Discussion Wii U - Expanding the Possibilities...

[MiseriesChild]

I have been thinking about modding my Wii U's wireless connection to the GamePad so I can play it further away from the console, (ya know in the kitchen, living room bathroom, etc, lol!!). Anyone try anything like this yet? I found this site which was rather interesting... https://gbatemp.net/threads/wii-u-wireless-controller-extender-hack.378742/. The signal works off the 5Ghz wireless range and I dont have any other 5Ghz devices or routers so I'm trying to figure out if it is worth the it for the amount of range I "might" get.

Don't know how many of you have a Wii U out there.. I tried to do a search of the forums but all I kept getting was an error message. :-(

 

[Shank]

Ive thought about it a few times. A few others have done it before successfully, but nobody in this community specifically. Your improvement will depend on what antenna you use, and how much gain you have. IIRC, there were many factors in consider, like directional vs omnidirectional and levels of gain, but I didn't read much more into it than that. If you pick out a good antenna, you should see some noticeable improvement though.

 

[MiseriesChild]

True, finding the right antenna is key, got to look and see what I can find out there. All the equipment I have here have Internal antennas so can't steal one from something somewhere, (I'm all about parting stuff out & recycling). Might start looking on Amazon or eBay and see what's out there.

 

[MiseriesChild]

Found this nice set of antennas on Amazon, might give them a try. Of course it will make my Wii U look like a wireless router, lol!!

2 x 6dBi 2.4GHz 5GHz Dual Band WiFi with 30cm IPEX U.FL Cable RP-SMA Female(Pin) for Routers Omni Directional Antenna.

www.amazon.com/dp/B01DWEC80K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_eq6xyb8E1W5RB

 

[cheese]

Make sure to set it so the antenna's tops are facing straight up, since the omni antennas make a doughnut shape for signal coverage

 

[MiseriesChild]

True, I remember those type of diagrams when it comes to my music studio and using Omni vs Unidirectional microphones but didn't even think about it in this case... thanks for the heads up!!

Luckily I have my Wii U setting in the "Laying Flat" position just under my TV right now. Since those antennas are flexible though I should be able to move them around to face up even it is set up vertically. I just hope they aren't too hard to install... usually the Wi-Fi cards are located outside the RF shield and easy to access but I've never taken it apart. I guess a trip to the iFixit website is in order.

 

[fibbef]

I looked into this a little bit when I got my Wii U because the tablet wouldn't reach from the living room to my bedroom. I remember reading something about how the wireless protocol Nintendo used was proprietary or encrypted or some BS like that. I think what they were getting at was that your standard wireless repeaters wouldn't work and if they did there'd be too much lag.

I'll be interested to hear if the antennas work and what kind of range they give you.

 

[MiseriesChild]

Yeah, they run the GamePad with a 5GHz connection that is some kind of Nintendo proprietary "Nintendo" thing. That's why i'm hoping that swapping out the antenna's for a bigger set will just boost the range of their proprietary signal. Going to stick them on my next Amazon order and when I get them installed I will have to let you guys know how it goes. I really hope I don't go through all the trouble and it doesn't do anything, that would suck, lol!!

 

[cheese]

I'm sure it will increase your range by quite a bit, that antenna has quite a bit more gain than the tiny ones inside the wii u

 

[MiseriesChild]

I just realized that when I bought my Wii U I purchased a 3 year extended warranty because I knew the GamePad was prone to breaking so the real questions is... say what the hell, void the warranty and hope to get more range or wait a bit longer and void it after the switch comes out...

 

[cheese]

They won't know you voided the warranty if you don't open the gamepad
Also, if you do manage to break something (super small chance) you can buy a replacement console only for less than $100.
Up to you though, your console, your money

 

[MiseriesChild]

This is true...And yeah, I see that the console by itself is only like $89 on eBay so I ordered some antennas for it. Two 14" 9dBi Omni-directionals... I figure if I'm going to do it go big or go home. After all, bigger is better right, lol!!

"2 x 9dBi 2.4GHz Omni-directional WiFi Antenna 802.11n/b/g RP-SMA Connector + 2 x 35cm U.fl / IPEX Mini PCI to RP-SMA Pigtail Antenna WiFi Cable" by HighFine

www.amazon.com/dp/B01LX11VNJ/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_lOABybKSRNTSM

 

[Wulf]

Did you ever get around to installing the antennas? How did it work out for you?