Wireless Compatibility for Dual-Handheld Owners

Yes, we all know the the DS is going online, and that the PSP does also, and it's great. But what about those of us that own both of the handhelds? Will the Nintendo USB adaptor work with the PSP as well? Will the DS work with other wireless adaptors that the PSP supports?

Essentially, is there an adaptor I can buy that will enable me to use both of my handhelds online wirelessly (not at the same time, of course), without having to shell out for different ones for each system?


This thread has also been posted on the PSP board, and if there's a better place for an amalgamated thread, someone please shove it there.

All the nintendo adapter is is a wireless access point that only works with DS. Get a regular wireless acces point and you could use both at the same time.

That's what I thought - but I've heard murmurings about some wireless cards/USB sticks not being compatible with one/the other.

Not public access points, no. Your DS won't know the password to get onto the network, which is why you have to bring a laptop with a wi-fi card in aswell, and link your DS to the network through it.

However, some public access points do recognise DSs, like McDonalds will do in the US, and the wi-fi pods in game stores.

Okay. I knew that, and it's not what I asked, but whatever.

To clarify: What wireless cards or USB sticks will allow me, when connected to my PC, to use my PSP and DS through them, assuming I already have a broadband connection to my PC, if any?

See, I want to prevent having to buy two cards/adaptors.

...all of them.

So there's no difference between b and g, or anything?

Seriously. Rumours about some not being compatible.

[QUOTE=Protoman]My guess is that Nintendo's adapter will only work with the DS, although we won't know until it comes out. From what I can gather, if you have a wireless router, you should just be able to use that with both the PSP and DS. If you have that, you won't need the Nintendo USB stick. That is only for those who don't have a wireless router already. What that adapter does is share the internet connection from your PC wirelessly with your DS.
That's my thoughts exactly, but I wasn't sure - it's nice to hear from someone else who thinks from the same direction.

[quote]The "rumors" that you hear about might be pertaining to the DS. The DS will not work with WPA encrypted networks, only older WEP encryption.
Yeah, I got that from all the difficulties the tunneling sites were having.


I do have broadband, but I was hoping to to have to fiddle about with network settings again - I'm on a student pilot scheme, and the connection only works with my current card's MAC address, so I'd have to set it all up again. Not only that, but I thought if I had a wireless USB stick I could just configure it to allow pass-through connections, making my PC a host machine for the other devices on the network - the DS and PSP.

I guess I could get a cheap router. I mean, I don't need a huge range or anything, as I won't be more than 10m away from it at any point when playing. And I can't go to McDonalds - I'm in England, remember, and AFAIK Nintendo didn't sign a deal with the English wing of the company.

I don't even have a broadband modem here. It's some crazy setup that they run in my halls - I assume there's just a central router, connected to the modem, which then comes through the walls and out into my PC. It's free, so I don't complain too much. From my viewpoint the cable from my ethernet card just runs straight into the wall.

What I want to do is use a non-Nintendo brand USB adapter to work like the Nintendo one does, but still allow PSP connections.

I don't have any more wall ports. I can't run into a router because my Internet connection requires my card's MAC address, and surely the router would have its own.

Wouldn't ICS just enable the wireless USB stick to connect to both?

[QUOTE=Protoman]that's weird.
I know.
[quote]If running a wireless router is not an option, it's a mute point.
Uhh... a moot point. :P


Now, you see, I KNOW that in theory ICS should work... I'm looking for someone who knows for sure...

Of course, before launch it's not a certainty, so I guess this whole thread is moot anyway. At least I've learned that there are other people's opinions that match mine, so it can't be completely wrong.

Aw crap, I forgot you're in a hall. Firewalls will probably prevent you from playing at a decent speed anyway. :-/

I dunno. I pull down about a meg download speed - never checked upload speed, but i'll do that on Sunday evening. I don't think I'll have a huge problem. They allow Internet gaming and such. The only thing I've had problems with is filesharing, and I won't complain too much about not being able to do something illegal, of course. Because I'm happy not to have the temptation. :)

Have you actually tried online gaming with it, though? Try a regular PC game beforehand.