College internet?

Milkman[7] · 02-21-2007, 03:00 PM

Hello everyone who owns a wii,
First I wasn't sure if I should post this under FAQ's or error codes so I decided to start a new thread. Anyways, I'm at college and want to connect to wifi but cannot. I check to find an access point, found the one I use at school with security, but for my internet I need to enter my name and password and for the wii it tells me to just enter a password. There is an unlocked internet as well but either way, when I test my connection it won't work. I don't remember the error code but I think it might be 51030 or something to that liking. If anyone else knows of how I can make this work it would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Mark OTVII · 02-21-2007, 10:25 PM

Here's a workaround to the wireless internet problems that crop up, it'll just be dependent on your computer skills and amount of equipment you have laying around. You need to turn your PC into a router, basically..

First of all, you'll need a computer with both a wireless card and standard RJ45 NIC. Linux preferred.

Given your situation, if you can log into your college's network on your PC to authenticate, you can then bridge your two wired/wireless connections with internet connection sharing. So, if you've got wired connectivity in your dorm, use the wired method, and share the connection over wireless to create your own access point without any of the hinderances of the college setup. Your PC will have already authenticated you as a legit user.

vice versa, if you have the USB/ethernet adapter for your Wii, you can opt to share the wireless signal you pick up from school over a wired cable. If you don't have a hub/router you may need to pick up a crossover cable, but it can be done.

A pain in the ass, but it can be done with the right hardware and some free time. If you're in a dorm, and you have a Wii, then you probably will make friends quickly - find the computer geeks and they will be glad to help with a project like that.

+Maniacal=Maniac+ · 02-22-2007, 02:42 AM

Wow... Nice One Mark.

X2222 · 02-22-2007, 03:35 AM

Ok, im in the exact same boat. Heres the deal.

College networks dont use the same wep and I've confirmed from my school and nintnedo that you cant login through wii for that type of security protocol. Normally for my to access my schools wifi, you need to enter your user name and password in the internet browser and you just cant do that on the wii.

Second, as for bridging the ethernet (wired) connection to share it through your wireless card with the wii. I've worked at it exhaustively and by setting up an adhoc network, I got the wii to view the network but it still fails the conneciton test and from what I've gathered from speaking to nintendo, it likely isnt possible. (Heres how to do it if you still want to try. http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/418/4

The best bet that I'm doing is getting the nintnedo wireless usb adapter and that works fine. It would be real nice to use the schools wifi or even bridge the connections from your own laptop but both of those don't seem possible.

Mark OTVII · 02-22-2007, 04:26 AM

Nothing's impossible. Sometimes its just a pain in the ass.

If you have a spare NIC laying around, throw it in your computer, bridge the two connections, and put another router downstream from your comp.. your internet access will already be authenticated. You just need to have it set up so that you can provide DHCP to your computer(s) and Wii. If you want very specific instructions, PM me.

Joshieca · 02-22-2007, 05:29 AM

This should only be a problem if the WiFi is locked down right? I am in a residence hall and we have WiFi (one is right outside my door) but it is not locked down; you don't need anything to connect to it. So I should be fine correct?

Mark OTVII · 02-22-2007, 06:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joshieca

This should only be a problem if the WiFi is locked down right? I am in a residence hall and we have WiFi (one is right outside my door) but it is not locked down; you don't need anything to connect to it. So I should be fine correct?

*should* be. the access point may not need wep/wpa keys, but your school may authenticate you as a legit user in other ways, ie., some schools go by the MAC address of your network card. others require a secure login via web browser before connectivity is established.

gamechaser001 · 02-23-2007, 01:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark OTVII

Here's a workaround to the wireless internet problems that crop up, it'll just be dependent on your computer skills and amount of equipment you have laying around. You need to turn your PC into a router, basically..

First of all, you'll need a computer with both a wireless card and standard RJ45 NIC. Linux preferred.

Given your situation, if you can log into your college's network on your PC to authenticate, you can then bridge your two wired/wireless connections with internet connection sharing. So, if you've got wired connectivity in your dorm, use the wired method, and share the connection over wireless to create your own access point without any of the hinderances of the college setup. Your PC will have already authenticated you as a legit user.

vice versa, if you have the USB/ethernet adapter for your Wii, you can opt to share the wireless signal you pick up from school over a wired cable. If you don't have a hub/router you may need to pick up a crossover cable, but it can be done.

A pain in the ass, but it can be done with the right hardware and some free time. If you're in a dorm, and you have a Wii, then you probably will make friends quickly - find the computer geeks and they will be glad to help with a project like that.

Wow, reminds me of the stuff i'm currently doing in my networking lab, instead i'm using Win Server 2K3, I guess any OS would work, it just requires the features to run as a router and DHCP broadcasting (to assign IP adresses), DHCP isn't required, but it would make things a whole lot easier, if not, you need to set a static IP not only for the transmitting card, but also for the Wii, it's funny that Mark OTVII mentioned about getting a crossover cable, in my lab, I had to make a set of them for the classes routing servers

jowii · 02-23-2007, 02:10 AM

If you have a router lying around and you don't want to mess with the wireless at all, then you could always just pick up this:

http://www.ebgames.com/product.asp?c...duct_id=802615

Like they have been saying, as long as you get everything authenticated before it gets to your Wii then your network won't care what info is passing through it.

Mark OTVII · 02-24-2007, 05:57 PM

Dunno the rules about bumping a thread but given the confusion of the majority of people in dorms, on a mac, .... bump.

tank · 02-28-2007, 06:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark OTVII

Given your situation, if you can log into your college's network on your PC to authenticate, you can then bridge your two wired/wireless connections with internet connection sharing. So, if you've got wired connectivity in your dorm, use the wired method, and share the connection over wireless to create your own access point without any of the hinderances of the college setup. Your PC will have already authenticated you as a legit user.

Actualy, I had the same problem with my Nintendo Wi-Fi USB adatper. Here at Pittsburgh we use the Meetinghouse 802.1x authentication protcol. I fixed my problem around about the way you said, but it did not automaticaly authenticate me. The problem with that is that it makes a new connection. You will have your regular netwrok connections, and then another one ( go to your network connections pannel and see you will have a new connection probably named "Connection #".......#being whatever is next in your sequence, it was 6 for me). The Wii does not have 802.1x built in. So i had to take the extra step of turning off windows firewall and the protocol....

Right click the connection your Wii will be using, goto properties and take 3 steps:

1:General Tab > deselect any protocol other than Microsoft networks, File sharing, QoS packet, and TCP/IP

2: Authentication tab > deselect IEEE 802.1x authentication for this network

3: Advanced tab> Settings > select off for Windows firewall (just for that connection)

Now, I was able to connect. This can apply for other protcols also. I'm pretty sure the Wii sin't going to have most of the standards in authentication.

Nintendos tech support is actualy able to help you with this problem now. I called them and was on the phone for an hour trying to get it to work. After I hung up with them it finaly hit me what was wrong. They called back 3 days later and asked me if I still needed assistance (pretty nice of them, I think). After I told them I got it working they asked me what I did. Once i explaned the process they told me that they were going to enter that into their system, as they have alot of college kids calling for connection support.....Go me!

JerrodDRagon · 02-28-2007, 06:47 AM

Well if you have a Computer cant you just use Nintendo's USB Wifi adapter? Just plug it into your USB port and then turn on your Wii can set your internet settings.

tank · 03-01-2007, 05:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JerrodDRagon

Well if you have a Computer cant you just use Nintendo's USB Wifi adapter? Just plug it into your USB port and then turn on your Wii can set your internet settings.

It's not always that easy. Most colleges use some sort of authentication protcol or another. The Wii does not have the software to authenticate over them. So alot of times you have to do like I did and turn them off for the connection created by the Wi-Fi dongle.

gamechaser001 · 03-01-2007, 11:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tank

It's not always that easy. Most colleges use some sort of authentication protcol or another. The Wii does not have the software to authenticate over them. So alot of times you have to do like I did and turn them off for the connection created by the Wi-Fi dongle.

are you saying that your college's wi-fi authentication for the school Wi-Fi access point isn't compatible with the Wii, so the dongle won't work because it won't work with your schools network?

If so, the dongle dosen't go on the Wii, it plugs into your computer, the only way the dongle won't work is if your computer can't access the internet.

The Wii connects to your computer, then your computer connects to the college network like it normally does, your computer just serves as a Nintendo only internet connection point, the Wii's internal wireless card connects to dongle after the software the dongle comes with is installed on your computer, if your computer connects to the internet i'm 100% sure the Wii can get online

unkasa56 · 03-02-2007, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gamechaser001

are you saying that your college's wi-fi authentication for the school Wi-Fi access point isn't compatible with the Wii, so the dongle won't work because it won't work with your schools network?

If so, the dongle dosen't go on the Wii, it plugs into your computer, the only way the dongle won't work is if your computer can't access the internet.

The Wii connects to your computer, then your computer connects to the college network like it normally does, your computer just serves as a Nintendo only internet connection point, the Wii's internal wireless card connects to dongle after the software the dongle comes with is installed on your computer, if your computer connects to the internet i'm 100% sure the Wii can get online

I have internet on my laptop, got the Nintendo WiFi Access Point. Installed the Software, and the Dongle didn't work, yet I do have internet on my laptop.

Also, I purchased the LAN USB Adaptor, and that didn't work either. I am waiting on a router from a friend to try that, but since the Dongle didn't work I am doubting the Router will.

Any advice?

Mark OTVII · 03-03-2007, 12:23 AM

Here's a thought, since this is an issue specific to the problems caused by the user authentication put in place by various colleges: start a friggin club, or look for a "gamer" club at your school. Find the dorks. Get together and make it work. Turn off the TV. Turn on your brain. And then write a comprehensive guide detailing exactly how to connect your Wii to your specific school's network, and make it available on this website.

tank · 03-03-2007, 12:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gamechaser001

are you saying that your college's wi-fi authentication for the school Wi-Fi access point isn't compatible with the Wii, so the dongle won't work because it won't work with your schools network?

If so, the dongle dosen't go on the Wii, it plugs into your computer, the only way the dongle won't work is if your computer can't access the internet.

The Wii connects to your computer, then your computer connects to the college network like it normally does, your computer just serves as a Nintendo only internet connection point, the Wii's internal wireless card connects to dongle after the software the dongle comes with is installed on your computer, if your computer connects to the internet i'm 100% sure the Wii can get online

nononon What I'm saying is that the dongle is on my PC. But the thing is that at the begining of the year they give us this setup disk to run on all our PCS that configured all our internet to authenticate over IEEE 802.1x.

When I set up the dongle it creates a new network connection on my PC.

Internet connection(wired)---->my pc(authenticates via 802.1x)----> Dongle(broadcasts an authenticated connection)----->Wii

The authentication happens between the dongle and computer, as it makes a new network connection. When I go to my network connections i see three of them, one for home, one for school, and one random one called "connection 6" That connection is the Wi-Fi dongle. Because I have my network settings to authenticate via 801.1x any new connection will automaticaly use that as default settings. The problem is that the Wii can't autehnticate to my network because the wii doesn't have 802.1x software. But all i have to do is turn off 802.1x on that connection. The wii then connects to the dongle, which shares the internet connection on my PC. The PC is already authenticated for 802.1x, so eveything works.

Quote:

the only way the dongle won't work is if your computer can't access the internet.

It's not that simple. That's what most people seem to think but no one consideres the Wiis capabilities. Like in my case. The Wii did not have the software to authenticate so I had to essentialy re-rout the connection first to my PC so it could authentic

adol116 · 03-09-2007, 04:20 AM

our school uses mac addresses to verify the user...how do I get around that?