How to setup wifi for the Wii (if you have WEP)
MyAvatars 0.2 By artarmon42 | 16 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
16 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
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