your WEP key. Save these settings and close out of the setup.

Now try scanning for wireless networks and it should find yours. If it doesn't than double check that your router is set up using the settings above.

I am running Mario Kart with the track hack with no issues. I have noticed that at times it takes a bit longer to find my network. I have even had to try to find it more than once before MK picks it up. I do not have this problem with other retail carts/ROMs. Once you are online it can take FOREVER to find your friends or start a World Wide WIFI match. So have patience...

Goodluck
-Another World

 

[victorlammy]

Oh, that is very helpful! Thanks!
I am now using "shared key" instead of "open", and by changing this setting only it resolves all the issues that I have. But it is a very good point that the WEP key is not very reliable. About using the MAC access, I assume I need to enter a MAC code for my computer that is using the network as well? Where to find the MAC code of my computer?

 

[m3rox]

It's Mario Kart.

 

[victorlammy]

It's Mario Kart.

oh

yau konw waht I maen.

 

[Another World]

About using the MAC access, I assume I need to enter a MAC code for my computer that is using the network as well? Where to find the MAC code of my computer?

If the computer you are using is connected to the Internet using WIFI then yes, if you turn on MAC address security you will need to input the MAC address for your computer. Any wireless device be it a PDA, NDS, Laptop would require it's MAC address to be stored into the list in your router.

The following information is based on a Windows 2k-Vista computer:

Start > Run > type 'cmd'

In the Command Prompt type 'ipconfig /all'

You will see something in the list called your "Physical Address" this is the MAC address of that device.

The following information is for the NDS:
Power up your NDS with a WIFI enabled cart in slot1 (or a ROM)
Navigate to the WIFI setup options
Click on "Options" in the orange colored square
Click on "System Information"

Depending on your router the MAC address could be entered in different ways. My router for example asks for the MAC address without any joining characters. I have seen some routers that require you to type the ':' character between each HEX value of the MAC address.


Goodluck,
-AW