How to setup wifi for the Wii (if you have WEP)
MyAvatars 0.2 By artarmon42 | 29 CommentsLeave a Comment
Last updated: Monday, March 5, 2007

I must say, setting up the wifi connection on my Wii, was surprisingly not-obvious!

As I previously mentioned, the Wii comes with wifi, so it’ll connect to the Internet if you have a wifi-router. I figured that it couldn’t be that hard (famous last words).

Due to my heightened sense of paranoid (been working with Network Security people for too long ;) ), my home router has a hidden SSID and secured by WEP. This is what happened when I tried to configure my Wii…

  • Go to Options (bottom left on the Wii Menu)
  • Select Wii Settings
  • Click on the Right arrow (middle of the right side of the screen) to get to the next page
  • Select Internet
  • Select one of the Connections (e.g. “Connection 1″)
  • Select Wireless
  • Because I have a hidden SSID, I could not use the default Auto-find. Consequently I have to do the Manual Setup
  • Enter the SSID code (aka “the name of the wireless network”)
  • It has been awhile since I setup my Mac (my most recent computer), so I take a guess at the SSID
  • Press OK. Wii thinks about it, then says something to the effect of “network not found” (sorry I don’t remember the exact error message!)
  • Run upstairs to my PC, login to wireless router, make sure I correctly remember the SSID
  • Run downstairs to re-enter the SSID into the Wii
  • Press OK. Wii thinks about it for well over 30 seconds, then returns “network not found”
  • Growl. Thinking that I might have mistyped the SSID, I enter it again
  • Press OK. Wii thinks about it for well over 30 seconds, then returns “network not found”
  • Run upstairs and google “how to setup wifi for wii”. It returns 1,260,000 results, none of which actually steps me through the Manual Setup process (OK, I admit I didn’t actually read all 1,260,000 links, but I didn’t see anything in the first 3 pages).
  • Sigh. Walk downstairs, to see if there are any buttons or options that I may have missed
  • Looking closer, I see two triangles (like the ends of an arrow) on either side of the place where you enter the SSID. Eureka!
  • Turns out the “right” button will move me to the next page, which prompts me for the wireless encyrption type of the router. Select WEP.
  • Not being able to remember the WEP key I try to guess it (come on, do you remember your wifi-router’s 10 digit hexadecimal key?)
  • Press OK. Wii thinks about it for well over 30 seconds, then returns “network not found”
  • Sigh. With head down, I trudge upstairs.
  • I log into my wifi-router to get the WEP key. Roll my eyes, and mentally admonish myself for having forgotten such a simple WEP key
  • Walk back downstairs, and enter the WEP key
  • Now that I know about the “right” button thing, I’m smart enough to keep scrolling right to see all the options before clicking on OK
  • Scroll through 5 pages of “other” options. None of which needed to be changed from default, so a total waste of time. Sigh again. Press OK
  • Wii returns a “successfully connected” message
  • Make mental note to blog my findings, as a warning to others…

Here are some useful links about Wii and wifi that I did find on google (but didn’t help me with my specific problem):

Comments
29 comments have been left so far »
  1. MyAvatars 0.2 Adam
    September 10, 2007

    Cheers!

    You saved me from wasting several more hours of my life!

    cheers!

    Leave a reply
  2. MyAvatars 0.2 Chris
    November 4, 2007

    I had exactly the exact same issue, complete in every detail. Thanks for sharing your solution.

    Leave a reply
  3. MyAvatars 0.2 Ben
    November 14, 2007

    This was my EXACT problem as well!!! Thanks!

    Leave a reply
  4. MyAvatars 0.2 John
    December 31, 2007

    Exactly what I was looking for - you’ve made my kids new years day…thanks

    Leave a reply
  5. MyAvatars 0.2 Pete
    February 17, 2008

    Just wanted to add my thanks here too! A very helpful little blog post…

    Leave a reply
  6. MyAvatars 0.2 Another question from me today, Wireless internet? - AmityMama.com
    February 18, 2008

    [...] Hmm I’m not sure, try this How to setup wifi for the Wii (if you have WEP) at Note to Self… [...]

    Leave a reply
  7. MyAvatars 0.2 Spooky
    March 16, 2008

    were do i find the SSID and the WEP key?

    Leave a reply
  8. MyAvatars 0.2 artarmon42
    March 19, 2008

    The SSID and WEP is set at your wireless router (not the Wii).

    Leave a reply
  9. MyAvatars 0.2 YOU A GENIUS
    April 9, 2008

    WOW! I totally did not see those small “arrows” until I read your blog! That was precisely what I needed, I feel like an idiot. THAaaanks

    Leave a reply
  10. MyAvatars 0.2 edythe
    May 17, 2008

    thank you so much for this. :)

    Leave a reply
  11. MyAvatars 0.2 Chris
    May 29, 2008

    Thanks!

    Leave a reply
  12. MyAvatars 0.2 Cool
    June 2, 2008

    Cool… I will give that a go.. I was trying to get this setup the other day and gave up when it could not find my wireless ;)

    Leave a reply
  13. MyAvatars 0.2 mike
    June 14, 2008

    thanks for the info! saved me a lot of time

    Leave a reply
  14. MyAvatars 0.2 joshua
    June 17, 2008

    thanks so much my life is a lot easier now that i can use the innternet on wii

    Leave a reply
  15. MyAvatars 0.2 Klaas
    July 31, 2008

    THX! I have the exact same setup..I have the WII as a gift for my kids, but now I can install it when they unpack the present

    Leave a reply
  16. MyAvatars 0.2 Tyler
    November 8, 2008

    Thanks this has helped. Now I don’t have to waste an hour of time trying to figure out how to do it.

    Leave a reply
  17. MyAvatars 0.2 Christy
    December 8, 2008

    I searched all over the internet and these were the only instructions I found that actually helped. Thank you SO much!!

    Christy

    Leave a reply
  18. MyAvatars 0.2 Trey
    December 20, 2008

    Hi… This article helped me too… but afterwards a buddy told me that nintendo has setup instructions on thier website now… go figure…

    http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/systems/wii/en_na/online.jsp

    Leave a reply
  19. MyAvatars 0.2 dcypher
    December 27, 2008

    Thx a mill. Saved my a$$

    Leave a reply
  20. MyAvatars 0.2 bill
    January 2, 2009

    Thank you i was wondering if you had call of duty wold at ar and if you’ve been online

    Leave a reply
  21. MyAvatars 0.2 Rick
    February 9, 2009

    Thanks. To help clarify the instructions above: Use the ASCII version of the WEP key, and not the HEX version or.

    Leave a reply
  22. MyAvatars 0.2 stacey
    February 17, 2009

    That was really useful :) It got rid of that pesky error code but I now get another error, 51330. The Wii finds the network itself but is unable to connect for some reason. I even tried taking all security off of my wireless but still no luck :(

    Leave a reply
  23. MyAvatars 0.2 Floyd
    March 8, 2009

    Helped me too, only thing to add is that my router was not WEB, rather the next one down, WPA. Once I went there it went through! I was high fiving my 12 year old, as it still took 15 minutes!!!

    Leave a reply
  24. MyAvatars 0.2 Pelzbinom
    May 30, 2009

    Great!
    Heaps of thanks from Germany, i didn’t connect my wii for more than a year with the internet, cause i gave up the process for several times…
    Cheers…

    Leave a reply
  25. MyAvatars 0.2 Ume
    July 7, 2009

    Thanks, really useful :D

    Leave a reply
  26. MyAvatars 0.2 Akshay
    July 7, 2009

    Umm.. okay i kinda had a problem
    I’m 15 so i dont really know much when it comes to WiFi Routers and stuff,but my parents know even less so i had to figure everything out so far..
    just wondering : How/Where do you find the WEP key??

    Leave a reply
  27. MyAvatars 0.2 Maryn.
    July 30, 2009

    ok, i read this and its quite helpful BUT im 12[and a half] and me and my brother have been trying to get internet for a while.my parents know nothing so xD
    where can we buy a wireless router?? ive been dying to get internet on the wii so we dont have to have time limits on the computer XD this was helpful and all but we dont have a wireless router or anything~ just the wii and the stuff included and some games we bought. I REALLY NEED HELP!!! i got a headache from trying so hard =A= RESPOND PLEASE!!

    Leave a reply
  28. MyAvatars 0.2 artarmon42
    August 1, 2009

    You should be able to buy a wireless router from any major store (Best Buy, Walmart, Target, etc). Find them in the computer section. But once you buy it, you’ll need to figure out how to connect it into your Internet.

    ps: you’ll need a fast internet connection (cable, dsl, etc). dialup internet is not going to work.

    Leave a reply
  29. MyAvatars 0.2 sandrar
    September 10, 2009

    Hi! I was surfing and found your blog post… nice! I love your blog. :) Cheers! Sandra. R.

    Leave a reply
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