A How To on Wifi. As written by BowserBasher and the entire ACC staff on Animal Crossing Communtiy
This thread is for all information on the WiFi abilities of Animal Crossing WW. You will find info on WiFi, and Animal Crossing WW's WiFi abilities. Please continue to use this thread for any questions you have about it.
What is WiFi?
WiFi, short for Wireless Fidelity, allows you to connect to the internet, without the need of wires. WiFi enabled devices send out and recieve data signals anywhere within the range of a base station (defined below).
What do I need?
There are two common ways to use this techology:
1) A wireless Hotspot. A Hotspot is a public place where you can connect to the internet. Common places include cafe's, restaurants, hotels.
There are many hotspots around the world, to find the one nearest to you, check out JWire Wireless Hot Spot Finder.
or
2) A wireless home network. For this you will need a few things:
A broadband connection
A wireless Router
A wireless router is a device that allows you to connect many PC's or wireless devices to your one broadband connection. It will also allow your Nintendo DS to connect to any sevices that Nintendo make avaliable. You can buy them at any computer store, or many online retailers. The one you purchase is up to you, but as long as you purchase one that has a "WiFi certified" logo on it, you will be fine.
Nintendo will release a device that will allow users who have a normal broadband connection (non-wireless) to use the WiFi features.
The Nintendo DS WiFi USB Connector allows you to use your existing broadband connection without the need to buy a wireless router. You plug the device into a USB port on you computer, and the DS will then be able to communicate through that and access the WiFi service.
Where does the Nintendo DS come in?
The Nintendo DS has built in WiFi support, meaning that if you are within range of a wireless hotspot, (or other DS's) and the game supports it, you can connect to any other DS gamers in the world.
Many new games may support this feature including Mario Kart DS and Animal Crossing WW.
So what does this mean to me?
What this means is, where before you could only play against people in the same room as you, now you will be able to play against anyone, anywhere.
Where does Animal Crossing come into this?
Animal Crossing WW is the follow up to the succesfull Animal Crossing on the Gamecube, and has been named as one of the first games to support the WiFi capabilities of the nintendo DS. there are not many details at this time (more will be added when we recive them), but this is what we do know:
Players will be able to visit other players villages either by connecting directly with a DS nearby or by using the WiFi capabilities and visiting a village many miles away.
Up to four people will be able to be in the same village at the same time.
People can interact with each other by chatting to them, hitting them over the head with a net, walking around the village, and going into other animals houses.
The train Station that was in the GC version, has made way for a Giant Gate. Inside, you are confronted by a guard (quite possibly Copper and Booker) who will then give you the option to either change the flag (like on Animal Island) or visit another village either locally or via WiFi. Not much is know so far on the way this works, and this will be added when it is known.
What is all this going to cost me
Nintendo has stated that all it's own games will be free to play online.
When more information becomes avaliable, it will be posted here.
As far as we know, this is most likely to work with Broadband internet access only, unless Nintendo says otherwise. Dial up internet access works differently, and I don't belive that you can use routers with dial up.
Please try not to fill this thread up with 'Will my [insert internet connection name] work?' questions. As far as we know, all bradband connentions will work with the service. If you can get online with it, then you will most probably be able to use the DS online aspects.
