How to boost wifi sensitivity

[spalnndsstest]

when i scan with the nintendo DS, i can find one acces point

 

but when i scan with Dskey i get few more AP's

 

 

 

is there any way to boos thru software the wireless sensitivity?

 

 

thnks

Edited July 28, 2007 by spalnndsstest

[deliriumlb]

is there any way to boos thru software the wireless sensitivity?

 

doubtful. i've noticed that the nds wifi software only detects wifi access points with relatively good signal strength. it probably discards all ap's with a signal strength less than 20% or so. for instance: wifi_lib_test can pick up 4 wifi connections from outside my house. only 2 show up in the nds wifi software (the ones that have better than 20%). i'm fairly certain that both pieces of software have the same wifi detecting capability, its just that the nds wifi software discards the access points that have signal less than 20% or so (i'm getting the % from the wifilib test wardriving mode). The wifi_lib_test will report a signal of ANY strength, even 0 or 1%.

 

I remember reading in a forum somewhere and someone had said "think of the nds wifi antenna as a 2 inch wire with aluminum foil wrapped around it".

 

I seriously doubt any software modification could increase the wifi range of the ds. Now, I don't know if a hardware mod tutorial exists or not, but I believe it would be possible to modify the hardware to receive a better signal. After all, its just a wire antenna. Probably boosting the gain somehow or making the antenna bigger would accomplish this. But it would be hardly worth it, since the ds inherently has gimped wifi hardware. Its only limited to 2mbps. So this would only accomplish the goal of increasing the ds's range; which I admit would be nice; but it wouldn't make the ds any better at doing wifi (eg. access times, bandwidth)

 

software mod/patch/firmware hacks are likely out of the question. I dont know much about the inner workings of the ds, but i'm sure if it were possible to do this, someone would have done it by now, since the ds has been out since 2004.

 

hope this answers your question.

Edited July 28, 2007 by deliriumlb

[spalnndsstest]

ok thnks for reponse,

 

yes nds antena is just an aluminium foil, so has poor sensitivity

 

but my PCMCIA wifi card got something similar and is much more sensitive, bcause i can get around 18 AP's when Nintendo DS just find 2 or 3...

 

a guy made a "hack" with a SMA connector in the old NDS to incrase range,

 

 

but i think is not comfortable that connector because it excels and is ugly.

 

i think the best connector for NDS is a mmcx, is much more little, not excels, and fit better in a nintendo DS Lite, but is not as strong as a SMA when holding the antena... and we will need to use a pigtail because most of antenas use SMA connector...

 

Edited July 28, 2007 by spalnndsstest

[deliriumlb]

cool thanks for the info. the recessed one would be more ideal, except you still need an antenna sticking out of the ds, which isn't very ideal. maybe in times where you REALLY need that extra 25' or 50' range. i dont very much like standing directly in front of someones house to steal their internet so i can check my email in the opera browser. or whatever it is i'm doing. dosen't happen very often but I could see where it could come in handy.

 

other than borrowing other peoples wifi connections, i can't see the use for increased range. I can already connect to my wifi from across the street (but i do have a beefy router).

 

you said you have a pcmcia card? i take it you have a laptop then? if your laptop can connect to the ap you are trying to infiltrate, then you could buy a wifi usb connector, turn it into a soft ap, then connect the ds through the softap on the laptop, which in turn goes over wifi to the ap. get it? essentially turning your laptop into a wifi proxy. problem solved?

 

its a bit complicated and the laptop would essentially have to "serve" the wifi connection. but if you need the ds to connect that that ap, this could work.

 

i'm assuming you dont have your own internet connection or dont have a wifi router and are trying to use someone else's, right?

[spalnndsstest]

yes i got a laptop,

 

yes i got internet in my house but my mother don't like the idea of open a whole in the wall to pass a 25 m of UTP Cable, so i use my dear neighbour wifi connection at night so i don't need to move laptop away of my room; but don't work very well: he is all day/all night with emule.

 

As Nintendo DS don't allow Adhoc mode, the single way to connect my DS to that AP is buy a wifi usb connector that allow me turn it to AP Mode, doing a bridge network with my pcmcia (WifiLink USB do that), (as you said, using laptop as a proxy)

http://www.mayflash.com/pc/pc041/pc041.htm

 

 

 

But i should clarify that i open the theard to speak in general about ds wifi range, doesn't matter why, but as better wifi singnal we got, more happy we are, (in my opinion) :PPPP

 

PD: sorry my bad english level,

Edited July 29, 2007 by spalnndsstest

[spalnndsstest]

maybe there is a way to modify firmware in order that nintendo accepts to connect to ap's that got even just 1% signal?

[Haldrie]

I here you guys talking about modifiying the DS to accept connections with low signal strength but the reason that the DS doesn't even list them is because wifi games can't maintain a connection at such a low signal strength. I've noticed that the further away I get from my wifi router the harder it is for Mario Kart DS to maintain the connection and I start to notice major lag just before I loose the connection entirely. Using a broudband enabled computer as a proxy would be the best solution in this case without butchering the DS.

Edited August 8, 2007 by Haldrie