# Need help getting the Wii online **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 1, 2007, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-getting-the-wii-online/414035 "2007-08-01T21:16:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-getting-the-wii-online/414035/1 "2007-08-01T21:16:13Z")
I have a Wii, and I have a wireless network. So, in theory, I can connect the Wii to the wireless network, get into the Wii Shopping Network, and buy cool games like the old Super Mario Land that I can use on the Wii. (I mean, of course, that my kid can use on the Wii. Yeah.) But I keep running into an error message. The Wii finds the network, but then requires me to enter a password or key. The key I have written down is a 64-character thing with random lower-case letters and numbers, i.e. 4s3920ddw93r92… Apparently that is not the password. The last time I put a new thing onto this network I had to reset the router, then type various commands into each of the various things I used to access the network, and it was really a pain. I might have put in a password that I picked (as opposed to a random one) but i didn’t write it down and none of my typical passwords seems to work. If releveant, it’s a Linksys WRT54G ver. 2 The wireless settings are SSID Network key WEP/WPA Key provided automatically: 0 (guess that means “no”) Network authentication type: WPAPSK Data encryption type: TKIP Connection type: ESS What else do I need to know/do in order to connect this Wii? ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-getting-the-wii-online/414035/2 "2007-08-01T21:20:38Z")
I would check on the router that you really have the correct 64 characters. I have a Wii that router my own string of characters from one of the router web pages. I put the string of characters in and have internet access from the Wii. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-getting-the-wii-online/414035/3 "2007-08-01T23:15:34Z")
it looks like, based on something I read on the Wii site, that if I have a 64-character encryption then my password should be 10 characters, and if I have a 128-character encryption then my password should be 26 characters. I have been typing in the whole 64-character string, which I guess is wrong. Although it does say key OR password, and that apparently is the key. I’m a bit vague about these things, really. I have no idea what they mean by 64-character encryption even though separately I recognize all the words. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-getting-the-wii-online/414035/4 "2007-08-01T23:46:19Z")
I will look when I get home. But I typed in the long string of somewhat random hexadecimal characters. I think it is 32 characters long for 128 bit encryption but I am not sure off the top of my head. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-getting-the-wii-online/414035/5 "2007-08-01T23:46:33Z")
[QUOTE=Hilarity N. Suze] it looks like, based on something I read on the Wii site, that if I have a 64-character encryption then my password should be 10 characters, and if I have a 128-character encryption then my password should be 26 characters. I have been typing in the whole 64-character string, which I guess is wrong. Although it does say key OR password, and that apparently is the key. I’m a bit vague about these things, really. I have no idea what they mean by 64-character encryption even though separately I recognize all the words. [/QUOTE] I don’t know squat about Wii’s, but I’d bet that it’s not 64 **character** encryption, but 64 **bit** encryption, which is 10 character password. Not all routers accept a “plain text” password. You may need to use a “Hex” password, which consists of the characters 0-9, A-F. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2007, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-getting-the-wii-online/414035/6 "2007-08-02T02:56:48Z")
I have a different linksys router than you do. But I think you have similar control pages. From the main page I click on the WEP key settings button. This pops up a page for the key settings. I am using a 128 bit key. There is a pass phase and there is a 26 digit hexadecimal key. I put in the 26 character key into my Wii to get access. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2007, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-getting-the-wii-online/414035/7 "2007-08-02T04:51:35Z")
Call Nintendo. Seriously, they deal with these matters all the time, and their reps are quite well trained. Or, at least they were when I worked there less than a year ago 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2007, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-getting-the-wii-online/414035/8 "2007-08-02T08:34:58Z")
[QUOTE=gazpacho] I have a different linksys router than you do. But I think you have similar control pages. From the main page I click on the WEP key settings button. This pops up a page for the key settings. I am using a 128 bit key. There is a pass phase and there is a 26 digit hexadecimal key. I put in the 26 character key into my Wii to get access. [/QUOTE] Okay. I found a pass phrase, and four (yes, four!) different 26-character keys. For instance, key 1 [26 numbers & capital letters] Key 2: [26 numbers & capital letters] Key 3: [another string] Key 4: [yet another string] So, use number 1? If this doesn’t work I will break down and call Nintendo as **Red Barchetta** suggested. Thanks! ETA: Well, now I see that a little circle in front of “Key 1” is checked, so I guess that means it’s the one to use. Onward.