How to Set up a Peer to Peer (ad hoc) Aibo network

Setting up a peer to peer (P2P or Ad Hoc) wireless network can be one of the most frustrating aspects of working with an Aibo robot. Some commercial programs (Aibo Remote, Master Studio) and many from AiboHack require a wireless connection for full operation. Under Master Studio, for example, it is possible to program an Aibo through a memory stick reader (USE ONLY SONY BRAND READERS!!), but each programming iteration requires you to shut down the Aibo, remove the battery cover, remove the memory stick from the Aibo, insert the stick into the reader, copy the program to the stick, eject the stick, re-insert it into Aibo, boot the robot, and then run the test. With a wireless connection toy simply send the program to the Aibo and start it. In addition, you can trace a program in real time and can monitor what the Aibo sees and hears. Joint positions and other sensor input (battery level, temperature) are always available, along with the capacity to run some memory intensive procedures on the PC. Although it's possible to find information on setting up a P2P network OR the Aibo wireless function, I haven't found an explanation of both in the same place. Therefore, to help out, here's how to do it (with pictures!). This is for Windows XP. Most of this can be run under other versions of windows (although you may need to load a driver for the computer's network card).

The above image shows how a peer-to-peer network functions. The computer and robot (or other computers or robots) interact directly. This is different from most home or business networks that have a central computer and router.

First, let's set up your computer. Open the Control Panel (click Start Menu, then "Control Panel". If you're Windows Control Panel looks the same as above, Switch to Classic View so it will look exactly the same as my pictures.

Windows XP is often NOT loaded with all the required components for an Ad Hoc network. You may need your Windows CD to install these files (Mine were on the hard drive, but not installed).

1. Click on "Add or Remove Programs"

2. Click "Add/Remove Windows Components"

3. Choose "Networking Services". Your option will be grayed out if all the components have not been installed).

4. Make sure that all the services are checked.

5. Click "OK". The drivers will be installed from your hard drive (or Windows will ask for the CD you used to install the components.

1. Close any open windows with "OK" until you get back to the Control Panel. Click "Network Connections".

1. Right-click on "Wireless Network Connections" and a drop-down menu will appear.

2. Click Properties.

1. Scroll down to "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). If you don't see it, go back to the beginning and load it from Network Services.

2. Press the Properties button

1. Click the radio button to "Use the following IP addresses". (The default is automatic).

2. Enter IP addresses as shown. You can make up your own, but then nothing else in this will make sense if you need this tutorial.

3. Click the "Use the following DNS server addresses. It may work without doing this, but I didn't test it.

4. Enter the addresses as shown.

5. Click "OK".

1. That takes you back to the Wireless Network Connection Properties pane. Click the Wireless Networks tab.

2. Under Preferred networks, click the Add button. If you already have been messing with the network you'll need to choose the AIBONET network in the list and then hit remove. You may have other networks listed. Don't mess with them.

1. The Wireless network properties pane will open. Type AIBONET as the network name (SSID).

2. Unselect the check box as shown. We want to set the network key.

3. Make sure the Network authentication and Data encryption are set as above (they probably will be unless you were fooling with the properties while attempting to set up the Aibo Network.

4. Enter a network key (AIBO2)

5. Do it again (AIBO2). If you return to this in the future there will be 8 dots, not 5. Don't know why. Don't care.

6. Click the OK button.

1. The new AIBONET network appears. The parenthetical "Automatic" indicates that your computer will try to connect when it detects an Aibo network.

2. Press OK.

1. Now let's set up the channel for the network card. Go back to the control panel (clicking OK buttons) and choose the System icon.

2. On the System Properties window, click the Hardware tab.

3. Click the Device Manager button.

4. When the device manager opens, scroll down to your Network Adapters and click it to open.

5. Your network adaptors may not be the same as mine. Find the one that says something about being "Wireless". Click that.

6. The properties for your wireless card will open. Unless you also have a Dell laptop, the description at the top will be different (and that's OK. Don't Panic ). That's it for your PC!

1. Now we have to set up the Aibo (I'm assuming that you've already installed a network card for the 2XX series). Remove the memory stick from your Aibo and insert in the reader (NOTE: Use only a Sony reader or you may corrupt the copy protection scheme on the stick). There are some differences for the ERS-7 and I'll show them below. Open Notepad or another text editor.

   • For the ERS-2XX series click here, copy it, and then paste into Notepad. NOTE: The link name is WLANDFLT.txt. It must be re-named if you just copy it to your card. I gave a slightly different name to avoid writing over the file on your stick (should it have some uesful information.

   • For the ERS-7 robot click here, copy the text, then paste into Notepad. NOTE: The link name is WLANDCONF.txt. See note under ERS-2XX for explanation.

2. On your Sony Memory Stick navigate to /OPEN-R/SYSTEM/CONF.

3. For an ERS-7 save the Notepad file as WLANCONF.txt. For the 2XX series, save the file as WLANFLT.txt. NOTE: save as a TXT file!!

That should be it! Insert the memory stick, start up a LAN-enabled Aibo program and cross your fingers. Hope this helped!