Wii Connect24 allows gamers to stay connected to the Internet even when the Nintendo Wii is in standby mode.  When you turn off your Wii, as long as it is still connected to a power source, it is in standby mode.  This means that other gamers can send you messages and you can receive alerts through the system when you are not playing.  The concept was introduced in 2006 at E3 by Nintendo during the run down of the Nintendo Wii launch.  In order to receive updates, content and more in standby mode, you must enable it via the Wii Connect24 settings on the console itself.

Wii Connect24 allows you to stay connected with Wii content, gamers and more when you are not actively playing the console.  When the Wii is in standby mode, it stays connected to the Internet in a similar way to how if you put your computer on hibernate mode, it still stays connected and active with your Internet connection.  Once you turn off hibernation mode, you jump right back into whatever you were doing on your console or computer without having to wait for it to boot up.  As long as Wii Connect24 is enabled, you will be able to receive messages, get new posts on the Wii Message Board and have content sent directly to your Wii.

When you go into the Nintendo Wii settings, you can enable or disable standby mode.  This allows Wii Connect 24 to work on your console.  When enabled, the glow of the power button lets you know what mode is working for your Wii.  Red means that standby mode is off, yellow means it is on.  Simply hold down the power button for three seconds and the Wii automatically goes into standby mode if Wii Connect24 is enabled.  If the Wii is cut off from power, the standby mode will not work until it is reconnected to a power source.