How to Connect Your Wii to the Internet

Why You should Connect your Wii to the Internet

The reason is pretty obvious, but it’s a huge benefit to connect your Wii to the World Wide Web. You can Wii-mail other Wii owners plus even Wii-mail other E-mail owners. The Wii Shop Channel provides a slew of games to try and conquer. The Weather Channel and News Channel keeps you updated. The downloadable Channels of the Shop Channel also are quite fun. But a big reason is online competitive play against other gamers.

One Destination, Two Ways to Get There

The objective is to get connected to the Internet, but there are different ways to go about it. The most common I think and the way I use is the wireless way. The other way is the wired way. But both need a broadband Internet account. I will first explain the wireless way, and how to connect using that method.

Wireless Way

The wireless way includes the use of a wireless Internet access point, or in most households with those setups, a wireless router or modem as it may be called. These devices plug into your phone line or by other methods, and usually allow for both wired connections to the Internet through it, or allow wireless devices to run through it to use the Internet… well… wirelessly!

To get connected this way, you have to have a wireless network. I won’t go into detail how to set one of those up because then I would be getting of the main point of this how-to. So if you don’t have a wireless network, move down to the Wired Way.

Step 1: Well the first thing to do is turn on your Wii and to make sure your router is on and your running a smooth wireless network.

Step 2: Now go to your Wii settings from the Wii Menu. You’ll get two options, Memory and Settings; click Settings.

Step 3: There are four pages of options; the second page has an option that says Internet; click that one.

Step 4: There are three options here; click the Connection Settings options.

Step 5: There are three more options that all say “Connection” and the numbers 1 – 3. You can click any one, but the first is most advisable.

Step 6: Then it will ask for a wireless connection or a wired one. Click the Wireless one.

Step 7: You’ll get more options; “Search for an Access Point”, “Nintendo Wi-FI USB Connector”, “AOSS”, and “Manual Setup” Now the easiest one is the first one “Search for an Access Point”. The Wii automatically searches for your router. You should be able to connect through that.

Optional Steps: If your Wii recognizes your wireless network, it may be password protected. If so the Wii will ask for a password. Now some of you may know how to find this and some of you may not. Usually if you bought a router like say a Linksys router, it’s usually password free and up to the owner to set them. Now I have a router from AT&T and it was password protected; the password is usually underneath the box or on the side for you AT&T router owners. Now for some reason you can’t find your router, then you may need to enter manually through the “Manual Setup” option. Now some routers are not compatible with the Wii.

Wired Way

The Wired Way may be cheaper and faster than the Wireless Way. Things needed are a Wii LAN Adapter and a Ethernet cable. You will also need a modem or router. If you do it this way, don’t get a wireless router, otherwise you spend more money on the wireless capabilities and you might as well use the Wireless Way.

Step 1: Go and buy a Wii LAN Adapter from GameStop for like $10 bucks. Then plug the accessory into one of the USB ports on the back of the Wii Console.

Step 2: Then take your Ethernet cable and insert it in the Wii LAN Adapter. Take the other end and plug it in to your modem.

Step 3: Then turn your Wii on and go to settings. Click the Internet option in the settings.

Step 4: Then click Connection Settings. you get Connection 1 – 3. Click the first one. You get the Wireless and Wired options. Click Wired.

Afterword

After both connections are set, the Wii will test for a connection.

If successful you’ll get an agreement license to use the Wii Shop Channel and Wii Connect 24. Then it will perform a system update. After that you get to check out your options! I highly recommend going through the channels you have now and set them up. Then download the free channels from the Wii Shop Channel. If you want to play a game online, refer to the game instruction booklet. More information can be found at the ever helpful site www.nintendo.com.