The PSP’s networking capabilities are very similar to a Macintosh’s, where you can set up different network profiles for use in different locations.
To set up a network profile, go to the PSP Navigator, select Settings, and then select Network Settings. You are given two options, both of which pertain only to wireless networking—Ad Hoc Mode and Infrastructure Mode-3). If you’re not familiar with the difference between the two, read the sidebar “Wireless Modes in Focus: Ad Hoc and Infrastructure.” Ad Hoc Mode is generally used when playing head-to-head with multiple PSPs in close proximity (10–20 feet), as it doesn’t require a base station. Infrastructure is useful when there are multiple people in different rooms and you use a central base station to connect.
It’s actually a good thing that most PSP games limit wireless play to eight players. As wireless networks get more and more crowded, the devices’ transmissions adversely affect the overall available bandwidth and you could lose data and therefore have poor gameplay. Remember, when you’re on an 11 Mbps wireless network, you’re sharing that bandwidth with everybody else, so the more you do on the network, the less bandwidth that’s available for others. This is especially true if you’re trying to play a PSP game with eight people while someone’s downloading a huge file and printing a large document over your wireless network—there’s a good possibility of losing packets and having issues with gaming.
Let’s go through configuration of both network types. Some games may actually require one type over another—the back of the box says “Wi-Fi Compatible (Ad Hoc/Infrastructure),”. Some games may not support wireless play at all and won’t have the Wi-Fi Compatible logo on their box at all.
To set up a network profile, go to the PSP Navigator, select Settings, and then select Network Settings. You are given two options, both of which pertain only to wireless networking—Ad Hoc Mode and Infrastructure Mode-3). If you’re not familiar with the difference between the two, read the sidebar “Wireless Modes in Focus: Ad Hoc and Infrastructure.” Ad Hoc Mode is generally used when playing head-to-head with multiple PSPs in close proximity (10–20 feet), as it doesn’t require a base station. Infrastructure is useful when there are multiple people in different rooms and you use a central base station to connect.
It’s actually a good thing that most PSP games limit wireless play to eight players. As wireless networks get more and more crowded, the devices’ transmissions adversely affect the overall available bandwidth and you could lose data and therefore have poor gameplay. Remember, when you’re on an 11 Mbps wireless network, you’re sharing that bandwidth with everybody else, so the more you do on the network, the less bandwidth that’s available for others. This is especially true if you’re trying to play a PSP game with eight people while someone’s downloading a huge file and printing a large document over your wireless network—there’s a good possibility of losing packets and having issues with gaming.
Let’s go through configuration of both network types. Some games may actually require one type over another—the back of the box says “Wi-Fi Compatible (Ad Hoc/Infrastructure),”. Some games may not support wireless play at all and won’t have the Wi-Fi Compatible logo on their box at all.
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