Review of the Nintendo DS Wifi Max
As stated previously, I would review the Nintendo DS Wifi Max when I received it. Since mine was used, forgive me if I leave anything out. Included in the box is the Wifi Max Dongle, the base, utility disc and two manuals (one in English and the other in French). The Wifi Max is also for the PSP as well, so the manuals also include instructions for the PSP.
The first thing I did was plug in just the Dongle into an available USB port to see if Windows would recognize it and install the required drivers. Sure enough, it did, but I still needed the disc, as I didn’t know how to set anything up. I installed the software; it asked me if I needed the PSP or the DS software. Obviously, I chose DS.
Very simple so far, so I thought. It said it was connected so I open up my DS and test the connection. The DS sees the access point, but can’t connect to it. I had left the ZDWlan (configuration tool) settings at the default when I tried. Since those default settings didn’t work right, I was looking at them, not finding anything wrong, and then I see the Bridge setting and so I select my computer’s network adapter. Then, I test the connection on the DS again and it worked!
For all that trouble, I was happy. After I played a couple games, I wanted to set the Dongle up on the base, because I can’t have it sticking out the front of my case because my desk has doors that close. I also don’t want to worry about my three-year-old breaking it. So, I unplugged it, put it on the base and plugged the base USB cord into the USB port. Guess what? I no longer could connect with the DS. I tried re-installing the drivers using the second USB port I had available and it worked. The reason it didn’t work until I re-installed, was because the first connection somehow switched to channel 1, when it should have been on channel 6 (default).
I really didn’t want to have to do that every time I want to connect the DS! Too bad, I had to. I needed to restart my computer because of an update and after that restart, the wireless connection was, of course, not working, again. So, I figured I’d try letting Windows have control over it instead of the software, and I tried any settings I could, but still, nothing was working. I started to give up, when I remembered the other program that is installed tells you if the DS will be able to connect with the settings and allows you to also change them back to the default.
Changed the settings back to their default state and I remembered the SSID name was different. It at first started off as WLAN_AP (which is what my DS first found) and then changed to NDS_WIFI_DONGLE. Even if I change it in the settings to whatever I want, it mysteriously changes back to NDS_WIFI_DONGLE! I made sure the DS said NDS_WIFI_DONGLE and then what do you know, it connected just fine again!
For those of you having problems, I recommend keeping the default SSID! It may or may not work, but I know it worked for me. I now don’t have any problems with connecting. Oh and keep it on channel 6 as well, in case that resets. For other suggestions, there’s a lot of comments on this one website from people who have also had problems getting their DS or PSP to connect.
Overall, I don’t think the Wifi Max is for people who don’t know what they are doing when it comes to computers. You cannot depend on the software to get this working correctly, unless you’re very lucky. This one gets three stars for not being very easy to setup (software). And if it even mattered, it would get even less for making the cord stick out of the bottom of the base, so the base is not fully touching the desk.