"The connection is unstable" over and over again

[Kosaki]

Since two days, I just can't play Splatoon.
I only manage to play 2 or 3 full games for the whole time until now.

Everytime, whatever the mode is, the game starts and a few seconds or minutes after, I get this evil crap in the middle of my screen :
"The connection is unstable."
Players start teleporting around me until they all pop off in smoke, ink doesn't ink anymore.
And I get the finishing move : "The connection has been lost.".
No error code.

I thought it would go away on its own over time, but now it's been two days and I'm still unable to play a single game.
I could play perfectly on 2.0.0 prior these two last days.
I didn't change my router or Wii U internet parameters (Wifi), not even once since 2 months. My Wii U is placed in DMZ. Tried hardresetting my router several times, still nothing.
And damn, my ping even went from 38ms to 24ms over the last 2 months. It is not the quality of my connection that is in cause.

I've read people having the same problem as me on Twitter and French websites since 2.0.0. How is it here on Squidboards ?
I believe the issue comes from the game's part.
I hope Nintendo is aware and that a patch will be released really soon.

 

[StayPuft]

I was having this problem during Splatfest and I was really annoyed, but assumed it was just my internet being terrible again. Hearing that others are having this problem now as well makes me wonder what's causing it to occur if it isn't internet issues. I'm currently too scared to play ranked because I don't want to be DC'ing and hurting what's left of my B rank

 

[Kosaki]

I'd like to mention that Splatoon is the only game I have that causes me this kind of trouble.
I don't have the slightest of problem on MK8 or Smash 4.

 

[Kaliafornia]

I would tinker with your router settings. I'm not saying this isn't a Nintendo problem, because it is, however until Nintendo does fix the netcode we have to find something that works with it. Once the update came through my entire internet, including my skype call crashed. Splatoon regularly crashes my friends' internet as well.

I used to dc occasionally however a LAN adapter fixed all those problems for me. Now a dc is rare unless the room is broken. I still get "cannot connect" errors from time to time but gameplay is unaffected. I would definitely start there and then adjust router settings as needed.

 

[Kaze]

losing over +100 rank points due to disconnection is the worst, but luckily I play even ranked for fun so it does not bother me, but I can understand why it is annoying...

 

[Lyn]

I'm not sure I understand how this happened, but that sounds terrible. The only thing I can recommend is looking through your Wii U internet settings, but I assume you already did that. Could it possibly be the game?

 

[Xadus]

I was having this issue on sunday morning right after splatfest ended. but i haven't played since. Glad to know this wasn't just on my side of things.

 

[nick2427]

This has started for me today. In fact I can't even play a match this evening because every match I get in says the connection is unstable. One minute it's working fine and then the next minute it doesn't work for me the rest of the day.

 

[Kosaki]

I used to dc occasionally however a LAN adapter fixed all those problems for me.

I'm gonna try that.
Btw, still can't play.

 

[Reila]

That is definitely an issue with your modem/router. I used to get this problem a LOT during the testfire, then I purchased a new router and only got the problem again once in these past two months. Now if only the lag would go away too...

 

[Kosaki]

Bought a LAN adapter for my Wii U, now wired for internet.
No more issue, and even less lag.

That is definitely an issue with your modem/router. I used to get this problem a LOT during the testfire, then I purchased a new router and only got the problem again once in these past two months. Now if only the lag would go away too...

This was a problem with my wifi and Splatoon then, because Smash 4 or MK8 really didn't give that much trouble.

 

[Reila]

Bought a LAN adapter for my Wii U, now wired for internet.
No more issue, and even less lag.

This was a problem with my wifi and Splatoon then, because Smash 4 or MK8 really didn't give that much trouble.

I had no issues whatsoever with Mario Kart 8, Smash 3DS and Wii U or any other online game with my old modem. Splatoon was the exception.

Anyways, good for you the problem was fixed.

 

[staindgrey]

I really haven't had any recurring problems. But my game will occasionally (i.e. like once every few days) boot me out and say I've lost my internet connection, even though my laptop/Xbox will say otherwise. I then reconnect, and everything's fine. It's a tad annoying-- one time it booted me when we were three seconds away from winning on Towers-- but I've never experienced anything as bad as what's being described in these threads.

I wonder if location has anything to do with it? I believe the multiplayer servers are located on the West Coast. I'm not sure if that would allow an Oregonian a more stable connection, but, eh. Maybe?

 

[Richard413]

Ever since the 2.0.0 update arrived I've been having this problem too, before the update I could play just fine, disconnections were quite rare.
I have tried rebooting and configuring my router with no results, I guess we'll have to wait for Nintendo to fix this.

 

[Martin Lynch]

I had this problem quite a bit, too. There are a few things you need to know about the Wii U to understand why you may be getting this problem:

• For the Internet connection, the Wii U only uses the 2.4 GHz spectrum, which can be crowded. Not only do you have wireless routers operating on this band, but you have baby monitors, cordless phones, thermostats, and doorbells trying to share the space. Turning on a microwave oven might knock you offline.
• For the connection between the Wii U and the controller(s), the Wii U only uses the 5 GHz spectrum. It isn't as crowded, but if you have an 802.11n/ac router, that might cause your Internet connection to disconnect.

I came up with a very convoluted way to fix this, but it works and my connection is now almost bulletproof. Let me gather the documentation and I'll post what I did.

 

[MystiqueWhite]

I had this problem quite a bit, too. There are a few things you need to know about the Wii U to understand why you may be getting this problem:

• For the Internet connection, the Wii U only uses the 2.4 GHz spectrum, which can be crowded. Not only do you have wireless routers operating on this band, but you have baby monitors, cordless phones, thermostats, and doorbells trying to share the space. Turning on a microwave oven might knock you offline.
• For the connection between the Wii U and the controller(s), the Wii U only uses the 5 GHz spectrum. It isn't as crowded, but if you have an 802.11n/ac router, that might cause your Internet connection to disconnect.

I came up with a very convoluted way to fix this, but it works and my connection is now almost bulletproof. Let me gather the documentation and I'll post what I did.

Yes, please do I am also having this issue (constant "connection is unstable" errors) and I want to find a way to resolve it. Thanks!

 

[Silentsoul]

This usualy happens when I have a great game and our team wins, and just as the countdown to the finish hits 5 secs it pops up with that message, so frustrating. It is like the the player that knows he is the host and is on the loosing team just pulls his internet lol. But damn it is frustrating.

 

[Martin Lynch]

Yes, please do I am also having this issue (constant "connection is unstable" errors) and I want to find a way to resolve it. Thanks!

Warning: You'll need to know a little bit about how your home networking equipment works. If you aren't sure, find a manual online and download it so you have an offline copy.

Another warning: This tutorial is for American and Canadian players. The frequencies and power restrictions are all based on what the FCC says. Canada basically mirrors what the FCC does. Your country's restrictions may be different.

Anyway...

Step 1: Check your LAN settings

Use a static IP address

You want to make sure your Wii U has a static (or assigned dynamic) IP address in your LAN. To set a static IP, you'll need to know your Wii U's MAC address:

1. Turn on your Wii U, and on the GamePad, tap the wrench ("System Settings") icon.
2. Tap the "Internet Settings" button. (This should be the first that appears.)
3. Tap the "View MAC Address" button.
4. Write down the MAC address, but replace the dashes ("-") with colons (":"), and turn any lowercase letters into UPPERCASE LETTERS. (Most routers store MAC addresses in all caps with colons between each two characters.)

Now that you've got your Wii U's MAC address, log into your home router and look for a setting that's either called "Static LAN IP" or "DHCP Table". Choose an unused IP address and type in the MAC address you wrote down earlier. If a host name option is available, give the Wii U a host name of "wii-u". Save the router settings and reboot your Wii U.

Enable UPnP

This allows you to use the Wii U without putting it in a DMZ. Be sure it's on.

Set up QoS

You can instruct your router to give the Wii U priority over all other devices while it's playing a game. If you have Voice over IP, put the Wii U in the second-highest priority pool; otherwise, put it in the highest priority pool.

Step 2: Check your WiFi settings

Disable the "Auto Channel" feature

I can't stress this enough. The only computer I've seen that can handle WiFi routers randomly switching channels is the latest MacBook series, and for $1000+ you'd expect it to handle almost anything. Almost every other laptop I've used gets knocked offline for a few seconds. The Wii U takes just as long to switch channels.

Choose the correct channel

Your router may have a feature called "Wireless Survey" that lets you see how crowded the 2.4 GHz band is. If you can, use that feature. You can also use wireless survey software on a laptop. Either way, you want to see which channel is the least crowded:

• If your router supports 802.11n...
  • If you see a lot of routers on channels 6 through 11, choose channel 3.
  • If you see a lot of routers on channels 1 through 6, choose channel 11.
• If your router does not support 802.11n...
  • Choose the least crowded of channels 1, 6, or 11

Increase the power transmission

Many home routers allow you to change the power transmission. By default, they are typically set to either 25 mW or 14 dBm. You can legally increase it to 100 mW or 20 dBm.

Step 3: Don't use the Wii U WiFi chip

Get a LAN adapter

You can buy the official Nintendo Wii U LAN adapter, but it's expensive ($48). Instead, use the off-brand "HDE" Ethernet-to-USB dongle (search Amazon.com; it's only $16 or so.)

Use a wireless bridge

If you can't run an Ethernet cord from your router to your Wii U, don't despair! You can use a wireless bridge. Personally, I re-purposed a used ASUS RT-N66U to be a wireless bridge (they call this mode "Media bridge", but whatever). This allows me to use the 5 GHz band, which has far more bandwidth available.

If you can, use wireless survey software on either your router or on your laptop to see what's being broadcast in the 5 GHz band. Preferably, you want the highest channel. Here's how you should decide:

• If your router and bridge support 802.11ac...
  • Avoid channels 52 through 144.
  • If you see a lot of routers on channels 149 through 165, choose the highest unused (or least used) of channels 36 or 48.
  • If you see a lot of routers on channels 36 through 48, choose the highest unused (or least used) of channels 149 or 165.
• If your router or bridge only support 802.11n...
  • Use the same instructions above, but you also have channels 40, 44, 153, 157, and 161 to choose from.