Netflix and the Wii

So after several more weeks, I was getting frustrated with the performance of Netflix on the Wii.  Not with the video quality but with constant buffering issues.  I was suspect that it was due to the WiFi connection that I was using but I wanted to cover it a little bit…

After a few weeks into the disc for the Wii and the PS3 being needed for playback, Netflix launched an app that installs.  As soon as this was out I tried it.  This still did not improve the buffering issues.  I had plans of setting up a really convoluted network configuration that would allow the Wii to safely have its own dedicated and unsecure Wifi connection.  I was not terribly keen on this so I did not bother in the end.

After another week or so of thinking (and also inspired by another pressing need) I figured to look for a wired Ethernet adapter for the Wii.  In retrospect, it was silly for me to not have thought of this but where the console has WiFi, it just never struck me.  Well, there are many options out there including an official one from Nintendo.  Don’t pay more than $20 for any of them as any more is a ripoff.

I got one from Rocketfish that is sold through Futureshop and it did the trick fine and dandy.  So much so that Netflix is not the only thing that is now better.  Firmware checks are faster and so are downloads from the Wii Shop channel.  Even going into Mario Kart for internet play was faster.  If you can get connected with a wire instead of WiFi, I strongly recommend it.

Oh and a hot tip for if you have one device located where your Wii is that is already using one Ethernet jack, just get a low cost 4 port switch.  You can get a 4 port from Newegg in either 10/100 or 10/100/1000 for as low as $15 and no more than $30.  At a location like a TV, you can really only use one device at a time so it is not a real issue to add a switch in what is normally considered a “wron” kind of usage.