Even for the computer-savvy, setting up a game console on encrypted Wi-Fi is always a bit of a hassle. You have to memorize a special keycode, tap it in one character at a time with control stick or stylus, and -- in the case of the Nintendo DS -- expose your entire home network to security risk. What if instead, you could create a secure connection with a single touch?
Believe it or not, that technology is actually built right into your DS, Wii, PS3 and PSP -- and this month, you'll finally be able to legally purchase a router that uses it.
Dubbed AOSS, for "AirStation OneTouch Secure System," the tech was cooked up by a Japanese company called Buffalo, who was all set to introduce AOSS routers in the United States -- right before a massive lawsuit slapped those routers (and the Wi-Fi USB Connector they co-developed with Nintendo) all the way back to Japan. But at CES 2009, we learned that the injunction against Buffalo has been stayed; and that AOSS is back in business.
For as little as $60, you'll be able to get in the game with a DD-WRT compatible, amplifier-equipped Wireless-G MIMO Performance router -- or upgrade to Buffalo's sleek new "Nfiniti" Wireless-N router for $80. For $100, Buffalo pulls out all the stops with a Wireless-N Dual Band version that can run a second channel at 5GHz to avoid microwave interference, features a built in 4-port gigabit ethernet switch, and a USB port that -- a representative told us -- can turn an external drive into Network Attached Storage.
None of these products are particularly targeted towards gamers, we admit; but Buffalo representative Jay Pechek told us that wireless gaming products are only a matter of time. When we asked about the fate of the Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector and the Wi-Fi Gamers Access Point, he told us that a return in Q2 was likely -- and that we might even see the official, multisecurity-equipped Nintendo Wi-Fi Network Adapter arrive stateside by year's end.
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