If you’re a serious Nintendo Switch gamer who plays online games most of the time, you should consider setting up a wired connection. While Nintendo Switch wifi is generally okay, the wifi technology itself is less reliable than a wired setup.

If you’re wondering how to connect your Nintendo Switch by cable to your router, this post should help. Find out what you need to prepare and do below.

Nintendo Switch is portable so why use wired connection?

One of the reasons Nintendo Switch has caught the world by surprise is not just because of its games but also due to the fact that it’s flexible. Unlike the traditional PlayStation or Xbox consoles, your Nintendo Switch can be carried anywhere to allow an almost uninterrupted gaming. And of course, once you’ve settled back at home, all you have to do is to simply dock it and continue gaming again.

In fact, the portability of the Nintendo Switch is its main selling point but what many Nintendo Switch users forget is the fact that it can also work in a wired connection just like a PS4 or Xbox One.

If you need a little refreshing on how to connect your Nintendo Switch to your router by wire, this brief guide should help.

Before you give you the steps to do that though, let’s quickly discuss why you would want a wired connection over your wifi setup.

Wifi is less reliable.

One of the weaknesses of using wifi is signal interference. There can be a number of factors that affect wifi signals so there are several potential things that can ruin your online gaming experience. Unreliable wifi connections can cause lag or game interruptions and in some countries, getting a wireless router is even more expensive. These factors can be completely eliminated if you’re using LAN cable connection.

LAN cable connection is faster.

If you play online games on your Nintendo Switch regularly, it’s best if you use the traditional wired connection. On top of reliability, wired connections can also be faster than wifi connection, especially if there are a number of devices that’s connected to your wifi network. Downloads are finished faster too.

Wired connection is easier to setup.

Although a wired connection restrict mobility, don’t forget that setting it up is simple and easy. All you have to do is to secure the proper cable (ethernet cable) and connect one end to the router and the other to your Nintendo Switch dock.

Things you need to prepare

There are two important things that you need to use wired connection on your Nintendo Switch:

a LAN adapter, and
an ethernet cable.

You can visit your local electronics store to get a LAN adapter and cable.

How to connect a LAN Cable to use wired connection on Nintendo Switch

Estimate Cost : 0

Time Needed : 4 minutes

Now that you’ve seen the positive aspects of using a wired connection, it’s time to set your Nintendo Switch up. First, make sure that you have a known working ethernet cable long enough to connect your Switch to the router. If your router is located in another room, simply get a longer ethernet cable. Then, prepare to connect the LAN adapter to the Nintendo Switch dock. Follow the steps below to set up a wired connection on your Nintendo Switch:

Open the back panel of your Nintendo Switch dock and connect the LAN adapter to the USB port.
LAN Adapters can be bought online.
Get the ethernet cable and connect one end to the LAN adapter.
It doesn’t matter which end you connect, both ends actually have the same configuration.
Then, connect the other end of the cable to your router or gateway.
Make sure the LAN port it’s connected to is allowed to connect to the Internet.
On your Nintendo Switch console, go to the Home screen and select System Settings.
It’s an icon that looks like a cogwheel.
Select Internet.
This will open open up connection-related settings.
Select Internet Settings.
This will bring you to the next screen where you can change your Internet connection configuration.
Wait for a few moments and select Wired Connection once it becomes available.
Your console will automatically detect the wired connection provided that the LAN adapter is properly plugged into the port.
Select Connect to the Internet via Wired Connection.
And your console will conduct a test.
Wait for the system to finish testing the Internet connection.
Hit OK once the test is finished.