Big, ugly antenna increases Wii's wireless range
Problem: Your gaming room is on the opposite end of the house from your wireless router, making wireless connections for your Wii intermittent at best.
Possible solutions:
- Use the ethernet connection dongle and run miles of ethernet cable throughout the house.
- Redo your entire house to move the system and router closer together.
- Crack open your Wii and add a big-ass wireless antenna.
The folks at InformIt.com decided on option 3, and lay out step-by-step instructions for you to do the same. The procedure is not for the faint of heart, requiring you to physically remove the Wii's wireless card and drilling a hole in the case to fit the new antenna.
Surprisingly, their test results didn't show a huge increase in wireless strength with the grafted antenna, but the authors theorize that a stronger antenna cable will produce better results. Sounds a little risky considering all the work required, but it definitely beats redesigning the house.