this is a problem so many people are having, so i thought that a whole thread dedicated to it and with listed all the available solutions might be a good idea.
Why doesn't the Wii U connects to the internet. READ THIS!
after spending several hours fighting against the monster i found out that this problem depends from the preinstalled version of the OS.
Once you manage to update your Wii U OS to version 2.0 you will be able to just select your wi-fi network from the list of networks that your Wii U finds automatically, without having to resort to some weird network configuration.
Therefor what you need is to find a way to actually update your Wii U, it doesn't have to be a permanent solution, a workaround is completely fine, because after the update you'll just connect the Wii U to your wi-fi without any problem.
Solution 1: Tinkering with your network configuration, router settings and learning why system and network administrators tend to hate the human kind.
there are actually two solutions most gaffers will suggest you. they are both pretty similar.
zamkato's solution
1. Navigate to the Wi-Fi portion of the System Settings menu.
2. Tap on or select the option to “Connect to the Internet”.
3. Press X on the GamePad to view your connections and delete every saved connection by tapping on it and opting to “Delete Settings”.
4. Once all connection settings are cleared, return to the “Connect to Internet” screen, select your WiFi network, go through the regular setup process and wait.
5. Once the setup fails – don’t worry, if you’re encountering connection errors, it most definitely will – power down both the Wii U console and GamePad.
6. Reboot the Wii U and return to the Connections portion of the WiFi settings (repeat steps one through three).
7. Tap on your saved Wi-Fi network, followed by “Change Settings”.
8. Enter your network’s SSID (the name assigned to your router).
9. Select the proper security type and input the router’s official password.
10. Change the “IP Address” option from “Auto-obtain” to “Don’t Auto-obtain”.
11. If you’re on Windows, launch cmd and type “ipconfig”. If you’re on OS X, navigate to the Network portion of the System Preferences app, highlight your Wi-Fi network, click “Advanced…”, followed by the “TCP/IP” tab (the “Router” number is used for the “Gateway” field).
12. Input your router’s IP address and add “10″ to the last digit (e.g. if the IP is “192.160.0.1″, enter “192.168.0.110″.
Note: In certain cases, exclude the “10″ – we recommend that you try both.
13. Enter both the Subnet Mask and Gateway (obtained in the eleventh step).
14. Tap “Confirm” and select the option to “Configure” once a DNS settings prompt appears.
15. Change the “DNS” option from “Auto-obtain” to “Don’t Auto-obtain”.
16. Type “4.2.2.2″ for the “Primary DNS” field and “4.2.2.1″ for the “Secondary DNS” field.
17. Tap “Confirm”, ensure that the “Proxy Settings” are set to “Don’t Use” and leave the MTU Value set to the default option (1500).
18. Press B to exit and save and press “Connection Test”.
examiner's solution
1. Go into connection types, Hit "Manual Configuration"
2. Input your SSID
3. Input the correct security type, this is key.
4. Put your password in properly
5. For ip address "Do not auto obtain".
6. open up cmd in your computer, type in ipconfig
7. Now input that ip address but add 10 to the last number so "192.168.0.1" will be entered as "192.168.0.11"
8. Enter the rest of your info inside such as subnet mask and default gateway exactly as you see it in your ipconfig.
9. Now hit next, hit configure now for your DNS. When asked about DNS hit "Dont auto obtain".
10. For the first server put in 8.8.8.8
11. For the second server put in 8.8.4.4
12. Hit Next, when asked about a proxy hit no proxy
13. Leave mtu as the default
14. it should work, if not check the ip and that it is the internet ip + 10. Good luck
Solution 2: send to hell your wi-fi security
turning off your wi-fi security settings should allow your Wii U to connect to the internet without any trouble.
This is not a solution i actually recommend, and even if you use it you should remember to restore your wi-fi security settings once your OS is updated
Solution 3: workaround, workaround!
this was the solution i've actually used.
You can either: connect your Wii U using an ethernet adapter to download your system update, or be more creative.
I'm not a sysadmin nor a network administrator, so unfortunately i cannot tell you how to configure Windows or Linux to actually act as a bridge.
Here's the OSX solution (and i'm sorry if i didn't translate every single menu name correctly, but my OSX language is italian):
1. connect your macbook/macbook pro/iMac to the internet using an ethernet cable.
2. open your system configuration panel, and select "share", and right after that "share internet connection"
3. you have to share your connection from ethernet to airport.
4. in airport options make sure not to use any password.
5. connect your Wii U to the newly created wi-fi hotspot.
6. keep in mind that the hotspot created by your mac doesn't have a huge radius, therefore your mac needs to be pretty close (at least in the same room) where your Wii U is located.
if you guys have anything to add to the OP let me know, i'll try to keep it updated with any relevant news
Why doesn't the Wii U connects to the internet. READ THIS!
after spending several hours fighting against the monster i found out that this problem depends from the preinstalled version of the OS.
Once you manage to update your Wii U OS to version 2.0 you will be able to just select your wi-fi network from the list of networks that your Wii U finds automatically, without having to resort to some weird network configuration.
Therefor what you need is to find a way to actually update your Wii U, it doesn't have to be a permanent solution, a workaround is completely fine, because after the update you'll just connect the Wii U to your wi-fi without any problem.
Solution 1: Tinkering with your network configuration, router settings and learning why system and network administrators tend to hate the human kind.
there are actually two solutions most gaffers will suggest you. they are both pretty similar.
zamkato's solution
1. Navigate to the Wi-Fi portion of the System Settings menu.
2. Tap on or select the option to “Connect to the Internet”.
3. Press X on the GamePad to view your connections and delete every saved connection by tapping on it and opting to “Delete Settings”.
4. Once all connection settings are cleared, return to the “Connect to Internet” screen, select your WiFi network, go through the regular setup process and wait.
5. Once the setup fails – don’t worry, if you’re encountering connection errors, it most definitely will – power down both the Wii U console and GamePad.
6. Reboot the Wii U and return to the Connections portion of the WiFi settings (repeat steps one through three).
7. Tap on your saved Wi-Fi network, followed by “Change Settings”.
8. Enter your network’s SSID (the name assigned to your router).
9. Select the proper security type and input the router’s official password.
10. Change the “IP Address” option from “Auto-obtain” to “Don’t Auto-obtain”.
11. If you’re on Windows, launch cmd and type “ipconfig”. If you’re on OS X, navigate to the Network portion of the System Preferences app, highlight your Wi-Fi network, click “Advanced…”, followed by the “TCP/IP” tab (the “Router” number is used for the “Gateway” field).
12. Input your router’s IP address and add “10″ to the last digit (e.g. if the IP is “192.160.0.1″, enter “192.168.0.110″.
Note: In certain cases, exclude the “10″ – we recommend that you try both.
13. Enter both the Subnet Mask and Gateway (obtained in the eleventh step).
14. Tap “Confirm” and select the option to “Configure” once a DNS settings prompt appears.
15. Change the “DNS” option from “Auto-obtain” to “Don’t Auto-obtain”.
16. Type “4.2.2.2″ for the “Primary DNS” field and “4.2.2.1″ for the “Secondary DNS” field.
17. Tap “Confirm”, ensure that the “Proxy Settings” are set to “Don’t Use” and leave the MTU Value set to the default option (1500).
18. Press B to exit and save and press “Connection Test”.
examiner's solution
1. Go into connection types, Hit "Manual Configuration"
2. Input your SSID
3. Input the correct security type, this is key.
4. Put your password in properly
5. For ip address "Do not auto obtain".
6. open up cmd in your computer, type in ipconfig
7. Now input that ip address but add 10 to the last number so "192.168.0.1" will be entered as "192.168.0.11"
8. Enter the rest of your info inside such as subnet mask and default gateway exactly as you see it in your ipconfig.
9. Now hit next, hit configure now for your DNS. When asked about DNS hit "Dont auto obtain".
10. For the first server put in 8.8.8.8
11. For the second server put in 8.8.4.4
12. Hit Next, when asked about a proxy hit no proxy
13. Leave mtu as the default
14. it should work, if not check the ip and that it is the internet ip + 10. Good luck
Solution 2: send to hell your wi-fi security
turning off your wi-fi security settings should allow your Wii U to connect to the internet without any trouble.
This is not a solution i actually recommend, and even if you use it you should remember to restore your wi-fi security settings once your OS is updated
Solution 3: workaround, workaround!
this was the solution i've actually used.
You can either: connect your Wii U using an ethernet adapter to download your system update, or be more creative.
I'm not a sysadmin nor a network administrator, so unfortunately i cannot tell you how to configure Windows or Linux to actually act as a bridge.
Here's the OSX solution (and i'm sorry if i didn't translate every single menu name correctly, but my OSX language is italian):
1. connect your macbook/macbook pro/iMac to the internet using an ethernet cable.
2. open your system configuration panel, and select "share", and right after that "share internet connection"
3. you have to share your connection from ethernet to airport.
4. in airport options make sure not to use any password.
5. connect your Wii U to the newly created wi-fi hotspot.
6. keep in mind that the hotspot created by your mac doesn't have a huge radius, therefore your mac needs to be pretty close (at least in the same room) where your Wii U is located.
if you guys have anything to add to the OP let me know, i'll try to keep it updated with any relevant news