Wii Shop Channel Sucks Fix!
// January 1st, 2007 // My Stuff
Update: If you are experiencing problems like I outlined below, you can most likely resolve the issue by changing your wireless routers broadcast channel to 1. You do this by simply logging into your router (most likely at http://192.168.1.1) and going to the “Wireless” tab. Below is a screenshot.
After making this change suddenly it became much more responsive and reliable. Not sure why this matters, but it makes a world of difference if you are suffering. A big thanks to Dan for the heads up on this.
Original story continues below…
No question about it, I love my Nintendo Wii. However, the biggest most glaring problem is with the Wii Shop Channel. This is the application Nintendo has built for purchasing virtual console games.
The primary problem is you can hardly ever get into the application. Apparently it makes some sort of connection across the internet to a service at Nintendo. Clearly that service has not been scaled and/or engineered properly. What is most amazing to me is that after 5 or 6 failed attempts, you may suddenly get in, then the shop is fairly responsive.
For awhile I thought maybe my wireless router was flaky, but when the Internet Channel was released I learned that getting online was pretty reliable. After struggling with the Shop, I always confirm it is working with the internet by surfing a few pages in Opera. This has been consistently responsive and quick to use.
Never wanting to complain without suggestions on how to make it suck less… here are a few things they could do in lieu of fixing the obvious scaling and efficiency isssue:
Timeout faster – I’m not sure what it spends it’s time determining, but I’ve waited as long as 10 minutes before it comes back and says it couldn’t connect. Seriously it should be able to know faster than that.
Cancel button – If you are going to make us wait, let us decide we’re tired of it and cancel out. This is especially frustrating on the third try or so when you finally decide, screw buying another VC game I just want to play!
Timeout properly – Twice just today I tried to go in the shop and even after multiple hours it still said connecting. Since there was no cancel button, I was a little afraid of having to push and hold the power button to reboot. Eventually I did and there was no problems, but still…
Queuing – If the service can’t handle the number of users and requests, time to start putting people in a queue. Make sure there is good feedback about this though, if I’m number 30,000 in the queue and estimated entry time is 3 hours, it would be nice to know.
So there it is Nintendo, I want to give you money. I want to buy games you have already sold me. I believe in the virtual console whole heartedly. Now it’s time for you to live up to your end of the bargain and provide a usable service that doesn’t suck.
I hope they can get this cleared up and that their online game play delivery is not launched in such a clunky manner.
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I’ve not had any problem with the New Zealand/Australian shop. Granted its slower than the internet channel, as I normally wait a good 5-10 seconds to start, but I’ve never failed to get on.
On the down side, we in Australasia don’t get and TG16 games, which sucks in itself.
Like Yorrike, I haven’t had any problems either. Odd.
Ditto what others are saying. I always get on in safely less than 20 seconds. I can’t say I’m in there a lot, but probably a couple times a week to see if they’ve added anything.
At the moment nintendo has a link to their Wii Wireless troubleshooting page right on the front page of support.nintendo.com and changing the channel is suggested.
That’s where Dan got it from… Thanks Justin.
Probably someone in your area is also using the default channel. While you obviously don’t get their data it still throws a lot of noise on the frequency.
I’m thinking this might be what I need to do to get my PC to be more reliable on my wireless. For some reason (probably antenna design) some devices are more sensitive to the interference than others.
Glad you fixed your prob!
The weird part is that Dan had to do the same thing, and he doesn’t have anyone near enough to his place to cause interference (I wouldn’t think…)
Thanks a lot for the tips. I was having the same troubles connecting to the Wii shop channel, but after changing the broadcast channel it was up and running.
Well this is nice that there is temp fix but really this still needs fixed. I am fortionate to live in a spread out area so the chances of other wireless devices being on channel 1 are a little more slim. But in more packed areas this could lead to interference that is why there are multiple channels in the 1st place.
Often, the tech advice I got online is jibberish, but this was pure gold. Switching to Channel 1 took care of my Wii Shopping Channel problems, and it looks like it amped up my Xbox 360 connection. Thanks!
I experienced a problem connecting today, for the first time… Thought maybe it was because of the release of th enew browser, but it worked for me to just change the channel… (Okey, it could be coinsidence, but i tried several times earlier this morning…)
This is billybob tiddelywink from Super Smash Brothers Brawl.
And Wii…Shop Channel?
Um, it sounds cool, but I never heard of it.
Thanks. i had mine on 6 and 1 did it!
my router was a Lynksis btw if it even matters
What happens if you can’t use Channel 1? I do that and I lose my network totally, prob due to the other 14 wi-fi networks around me all on C1 :(