Topic: Nintendo Wi-Fi Menu Details Exposed

[Renny]

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Originally posted by: 31 Flavas
...In a home setting where wireless security is not so necessary, you're only hurting yourself if you won't use WEP.

Like you said, just make sure the PC's are locked up otherwise. I mean your Wireless signal is barely going to extend beyond the confines of your house and its not like you have anything to hide from the FBI, right? I doubt your home computer network has anything of value on it that would cause someone to crack your WEP and/or MAC filtering.  If your home network really is important to keep secured, you're just going to have to bite the bullet and get a Buffalo adapter.

Might as well correct this. No, you're hurting yourself if you use WEP. It is not secure in any sense of the word. At best, it's a mild deterrent. Signal strength is not a form of security. Your signal will easily travel outside your home. Just hit up your preferred tech website to read about the ignorant home users versus "WiFi freeloaders" debacle. Whether I "have anything to hide from the FBI" is totally irrelevent. It's my network and my data. If I secure it that's because I don't want other people touching what isn't theirs. And yes, my computer does have things of value on it. Even though they aren't shared, they can still potentially be accessed if someone with the know-how gets on my network.

And I don't have to buy the Nintendo or Buffalo branded Buffalo adapters, but it would be a nice option if I knew where to get one. How about the Nintendo DS accessories section of my local games store?

[IceCold]

Well yeah, but he just summed what Nintendo has been saying up in 2 or 3 sentences for those who didn't follow it. And most do care about this because Nintendo has been constantly saying that about the connection for a while now. If it really was that easy, people who didn't want to go through the hassle of a router would definitely care.

[UncleBob]

Someone brought up a pretty good point eariler in this topic.

There are a number of college dorms that don't allow Wi-Fi networks.  I'm sure the Nintendo DS USB adapter would probably be an okay alternative...

[31 Flavas]

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Originally posted by: Renny

Might as well correct this. No, you're hurting yourself if you use WEP. It is not secure in any sense of the word.

I'm not debating whether or not it is broken. It is totally broken, totally comprimised, I know. I wish it were not, but those are the facts. But its also a fact that most wireless devices DO NOT support WPA. So I can't use WPA unless I want to limit the usefulness of my wireless network. As I would assume would be the case for almost everyone else.

This wasn't clear in my post?

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At best, it's a mild deterrent. Signal strength is not a form of security. Your signal will easily travel outside your home.

Unless you are using a signal booster, i doubt it will travel anywhere where someone can be covert. You'll notice if someone is camping out on your front or back porch. I only get 30-40% signal on the opposite sides of my house. If any of my neighbors recieve signal, it will be totally unreliable and useless to them. As well as to any vehicle parked on the street in front of my house.

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It's my network and my data. If I secure it that's because I don't want other people touching what isn't theirs. And yes, my computer does have things of value on it. Even though they aren't shared, they can still potentially be accessed if someone with the know-how gets on my network.

That's why I said you if YOU specifically need your network completely secure, whatever the reason, you'll just have to pony up the cash for a Nintendo/Buffalo adapter. If you value the security of your wireless network more then its usefulness, you have no choice but to exclude the many devices that only support WEP. And that is YOUR problem not Nintendo's.

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And I don't have to buy the Nintendo or Buffalo branded Buffalo adapters, but it would be a nice option if I knew where to get one. How about the Nintendo DS accessories section of my local games store?

How about you just RTFM for your game or look at the ad flyer that came with your Wi-Fi Connection game? If you know so much about WEP being broken, why don't you know how to order spare parts from Nintendo?  

[Renny]

I can convert my entire wireless network and all its clients to WPA, including the PSP, but not the DS. Despite the poor uptake of WPA, there are competing products that do and don't offer it, so I can choose those that suit my needs. That isn't the case with the DS as many people chose to buy the system on the merits of its games, the way it should be. About the closest competition is the PSP, which does offer WPA. How will that look to people educated in the security of WiFi? How will it look if the DS is still using only WEP in even a couple years?

No signal booster necessary. A directional antenna will improve the signal exponentially. Even a weak signal outside your property can be used. And how about apartments? If you've setup a wireless network in one, you know just how badly the signals overlap and how many of those networks are left open (probably the best defense for your network, someone else leaving theirs open :¬]).

What is my problem is also Nintendo's. If they really want to see 90% adoption of their online service, they need to provide for anyone who wants to use it. They've made an easy-to-use adapter (and hidden it on their website....), they're providing free WiFi access at hotspots that would otherwise charge, and the service itself is free. But they choose to leave the security-concious out in the cold.

As far as the idiocy of selling the adapter through the website, while it won't stop someone who is net-savvy (oh how that word makes me cringe) from purchasing it, it will stop anyone who simply doesn't know about it. Are they going to stick an ad between the safety pamphlet and the game manual? Put ads in stores?... where it can't be purchased. I hope that this really is just a 'trial' and that they'll soon put them in stores too.

[31 Flavas]

Quote
Originally posted by: Renny

I can convert my entire wireless network and all its clients to WPA, including the PSP, but not the DS. Despite the poor uptake of WPA, there are competing products that do and don't offer it, so I can choose those that suit my needs. That isn't the case with the DS as many people chose to buy the system on the merits of its games, the way it should be. About the closest competition is the PSP, which does offer WPA. How will that look to people educated in the security of WiFi? How will it look if the DS is still using only WEP in even a couple years?

... while we are on the subject... what WiFi internet games (not LAN only) does the PSP have? Busted broken ass Madden '06 and what else?

That aside, if your home wireless security is that critically important and the Nintendo adapter just doesn't cut it for you, then by all means, spend your money on a PSP. That's what you have to do if wireless security that is critically important for you. Honestly, though, at home, not everyone lives in an apartment right next to their archnemesis or next to a l33t h4x0r with intentions of pwning your computers. Chances are you're more likely to get pwnd by an Word macro, Active X exploit, or some other Windows vulnerabilty that Microsoft has not choosen to disclose yet.

Anyone that wants a Nintendo adapter can get one or figure it out. I'd be surpised if every Wi-Fi Connection game didn't include an ad for it along with Nintendo's spare parts 800# and website. If worse comes to worse, and they can't read, they can just ask an EB/GameStop employee for Nintendo's phone number.

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They've made an easy-to-use adapter (and hidden it on their website....), they're providing free WiFi access at hotspots that would otherwise charge, and the service itself is free. But they choose to leave the security-concious out in the cold.

You can please some of the people, all of the time. You can please all of the people, some of the time. But you cannot please all of the people, all of the time.

[Renny]

They'll have to for 90% adoption, essentially every DS owner that has the slightest inclination to try it out. That's the very issue I'm addressing. I realize it's just hot air, but all the same they do seem to be acting aggressively about launching their online service. And simultaneously they're stumbling on classic Nintendo blunders before they've even started. "Anyone" is an outright lie. Selling it exclusively through their own website immediately limits sales of the device. This will hurt uptake of the online service as a result. The 'trial' better be real short.

And I didn't say PSP's online games were any good, but they are at least keeping their portable up-to-date. Sony are steadily improving it in terms of hardware. People will choose the PSP if its ease of use continues to increase over the DS. The DS is already considered inferior hardware, it won't help any to widen that gap.

[Artimus]

What is wrong with the USB thing? It allows you to keep security and everything.