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I certainly have a range issue at play I think with mine. I can connect just fine with several devices where I have the Switch but the connections aren't always as great as they could be. My Switch seems to have issues connecting when I start it up. Now this could be because when it goes to sleep it's not still technically on the way the Wii, Wii U, and 3DS were. I think the wifi is even powered down and then powers back up when you wake it up. That's got to be why it takes a while to reconnect. I test that standing next to the router where I had no issue at all. When it does connect though, back in it's normal location, the bar goes between 1 and 2. Mainly stays at one. The N3DSXL is stronger from further away. So assuming the Switch's wireless hardware is somehow weaker or just not getting enough power that's going to be an issue once games like Mario Kart and Splatoon come out. I ordered a cheap lan adapter yesterday for less then $10 so that will be my backup regardless. I should have had it for the Wii and Wii U but the connection was never bad enough to justify and I was just being cheap I guess.

My other issue is I have a N300 Wireless Router WNR2000v3. That thing has a 2010 release date I believe. It might even be older. I'm not sure when I picked mine up but it was a good while ago. The further away from it the weaker the signal gets. I certainly know this is the case on our second floor be it computers or TVs. Right now on the floor I have the switch you have to go through two rooms to get to the router. I can't really move it from that spot as it's the best place for the rest of the house. However I think it might be time to get a new router anyway since we have more and more devices in the home from when I bought it. Perhaps something with a more high powered antenna attached to it.

Going to Best Buy tomorrow so I'm going to try and see if they have this.Actually might order for store pick up since it's on sale right now.

NETGEAR - Wireless-AC1750 Dual-Band Gigabit Router

Came across this and reviews look pretty good. This was suppose to be better for larger homes and I'm not sure if the N300 was. I remember deciding upon that mainly do to price at the time and it worked okay at the time but device numbers has grown a lot since then. I would say doubled. Anyone have any experience with the router linked above?

Not letting the Switch or Nintendo off the hook if the N3DSXL is getting a stronger signal. However I do think it's time I upgraded my router all the same. If that doesn't work the router will just be returned. How many people really stop and think about how many devices they have and how old their routers are? Especially if they're working fine for other things or just those things aren't giving you an issue.

 

[Clockwork]

Works great with my TP Link Archer C5400 router (Wireless Tri-Band MU-MIMO Gigabit Router)

 

[Slermy]

It did not even find my router, I had to use a mobile hotspot for the updates and to download Snipperclips. Never had this issue with any device before. Will try switching the bands later when I get home.

This is my issue. Even one foot from the router, it sees nothing.

 

[DjRalford]

My daughters has been working fine over the 5Ghz wireless on the Virgin Media Superhub 3, only get peak speeds of about 50MB down 8mb up though (on a 200MB down 12MB up connection)

I've bought a USB Lan adaptor from amazon for the dock anyway so when its docked it doesnt need to do wifi, i'll likely play splatoon docked anyway, will be intrsting to see what the speed is with that when it comes Monday.

 

[Raet]

This is my issue. Even one foot from the router, it sees nothing.

Is your router 2.4 Ghz?

I think mine is not capable of 5 Ghz. I will be receiving a new, advanced router in about a month but I don't want to wait until then (would miss the Splatoon test period too).

Any tips for those of us with 2.4 Ghz routers?

 

[kneePat]

Has anyone tried toggling airplane mode on and off? I'm not having issues, but my switch went from like 1 bar to 3 after I did that.

 

[Kusagari]

I've had zero problems. Stuff has also downloaded lightning quick, whereas on 3DS and Wii U even the smallest downloads took forever.

 

[ViciousDS]

Even using the 2.4Ghz signal it's only showing 2 bars of the 3. All other devices except the vita......go figure another weak wifi device show 3 bars.

It's definitely slower at download but it's not breaking. But wow I was at least expecting decent signal strength from a router not very far away

 

[Tavernacle12]

Mine gets zero signal docked (next to PS4) but is fine portable. I'm thinking about where else I may be able to move it to get it working better docked, but I'm not in a huge rush since Splatoon is the first online game I'd be getting anyways.

 

[PSFan]

The only issue I have with wifi is that it doesn't autoconnect when I turn it on from being fully powered off. I have to go in and connect manually.

 

[nullpoynter]

When I first powered my Switch up and went through the setup wizard, I connected to my router using 2.4 GHz and the connection strength was fine. After the day 1 patch my Switch had issues connecting. After switching to 5 GHz everything seemed to be fine again. It seems like 2.4 GHz may have become worse after the patch. I wonder if something in the patch caused an issue.

 

[alexbull_uk]

Mine has been fine, it gets about the same download speed as everything else in my house. I'm using 5GHz though.

 

[TB14]

0-1 bars where all other devices get full signal.

 

[Alex]

Mine is good but it has mostly been used in the same room with the router. Have tried both 2.4 and 5 GHz both seemed fine.

More reliable for me than the 3DS or Wii U, that's for sure, better speeds and connects faster

 

[Lkr]

i get 1 bar on 5GHz but if i'm going to be honest with you the speeds seem better than Wii U and 3DS did

 

[bryanee]

0-1 bars where all other devices get full signal.

Mine was fine yesterday but now I'm having this issue. Every other device including the not so great wifi on my PS3 gets full signal upstairs when the router is in the living room.

 

[pgharavi]

Hard to gauge my actual Switch download performance since I've downloaded next to nothing besides the Zelda update, system update, and a few demos. But the device unquestionably reports fewer "bars" than any other device in my house, including:

3 Macbook Pros/Airs, PS4 Pro, PS TV (lol), VITA, PS3, 2 Apple TV, iPhone 7/6, TVs, iPad, and other devices I'm forgetting.

I have a Time Capsule router in the garage downstairs. Most devices upstairs. 2.4 and 5ghz networks. Usually the only devices that report less than full bars are a TV and perhaps an iPhone in one of the far off bathrooms (lol).

But the switch has never gone over two bars, whether mobile or docked.

 

[ManeKast]

5ghz router upstairs.

Zero problems.

 

[NoHeDidn't]

I grabbed my Switch from the front porch and headed to a hotel for the night. Apparently the Wifi selector can find the hotel ID, but since I can't pull up a web page to "login" to the free wifi,I can't connect and get the update. Is it possible to get the update any other way?

And people said Switch not having a web browser wouldn't affect anyone cause nobody needs a web browser on Switch.

You might be using the 2.4-Ghz connection. This band is shared by many other wireless signals (phone, bluetooth devices, microwave oven, etc.) and can become extremely crowded if you live in an apartment with many other hotspots and devices nearby. Consequently, the connection quality is poor and the speed of transmission is limited.

If your router supports 5 Ghz connection, try connecting Switch to this specific band (Theoretically speaking 5 Ghz connection covers less space than 2.4 Ghz connection, however this should not be a problem in most urban homes). If 5 Ghz is not supported on your router, consider changing the channel of your wireless connection (the option is available on the control panel, usu. accessible with your browser, of your router). Channel 1, 6 and 11 are the preferable choices. Still, this may never solve your problem completely and I still recommend you upgrade your router.

All my devices run on wireless 2.4ghz my PS4,tablets and phones and they all work at great speeds regardless of microwave use.5Ghz is an option and one that shouldn't have to be used to get decent speeds or coverage on any hardware after 2015.

Having said that I feel bad you guys are having wifi issues in 2017 on a $300 system.

 

[akashhhhh]

Doesn't see my 5GHZ band. 2.4 is working fine, but still peculiar...

 

[megashock5]

Wifi seems to be fine in tablet mode but is awful docked. Hoping I can find an easy fix, it's kinda annoying.

That's what I found. Wouldn't download the Zelda update while docked, kept getting stuck 3-4%. Took it out and put it a bit closer to the router, worked fine.

Really annoying, supposed to be a home console for me.

 

[Family Fry]

Personally for me it seems to be a permanent 1 bar signal whilst docked, goes to 2 when undocked in same room. 2.4ghz router.

Any chance that the WiFi signal display could be incorrect? it does seem to download ok and I've not lost connection yet. I get around 8mb on network test, which is a tiny bit worse than my normal 9-9.5 average on Xbox/PS4.

 

[TheBaldEmperor]

I get about one bar in my bedroom which is on the opposite side of the house from my router. I was able to get online in Fast and browse the eshop. I may try the 5ghz and see if that looks any different but it showed I was only getting 1 bar from that as well.

 

[DarkLegion]

I get one bar a few feet away from my router, but the connection never drops and the speed seems fine

 

[Slermy]

Is your router 2.4 Ghz?

I think mine is not capable of 5 Ghz. I will be receiving a new, advanced router in about a month but I don't want to wait until then (would miss the Splatoon test period too).

Any tips for those of us with 2.4 Ghz routers?

Nope, mine is not 5Ghz capable either.

 

[outunderthestars]

Switching to 5ghz allows me to get signal in another room. Still weak, but usable now. Thanks for the tips!

 

[Booker.DeWitt]

My nighthawk router is in the basement. I am currently in the upstairs floor (so 2 floors above basement ) and I can connect my switch to both 2.4 and 5, and get great download speeds. Just downloaded shovel Knight in less than a minute.

Try a better router and see if there fix the Problem

 

[Insaniac]

No issues with 5ghz wifi

 

[mobilesworking]

I haven't had any issues connecting to wi-fi or downloading content. I usually play several rooms away from my router FWIW.

 

[kennyamr]

My router's signal is pretty strong all around my house, full bars at 200+mbps.

My Switch only gets 1 or 2 bars anywhere in my house, including being next to the router itself, and only 30-50mbps.

My network is 5Ghz 802.11ac

--

My bf's router barely appears on the list but doesn't connect.

I believe his network is 2.4Ghz.

so yea... it's awful.

--

Please help?

 

[Pottypotsworth]

In addition to the poor wifi signal I've noticed that the Switch seems to take ages to reconnect to a Wifi device. When testing putting an iPhone and Switch into airplane mode and back again, the Switch takes 4/5 times longer to reconnect.

 

[Walt_Clyde]

Zero issues here. Hope it gets fixed for yall that are having problems.

 

[Kthulhu]

I haven't downloaded anything except the update, which worked fine for me. Took a minute or two, no connection issues so far. Using 2 Netgear Orbis.

 

[Staccat0]

I always show 2 bars, which is super weird for me.
Seems weak. That said, I haven't used it beyond updates which were fast.

 

[Mohonky]

All my devices are connected ar 2.4ghz to my router, I use 5.8ghz for the Switch and its been solid as a rock.

I do only have 1 wall and about 4m to the router though.

 

[obijkenobi]

Don't know if this is of any help, but I've moved my Switch in handheld mode throughout my apartment and haven't noticed any different bars on my connection.

 

[immortald3ath]

No issues here. Connected to 5ghz with Asus AC1900 (RT-AC68U) router.

 

[rockx4]

Using a Linksys router, my Switch is able to see my 2.4ghz, and both 5ghz signals. Downloads are super fast... way faster than my other consoles. I'm current connected to 5ghz.

 

[Jaded Alyx]

I don't even have my Switch yet and this thread made me buy a 5Ghz band router yesterday.

 

[Kthulhu]

I don't even have my Switch yet and this thread made me buy a 5Ghz band router yesterday.

TBH anyone who doesn't have one should get one. Pretty much every electronic device with wifi released in the past 5 years has 5Ghz wifi support.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

I don't even have my Switch yet and this thread made me buy a 5Ghz band router yesterday.

Welcome to a wonderful world of open unused spectrum as far as the eye can see.

No one uses 5 ghz band like anywhere, even in places where there's 30 routers all crowding and interfering with each other on the 2.4 ghz band. It's like the secret band that people in the know use. It's the 1% of WiFi.

 

[Branduil]

If anyone wants a wired solution I can confirm that it seems any random USB-to-LAN converter bought on Amazon will work instantly.

 

[Effect]

So set the new router up this morning. Steady two bars out of the three. I would say the distance between the router and my Switch had to be say around 30 feet I think. Maybe a bit more or less. The connection between my phone and the router is stronger as well from where the router is to the other side of house where the kitchen is. Before I would drop to one bar there over wifi and loading would be slower. It's full now. This is on 2.4.

Connected the Switch to the 2.4 band and did a test and the download was 6mbps. Upload just under 1mbps. Switched to the 5 network and download went to 11. My service is generally 10 down and under 1 up but on good days it can be little higher on both. Not doing any twitch streaming but netflix, downloading, etc is good on it. I was not getting anywhere near this before on the Switch with the older router. Hell the connection wasn't anywhere close to stable. Deleted Fast RMX to test the redownload speed. Took about 12 minutes I think where as it had to have taken an hour or more yesterday. This was on the 5. Waking the Switch from sleep mode now only 6 seconds passes before it reconnects.

So for me at least the router wasn't strong enough to deal with the Switch's possibly weaker receiver because of the distance. Will monitor this over the next several days though to make sure this isn't a fluke. I didn't want to spen the extra money but if everything else improves I guess it was worth it.

 

[Plinko]

If anyone wants a wired solution I can confirm that it seems any random USB-to-LAN converter bought on Amazon will work instantly.

Thanks. I'm going this route.

 

[herod]

Firstly, this exact same issue happened at the launch of the Wii U, and Nintendo patched it fairly quickly, but certainly not a day after launch.

Secondly, Any broadcast reception device has two important factors that affect reception: signal strength and signal quality. Signal strength is concerned with receiving enough signal - not enough and we need to boost the gain which can have a detrimental effect on reception - you can also have too much - you can overload the rf input stage as there is always a certain amount of amplification of the signal, so holding your Switch 30cm from the router is certainly not a test of ideal strength. Signal quality is more to do with purity of the signal received; is it subject to any interference on the same frequency, signal reflections, interference in the 2.4ghz band from other (non-wifi) devices, etc., and I suspect this is where the issue lies that needs to be patched in the wifi firmware/driver.

It's a shame that the established indicator of reception is an arbitrary amalgamation of these two factors because it means troubleshooting issues is very difficult and comparisons to other devices are not useful because there is no accepted standard behind the signal bars.

It might be worth briefly experimenting with reducing the output signal of your router, especially if you're using multiple base stations, but other than that you probably just have to either wait for Nintendo to patch it or upgrade to 5ghz.

Edit: also ensure your router firmware is up to date. Also, comparitively a long shot vs just waiting for a patch from Nintendo.

 

[Lucifon]

4-5 metres away from the router. 5ghz getting 50Mbps at best (on a 250 connection). 2 bar out of 3. Every other device tested (laptop, phones, tablets, XB1, ps4) all get full signal in the room, 99-100%. All have significantly faster speeds on 5ghz. Xb1 and ps4 specifically are sat next to the switch.

My tv even gets a better WiFi speed then the switch.

This is absolutely an issue, it's just not possible to improve it for me.

 

[bennibop]

Very poor WiFi at home, tried at work to see if a more powerful WiFi router would fix the issue, it would not connect at all.

 

[Kodaman]

Mine was fine yesterday but now I'm having this issue. Every other device including the not so great wifi on my PS3 gets full signal upstairs when the router is in the living room.

Same here. Worked acceptable yesterday but today has been terrible.

Considering a 5ghz router now :/

 

[Jafku]

To anyone that is considering going wired. I personally had trouble with the amazonbasics usb lan adapter. Try to find an adapter that uses the ASIX AX88772 Chipset. I bought this and can confirm it works:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MYT481C/?tag=neogaf0e-20

 

[drotahorror]

TBH anyone who doesn't have one should get one. Pretty much every electronic device with wifi released in the past 5 years has 5Ghz wifi support.

coughPS4cough