Setting up a PSP with an Apple Airport is a bit different then going down to the local Grounds for Thought (simple setup). The reason is those places, coffee shops, usually do not use WEP (Wireless Encryption Protocol) and in my apartment, I do.
If you turn WEP off on an AirPort Basestation it is as simple as naming your connection, scanning for the SSID, and selecting "Easy" setup. Sony really did a wonderful job in the User Interface department, especially when it comes to something as complicated as connecting to a HotSpot.
The problem comes with the fact that Apple does not mandate that your WEP password is the correct length. In the real world of WEP (non Apple devices) they actually require that your WEP key is a specified length dependent on the bit level of encryption. If you are using HEX or ASCII encoding these passwords can get as high as 26 to 40 characters long. Yea, thats a long pass code! Your Mac sitting in your house doesn't care about all that mumbo jumbo. You can put any old password in the AirPort Admin utility and it will take it.
I learned over at Gaming-Age that I could get away with a 13 character WEP Key. You should, however, stick with 128 bit WEP as this is better protection, and works well with the PSP (I run my AirPort Express in 802.11b/g Compatible Mode). Once you set your WEP key and update your AirPort you can setup your PSP. Now just setup your PSP for Wi-Fi Infrastructure mode:
1. Flip the Wi-Fi switch to the "on" position on your PSP
2. Go to "Settings"
3. Go to "Network Settings"
4. Select "Infrastructure Mode"
5. Select "-New Connection-"
6. Name the connection
7. In the next screen, press "Scan" to find your Airport
8. Then, in the following screen, enter the 13 character WEP Key
9. Next, for Address Settings, select "Easy"
10. Save Settings and Test Connection
After doing this I was playing Twisted Metal: Head On in my apartment in no time. And I have piece of mind that no one is going to jack my cable internet connection.
If it is not apparent by now: you should have WEP turned on if you have a home wireless access point, from Apple or otherwise.
I want to thank "Chittagong" over at Gaming-Age for posting this information. Especially as I was about to try a 26 and 40 character WEP key. That would have been fun on the PSP key pad!
You can now read more about PSP Tunneling, so you can get even more out of your games.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - RC
Yeah this sucks. I only have dial up internet right now to save money and there is no way to connect for internet game play with dial-up I odnt think.
2 - PONCH
HOW DO I FIND WY PC WEP KEY CODE?
3 - GEOVANNY
WHERE CAN I FIND THE WEP KEY ON THE AIRPORT EXTREME FROM APPLE
4 - Ken Edwards
YOU PEOPLE NEED TO STOP SHOUTING, IT IS ANNOYING!
OK, now, to "find" your WEP key (you have a WEP key, you don't find it) you have to use AirPort Admin Utility in the Applications/Utilities directory. You have to know your WEP password to be able to connect to your AirPort from the AirPort Admin Utility. Thats it, that's your WEP password.
Now you will most likely need to change it to a 5 or 13 character password. I could not get 40 bit encryption to work, so I used 128 bit encryption, which is a 13 character password.
Since the PSP keypad is so horrible, I would suggest something easy to type on it.
It worked right away for me, and has worked for months since.
Good luck.
5 - Ken Edwards
Oh, i forgot. On the main screen when you connect to your AirPort, with the AirPort Admin Utility, there is a button on the lower right "Change Wireless Security" this is where you change it to 128 bit WEP.
6 - Ruse
WEP is actually Wired Equivalent Privacy.
7 - Ken Edwards
WEP is known as both, but yes, you are correct. I guess I should say, more commonly known as Wireless Encryption Protocol and more technically known as Wired Equivalent Privacy.
8 - john
i jave no experience with networking so i have no idea what all this hex and wep stuff. im asking for step by step direction to connect my psp to the internet using an air port extreme card in my imac if that no too much to ask for. please help me out here
9 - Jez
Guys,
Can the psp connect to an airport network if the settings are wpa personal rather that wep ??? I 've got wpa settings on and cannot get anything other than a time out error when trying to connect, although the psp does recognise my wireless network
Thanx.
10 - Ken Edwards
From what I have read, the PSP cannot connect to an AirPort with WPA unless you downgrade the firmware on the AirPort. Stupid, yes.
11 - TJ
i need to find the wep key for my psp i dont have a clue how to find it and yes i do have a router with and when i scan the connection is 100% some one help please.
12 - Ken Edwards
Hi TJ,
You set your WEP key in your wireless router. Does it have a web based admin UI? I have seen Linksys wireless routers, and am familiar with them only, I use an AirPort so use the AP Admin Utility. Once you login to your wireless router there is a WEP page somewhere, and you set the password there. HTH.
13 - Graham McAllister
If anyone is still having problems, check that your Apple airport is not operating in 802.11g mode ONLY, the Sony PSP is only 802.11b compatible.
Simply change your Airport option to b/g compatible mode and you PSP will spring to life. Happy surfing.
14 - Ken Edwards
Graham, thats a great point. Something I would have overlooked as I knew the PSP was not a G device. Most people probably don't know that.
15 - Hans C
How do I change from 802.11g to 802.11b?
16 - Ken Edwards
Hans C - Apple AirPort or what brand? If Apple, in the AirPort Admin Utility. I do not have in front of me right now, but it is a drop down menu on the main config screen.
Most other wifi points have a web based admin - of which I have never used.
17 - HansC
I have an Airport Graphite. Not extreme.
18 - Ken Edwards
The graphite is not G, it is B only. So you should be set.
19 - Ryo
For some reason, my PSP will not connect with my Airport. It is an Airport Extreme and works fine with the PSP with the WEP off. But when I enter a WEP Key (yes, even the very long one), it always tells me that it cannot connect and to check the security settings for the network. I really have no idea what I'm doing wrong.
20 - Ken Edwards
Ryo - the only thing I can suggest is to leave WEP off but lock your AirPort by MAC address. Just be sure to add your PSP's MAC address too. See if that works.
21 - jason
hi im a wi-fi new user and i have a small problem that my ip add is timed out so what do i do
22 - Ryo
Thanks for the suggestion Ken. But how do I set the MAC address? I'm sorry. I really don't know too much about networking.
23 - Ken Edwards
Ryo - no problem, don't be sorry. This stuff is greek to most people. I just happen to deal with it day in and day out.
Your Mac has a MAC address, so does your PSP (every network-able device has one).
To find the MAC address in OS X (10.4) go to System Preferences > Network > Ethernet tab. 10.4 calls it an "Ethernet ID" It should look something like this: 00:0f:34:1h:k6:9a.
You can also find your MAC Address in Apple System Profiler. Click on the Network listing on the left, and you will see the "MAC Address" listed under Ethernet.
To find the MAC address on your PSP go to Settings > System Settings > System Information. Here it is labeled as "MAC Address."
Now go to the AirPort Admin Utility and turn off WEP. Click on the Access Control tab. Click the plus icon and input your PSP and Mac's MAC addresses.
Save and it will restart your AirPort. Go through the Infrastructure setup on the PSP and see if you can connect to your AirPort network.
Good luck!
24 - lil21dope
i dont have a airport or a wi-fi connection
25 - Ken Edwards
Then I guess you are not going to connect to the internet, are you?