When you connect your PSP to your wireless network, you’ll not only have the option to link up with players online, you can also browse the Web, download RSS content or listen to Internet radio (and if you have a PS3, stream content stored on it to the PSP).<\/b><\/p>\n
by Joseph Moran<\/b><\/p>\n
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Now that the holidays are over, you may be lucky enough to find yourself in possession of shiny new handheld game consoles \u2014 either a Sony PSP or a Nintendo DS. These devices can, of course, be used for solo gaming, and their Wi-Fi support allows for ad-hoc connections to other nearby devices for head-to-head gaming. But did you know you can also connect both consoles to the Internet via a home\u00a0WLAN<\/a>?<\/p>\n Sony PSP<\/b> The PSP’s\u00a0Wi-Fi<\/a>\u00a0support is limited to the older 802.11b type, so before attempting to set one up for network access, be sure your wireless\u00a0router<\/a>\u00a0is set to mixed b\/g mode. The steps for doing this vary by router make and model, but you should find them under the heading\u00a0Wireless Settings<\/b>\u00a0or something similar.) Fortunately, the PSP supports\u00a0WPA<\/a>–PSK<\/a>\u00a0security (both the TKIP and\u00a0AES<\/a>\u00a0encryption methods), so you won’t have to dumb down your WLAN’s security to use the PSP on it.<\/p>\n The steps for getting the PSP networked are the same whether you have the newer, slimmer version or the original model. First, make sure wireless is enabled on the PSP by sliding the switch on the lower left side to the up position. Turn on the PSP and find the\u00a0Settings<\/b>\u00a0menu (it should be the left-most option) then scroll all the way down until you reach\u00a0Network Settings<\/b>.<\/p>\n Now select\u00a0Network Settings<\/b>, then\u00a0Infrastructure Mode<\/b>, then\u00a0New Connection<\/b>. Next, select the\u00a0Scan<\/b>\u00a0option, which will have the PSP locate your wireless network (assuming that, like most, your router is set to broadcast the\u00a0SSID<\/a>). When your network is found, select it with the X button and then press the right arrow to go to the\u00a0WLAN Security Setting<\/b>\u00a0menu, where the type of security the network uses should already be highlighted. When you press right arrow again you’ll be prompted to press X to enter your encryption key. Entering alphanumeric text can be somewhat cumbersome on the PSP (as it almost always is on a device without keyboards\/keypads). When you’re done, press\u00a0Start<\/b>\u00a0to save the key. (No matter how long your key is, it will only show up as eight asterisks.)<\/p>\n Press right arrow again to bring up the\u00a0Address Settings<\/b>\u00a0menu, which offers a choice between\u00a0Easy<\/b>\u00a0and\u00a0Custom<\/b>. If you use\u00a0DHCP<\/a>\u00a0on your network, you can choose the former. Right arrow again will allow you change the connection name to something other than the WLAN’s SSID (which, of course, does not change). Another right arrow will let you review your connection settings, and after a final right arrow and pressing the X key, your settings will be saved.<\/p>\n When you see\u00a0Test Connection<\/b>\u00a0displayed, press X to make sure your settings are correct. If they are the PSP will display connection information, including the IP address it obtained. (You can repeat the connection setup process and save settings for up to 10 different networks.)<\/p>\n You’ll find the PSP’s various network applications, including the Web browser, under the\u00a0Network<\/b>\u00a0menu. By the way, to allow the PSP’s browser to display Flash-based animations and movies, look for\u00a0System Settings<\/b>\u00a0under the\u00a0Settings<\/b>\u00a0menu and choose the\u00a0Enable Flash Player<\/b>\u00a0option.<\/p>\n Note that to conserve battery life, the PSP will not remain constantly connected to a wireless network, so after a period of inactivity there will be a slight delay as the device re-establishes its connection. (You can prevent the PSP from going online at all by sliding the wireless switch to the down position.<\/p>\n Nintendo DS<\/b>
\nWhen you connect your PSP to your home wireless network (or a hotspot, for that matter) you’ll not only have the option to link up with far-flung players online (depending on the specific game), you’ll also be able to browse the Web, download\u00a0RSS<\/a>\u00a0content, or listen to Internet radio (and if you have a PS3, stream content stored on it to the PSP).<\/p>\n
\nLike the PSP, Nintendo’s DS console has built-in Wi-Fi support and can connect to the Internet, but it works quite differently. To be exact, the DS doesn’t allow for Web browsing or generic Internet access like the PSP. Rather, it supports network connectivity only in the context of a game, and then only for specific titles. As of this writing, about two dozen DS games support Wi-Fi access \u2014 for the complete list, go\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n