After small power surge, Wii-U can't find a WiFi signal

[Stg-Flame]

Just had a small power surge - not big enough to turn off the electronics but enough to make the lights flicker and now the console can't connect to WiFi. I was in the middle of downloading an update for BotW which was almost finished.

I've checked and restarted the router numerous times and all my other devices connect via WiFi just fine. Anyone have any ideas?

Edit: I was trying to test the connection and after it kept failing, I left it on the previous screen and I heard the notification noise that tells me when I'm connected, so I tested the connection again and it said everything was good. So I backed out to the home screen, tried to start the game, and it said I didn't have an internet connection. I went back and tested the connection again and it failed.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Is it on a UPS? If not it may have gotten damaged enough that things like wifi don't work but not enough that it's completely dead. Do other device connect fine? It could also be the router.

 

[Stg-Flame]

Not sure what UPS means but my phone, laptop, and my girlfriend's phone and kindle all connect to the WiFi.

 

[UsandThem]

Not sure what UPS means but my phone, laptop, and my girlfriend's phone and kindle all connect to the WiFi.

UPS battery backup like this one:

They also have surge protection.

 

[Stg-Flame]

No, but the router is fairly old. It's downstairs and when I'm upstairs in bed, I sometimes have my wifi disconnect constantly. But it doesn't make sense that all of a sudden everything else in my house can pick up the wifi signal except the Wii-U.

 

[UsandThem]

No, but the router is fairly old. It's downstairs and when I'm upstairs in bed, I sometimes have my wifi disconnect constantly. But it doesn't make sense that all of a sudden everything else in my house can pick up the wifi signal except the Wii-U.

With surges, you never know what it will impact. Sometimes it could be everything, and other times just some things.

It could very well be your Nintendo was damaged. You can always try setting up a hot spot on your cell phone, and see if you can connect to that (or try another wireless router). With the storms we have in the south, I pretty much have all my electronics on UPS systems because the lightening gets pretty gnarly here. In fact, we had a bad storm the other day and lost power for 14 hours. Before it totally went out, there were several power dips. That sort of thing is rough on electronics.

 

[Stg-Flame]

I do keep everything plugged into surge protectors (not power strips) but I didn't think to try a hotspot. I've never used hotspots before, but I'll see what I can find out. As for another router, this is my only one. I bought it about 7 years ago when I first got cable internet and haven't needed a reason to switch routers.

 

[UsandThem]

For a personal experience of how power surges/dips are so unpredictable with what they damage, I just realized after trying to watch a movie last night that my home sound system's sub woofer apparently was damaged by the storm the other day. Could it just be a coincidence? Could be, but with the nasty dips we had followed by power increasing several times before going off, I'm fairly confident making my "educated guess".

It is one of the very few electrical items I don't have on a UPS (just a surge protector). I guess I will be buying another UPS system when I catch one on sale at Amazon or B&H Photo.

 

[Stg-Flame]

I'll definitely look into them. Even though I live in the desert, we usually get a few surges with every storm.

As for connecting to a hotspot, it connects perfectly fine. So, the issue isn't with the console now. Could there be an issue with the router just not being strong enough to reach the Wii-U? Would another router work better? I honestly don't know much about routers since I always had dial-up as a kid then DSL later down the line. When I finally got cable internet, I did a quick search and everyone was saying the Motorola Surfboard was a really good one and Best Buy had one in stock for around $90, so I picked it up and haven't looked into them since.

 

[UsandThem]

It could be the router. You can always move the Nintendo closer to the router, and see if it can connect to it. If that's the case, maybe try rebooting your router and see if takes of the issue.

You said you've had disconnect issues from it before, so it either has an issue, or the signal is being degraded by distance / obstacles (like walls or floors). What router do you have BTW?

 

[VirtualLarry]

As for another router, this is my only one. I bought it about 7 years ago when I first got cable internet and haven't needed a reason to switch routers.

You've had it seven years? And you haven't thought, to, ahem, upgrade it?

Sometimes, power surges affect those rectangular power bricks. I've had those bricks start to fail on their own, after three years or more of continuous service. When they start to go on their own, the router may take longer to boot, or may lose wireless range or performance. When those bricks get really bad, the router will re-boot on its own, or not boot successfully at all. At that point, it's either upgrade the router, or replace the power brick with a new one.

 

[Stg-Flame]

What router do you have BTW?

Motorola Surfboard 6580

You've had it seven years? And you haven't thought, to, ahem, upgrade it?

I thought about it but when I asked here a few years back, the general consensus was that if I'm still getting a constant signal for the vast majority of my time, then it should be fine. My disconnect issues aren't constant so people attributed my issues with outside interference. Again, my experience with cable routers is extremely limited. I know very little about them and considering how expensive most of them are, I didn't think I needed to upgrade.

As for the distance/obstacles, I've been told that there will be an issue there and the truth of the matter is that my router is downstairs on the opposite side of the house from where 99% of all my WiFi electronics are kept. There really isn't any other way around this as the two cable connections upstairs were severed by the previous owners when they ditched cable TV and opted for DirectTV. After I bought this house, it took me almost four months to get Comcast (yes I know they are the worst but I have no other options in my area) out here and figure out what was wrong. The satellite installer spliced the upstairs cable line so he didn't have to run new cables but in the process, he completely severed the line leading to the bedroom. Since I didn't want some third-party guy punching random holes in my wall, I opted to just use the only live line.

So, are there any routers that can accommodate 50' distance and several walls? Last time I asked, someone mentioned running wireless adapters to daisy-chain the signal but that isn't going to happen.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Motorola Surfboard 6580

First of all, that's not a router proper, it's a combo cable modem AND router, otherwise known in the parlance as a "cable Gateway".

You should be able to put that device into "Bridge Mode", and then connect a newer, "Mesh" wifi system to it, and then place the several "satellite" units around the house, mid-way from the base unit, and where you expect to use wifi in that area.

 

[Ichinisan]

Haven't read the thread. If it's truly zapped, you can actually get a USB dongle that gives you a wired connection. There's an official one. Apparently some that aren't specifically designed for Wii / Wii-U still just work. Probably depends on the chipset inside the adapter.

 

[Ichinisan]

In the OP, it doesn't seem to mention if you've tried a full power-cycle. Leave the power disconnected for a minute or so, then plug-in and power-on. It's worth a shot.

 

[Ichinisan]

Most combo cable modem + router devices have a pretty limited router inside. Anyway, I suspect the router inside the modem selected a different channel after rebooting from a momentary power disruption. I've also seen Motorola modems change the router region to "Romania" and use channel 14, which is restricted in USA.

Rather than a combo device, I'd always recommend a decent stand-alone wireless-AC router and a basic cable modem. They can be upgraded / replaced independently. The standalone router can have firmware upgrades to enhance performance / compatibility and fix security vulnerabilities.

 

[UsandThem]

Motorola Surfboard 6580

So, are there any routers that can accommodate 50' distance and several walls? Last time I asked, someone mentioned running wireless adapters to daisy-chain the signal but that isn't going to happen.

I'll mirror what several others here already mentioned; Use your combo unit as the modem, and buy a stand-alone wireless router. They offer better performance than the combo units.

As far as recommendations, I will probably have to defer to more reasonable priced unit suggestions from others. I had a Netgear Nighthawk x4 for a couple of years, and it worked pretty good at first. However, as my kids got older and started connecting more and more devices to the network, it began having major disconnect issues. After hearing too many complaints about it (especially with it randomly dropping their Xbox One connections), I bought a TP Link Archer C5400 when it was on sale at Amazon around $200. I've used that router now for a couple of years, and it has been a great unit for me. We have several walls it has to go through, but everyone can connect all their devices, and it keeps up with everything. Both of my kids can both play on their PCs and Xbox One units without getting disconnected while gaming. I'm just glad I don't have to deal with the drama of "I was in the middle of some awesome game, and I was disconnected! Our internet sucks!" several times a day.

It is now more expensive than when I bought it, and from what I can tell is closer to $300 now, which is too pricey IMO. So maybe someone here has personal experience with a good unit at a better price than that.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I'm always a big fan of the Asus AC routers. (AC1750/AC1900)

They run pretty well, have decent stock firmware that is updated regularly, and they also support 3rd-party firmware, which can also be useful at times. You can get them refurb, on ebay or Newegg, for a reasonable cost.

The various TP-Link Archer AC series routers also generally get good marks, as @UsandThem mentioned.

 

[Stg-Flame]

How would I go about putting my surfboard into bridge mode and adding a router? If there is a good tutorial on the internet, I haven't been able to find it.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I disconnected my Moto/Arris SBG6400 (8x4 DOCSIS 3.0 modem, N300 router), replaced it with a TP-Link Gateway, otherwise I'd check it for you.

Generally, though, there's an Administration tab, and there should be simply a setting for "Bridge Mode" (Enable / Disable). Once Enabled, and rebooted, you won't necessarily be able to access the router config screens anymore, I don't think.

Edit: Your cable ISP may be able to set Bridge Mode on their end, using the TR-069 WAN access to your Gateway, if you call them.

 

[Stg-Flame]

You're asking me to call Comcast support... that's asking a lot.

Other than that, wouldn't it make more sense to just buy new hardware seeing as how this one is so old?

 

[Ichinisan]

How would I go about putting my surfboard into bridge mode and adding a router? If there is a good tutorial on the internet, I haven't been able to find it.

From some older Surfboard modems, I used to...

1. Log-in using a wired connection.
2. Disable WiFi
3. Disable "NAPT" mode or enable bridge mode.

The default log-in address is typically http://192.168.0.1 or http://192.168.100.1 might also work.

Used to be "admin" for the username and "motorola" for the password. Not sure about the later Arris-branded Surfboard modems.

 

[Stg-Flame]

Yeah it's still admin/motorola.

So I guess I need to grab a new router then. I've checked on Newegg and they all seem to be around $200 so I might look around town to see if Best Buy has one readily available. As for how they work, I'm guessing they act as a relay between my modem and my WiFi devices? Also, I have a few ethernet cables strung through my house for a wired connection into my surfboard. Will putting that into bridge mode and adding a router affect my wired connections in any way? Sorry if these are dumb questions but again, this is all mostly new to me.

 

[Ichinisan]

Yeah it's still admin/motorola.

So I guess I need to grab a new router then. I've checked on Newegg and they all seem to be around $200 so I might look around town to see if Best Buy has one readily available. As for how they work, I'm guessing they act as a relay between my modem and my WiFi devices? Also, I have a few ethernet cables strung through my house for a wired connection into my surfboard. Will putting that into bridge mode and adding a router affect my wired connections in any way? Sorry if these are dumb questions but again, this is all mostly new to me.

You should move all those wired connections to the numbered "LAN" (local area network) ports on the new router. A single cable can run from any port on the Surfboard modem to the WAN/Internet port of the new router.

To the ISP, your router appears as a single device, which gets an IP address assigned to it. The router assigns private/internal IP addresses to each device behind it (on the local home network). All the devices on the home LAN (behind your router) basically share the same Internet IP address, which is assigned to the router's WAN interface.

That's basically the way it's currently working with your 2-in-1 modem router at the moment.