Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector

Additionally, a number of community development tools and drivers exist which expand the functionality of the Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector beyond its initial design.

While not officially supported by Nintendo, the USB Connector can function as a standard wireless adapter by using modified Ralink or Buffalo Technology drivers and can be used to send official game demos and homebrew software to the Nintendo DS through the Wireless Multi Boot (WMB) protocol.

Thus, the Wi-Fi USB Connector works only with approved devices, which is limited to the Nintendo DS and Wii consoles.

If a network is currently relying on ICS or is using software that utilizes it (such as Windows Media Center Extender for the Xbox 360),[9] the Wi-Fi USB Connector may not be usable.

[10] Unfortunately, some firewall products, such as ZoneAlarm and Windows Live OneCare, are incompatible with the Wi-Fi USB Connector software.

A common complaint from more advanced users is the complete lack of user-configurable options in the Wi-Fi USB Connector software and installer.

While Nintendo has not stated a reason for the discontinuation of the device, manufacturers Buffalo Technology are reportedly no longer licensed to distribute it due to a successful recent lawsuit[12] by the Australian Government's technology research agency CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization).

As a result, the company has been prevented from trading in any products adhering to the 802.11a/g standards in the US,[13][14] including the Nintendo Wi-Fi USB connector.