Remember the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connector? The little USB dongle you’d attach to a computer to hook your Wii and/or DS up to the internet in lieu of a wireless router? There’s a nonzero percent chance that somebody reading this article wasn’t even born until after it became discontinued; that’s how long it’s been. There was also a whole Wi-Fi Network Adapter the company released only in Japan. Anyway, the company has put out an advisory in the year of our plumber 2022 telling us maybe not to use these devices because they’re old and outdated and have security concerns.
「『ニンテンドーWi-Fi USBコネクタ』および『ニンテンドーWi-Fiネットワークアダプタ』使用中止のお願い」を掲載しました。 https://t.co/aogSt1Y5Od
— 任天堂サポート (@nintendo_cs) July 20, 2022
You see, both devices use WEP encryption, which is an insecure algorithm to protect software. The Adapter has an extra bug that makes it susceptible to malware. The WEP encryption bit has been true since the time where the devices were still used, but maybe hackers were just less savvy then (or Nintendo just wasn’t concerned). But still, good on them to ask people to be cautious…
… But who’s using such devices in TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY TWO? Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection shut down all the way back in 2014, and the Wii Shop Channel and DSi Shop shut down in 2019. They haven’t even sold Connectors since 2007! Pretty much the only thing you can do with it is redownload old games that have been removed from your console’s hard drive for whatever reason, and even then, wireless routers are ubiquitous now. I can only imagine extremely niche scenarios where someone would attempt to pull out an old USB doohickey in order to set up Wii WiFi. Overall, it’s not a bad thing for Nintendo to do, it just seems like it comes a bit late.
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Written by Amelia Fruzzetti
A writer and Nintendo fan based in Seattle, Washington. When not working for NinWire, she can be found eating pasta, writing stories, and wondering about when Mother 3 is finally going to get an official localization.
