%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%Friend Codes Guide - AC:WW & AC:CF
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%Made by cmh, Edited by aldericon, Originally 11/22/05

The question you might be asking yourself right now is "What exactly are Friend Codes?" They are unique codes generated by your WiFi enabled game, your DS and even your Wii! By adding people's friends code to your Friends Roster and them adding you to theirs, you will be able to visit their towns when they are online and they will be able to visit yours.

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How do I get my friend code? (AC:WW & AC:CF) How can we trade them on ACC?

1. To get a friend code, go to your town gate in Animal Crossing and talk to Copper, say "Friend Codes". He will connect to Wi-Fi and give you your very own friend code. Notes: You can see your friend code at any time by going to your friend roster and tapping the key button. If you change DS's, you're friend code will change, you cannot get it back.

2. If you want your friends to visit your town, or if you want to visit your friend's town, you will need to swap friend codes. Go to the My Friend Codes page on ACC and click Edit to put in your friend code. Notes: Before you can put in your friend code, you need to set up a character and town on ACC, make sure they have the same names as they do in your game. Do this at the My Towns and My Characters pages.

3. Now that you have typed in your friend code, other members of ACC can see a DS symbol in the top right corner of your post, and by your username in your profile. If you see that symbol by someone's post, that means they have a friend code. If you want to request their friend code, click on that symbol. Type a little message about why you are requesting their friend code and then click Send Request. Notes: Do not type your friend code into the message, they will see it if they accept your request!

4. If they accept your request, you will be able to see their friend code at the My Friend Codes page. Click My Friend Codes and then click Animal Crossing: Wild World or Animal Crossing: City Folk (whichever game you have). You'll get a list of all the people who have accepted your FCRs. (Friend Code Requests) Go into your Animal Crossing game and get into your friend roster and tap "Register" then tap "Use Code", type in your friend's friend code, their character name and their town name. You'll be able to see all this information at the My Friend Codes page on ACC at anytime.

Important Note (AC:WW): The Nintendo WFC ID and the game card are treated as a unit. Because of this, playing your Nintendo DS game card in another Nintendo DS system may override all of your online information saved to the game card, including your own personal Friend Code. Other players with this Friend Code would no longer be able to identify you as an online friend until you provided them with the new Friend Code you would need to generate. We recommend against playing your Nintendo WFC-compatible DS game cards in any one else's Nintendo DS system.

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What do I need? (AC:WW & AC:CF)

A high-speed internet connection (Cable or DSL).
A wireless router or Nintendo's Wi-Fi USB Connector

More information can be found here: http://www.nintendowifi.com/

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How do I add a friend to my Friends Roster? (AC:WW)

To add a code to your Friends Roster, tap the "up" arrow in the upper right-hand corner of the screen, and then tap the heart icon. On the following screen, tap "Register" and then enter the Friend Code you received from the player you wish to visit or invite to your town.

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How do I receive the Nintendo letters (AC:WW)/DLC Items (AC:CF)?

Periodically, Nintendo will send out communications to all Animal Crossing Wild World players. These can be messages from game designers, Nintendo Power staff, and even the president of Nintendo himself. Letters may also contain exclusive items that can't be obtained anywhere else in the game.

If you wish to receive letters and other communications that Nintendo sends out to Animal Crossing Wild World players, pick up the phone in your character's bedroom and select 'Downloads.' Tap through the dialogue until you are asked, "What about downloading letters and bulletin board messages?', and select "That's fine."

To make sure you receive DLC items in AC:CF, simply go to your attic and talk to Rover on the phone. The DLC items will come in Nintendo letters. For more information on DLC items, check out this guide.

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What do those orange triangles and green circles mean? (AC:WW)

Orange Triangles-
The person you have added has not added you yet.

Green Circles-
That person has added you to their roster, and you have added them.

The triangles and circles are updated whenever you connect to WiFi.

What do those hearts and quote bubbles mean? (AC:CF)

Hallow Heart-
If you have a heart that is not colored in, it means that that person has you registered in the game, but hasn’t WiFied with you yet.

Colored Heart-
If you have a heart that is colored in, it means that that person has you registered in the game, and has WiFied with you at least once.

Quote Bubble-
When you first register a friend, you have the option to put a comment about them in there. Most people on ACC have it so when you register them, their ACC username is shown, so you can put there ACC username there, something else, or nothing altogether.

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Okay, I added them, how do I go to their towns? (AC:WW & AC:CF)

To visit a friend, go to your town gate in your Animal Crossing game and talk to Copper, say "I wanna go out!", he'll ask you whether you want DS to DS (AC:WW), DS Suitcase (AC:CF) or Nintendo WFC, choose "Nintendo WFC". He will connect to WiFi and show you a list of open towns. You only see the towns of people who you have added, and they have added you. You can only got to their town if they have their gate open.

If you want others to visit you, just talk to Copper and say "Invite Guests"; Copper will open your gate and then people can come to your town.

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How do I rate someone?

To rate a member of ACC, just go to My Friend Codes and click on the game you want to rate someone on. Go to the member you want to rate and click on the stars to rate them. (1 star = poor. 5 stars = excellent.) After you have rated them with stars, you have the option to type a short message explaining why you gave them that rating. When you are done, remember to scroll down and click Update Ratings.

Can I use the same friend code from Mario Kart (or from any other game)?

No. Each game will have a unique code associated with it. The code is specific to the game and the DS where it's used. This means that if you use the same game with two different DSs, each DS will generate a different friend code. This also means that using another DS to connect wirelessly will overwrite any previous friend code stored on the game disc.

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How do I use WiFi (AC:WW)?

To start, let’s get an idea of what WiFi means. You may have heard that WiFi stands for Wireless Fidelity- this isn’t exactly true. In fact, the word WiFi doesn’t mean anything at all! You see, WiFi is actually a name created by a group of people that came together back in 1999 when wireless technology was just emerging. This group, now called the WiFi Alliance, is an organization that certifies products which operate on l IEEE 802.11 standards; basically they are trying to get a majority of electronic devices operating on the same wavelength so that they can communicate and work with each other.

Since then, the term WiFi has become a general term meaning wireless connection, and Wireless Fidelity is just something that was thought up to give meaning to the word WiFi. So, you just need to know that WiFi is a popular name given to a wireless Internet connection.

You might be wondering, if your DS isn’t physically connected to the Internet, how does it work? Well, your DS is connected, just not directly. While online, your DS is receiving radio waves from a wireless router. These radio waves are a lot like the ones that cell phones, televisions, and walkie-talkies use, except the router uses a higher frequency signal. This allows more data to be sent between the router and your DS.

Connecting
Now that you understand what WiFi is, we can go on to where you can connect. There are different ways to connect (at home, using a wireless router or Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector, or somewhere else using a wireless hotspot) but what you have to remember is that there is a limit to the area where you can get a signal. The signal only travels so far depending on the signal strength, and for an average router or adapter this isn’t more than 100 feet or so (this number lessens as walls block the signal). With that in mind, we’ll start by trying to connect at home.

If you would rather not have to travel from home to connect with your DS, there are two options. The first is using a Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector, the second, using a wireless router. Both of these allow WiFi compatible devices to connect to the Internet. The difference is that the Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector only works for Nintendo systems; you won’t be able to use it to get an Internet connection on your laptop. Knowing this, the wireless router seems like the much better option; the Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector is about $35 and a wireless router isn’t too much more. The only problem with routers is that they can be a pain to install, and some routers don’t work properly with the DS. If you buy the Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector however, it’s sure to work with your DS (or your Wii). Information on router compatibility can be found here.

Note: You need a high-speed internet connection to WiFi on AC:WW. Buying a Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector or wireless router will not work unless you are using DSL or higher.

If you are unsure whether or not you have a wireless router in your home the easiest thing to do is to use your DS and search for an access point.

Searching for an Access Point
When your DS searches for an access point, it is searching for a wireless network that is within range. It’s possible to have multiple wireless connections within range even if you yourself do not have a wireless router. Someone near you may have a network that you can connect to. While mooching off your neighbor’s WiFi connection may not be the best thing to do, many people have been able to access to WiFi without having to buy any extra equipment. You won’t know if an access point is nearby unless you search for one.

First, we need to get to the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Setup screen. To do so:

1) Start up your DS and get to the Animal Crossing start screen.
2) At the first text box, tap “Other things”.
3) At the second text box, tap “WiFi settings”.

You should now be at the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Setup screen. From here you want to tap the blue Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Settings button.

You should now be at a screen showing three connection slots. These connection slots save information about the different connections that you use. You only need to set up a connection slot the first time you use a particular connection. So, begin by choosing an empty connection spot.

Once you have chosen a connection slot you will be brought to a screen with three different blue buttons. On this screen you’re given three different ways to set up your connection: you can search for an access point, connect to an AOSS compatible router, or enter in your connection settings manually.

Tap “Search for an Access Point”. After a few seconds your DS will generate a list of access points that are available to connect to. Connections with blue locks indicate that the connection is unlocked or available to connect without having to enter any codes to gain access. A red lock means you will need to enter a WEP code to use the connection, and a grey lock means that the router’s security settings will not allow the DS to connect at all. If the list is blank, then the DS has not found any connections within range.

After you’ve found a connection, tap it and let your DS connect. If successful, your DS will generate a connection settings page for that connection and you’ll be set to go. You can now exit the Wi-Fi Connection Setup area and head back to the main AC:WW screen.

Note: The signal strength is noted to the right of the lock status. The more bars, the better the connection. Low signal strength may cause you to lose connection while playing. If possible try and move closer to the wireless router to get a better connection.

If you want to try and connect using AOSS (AirStation OneTouch Secure System) you’ll need a wireless router made by Buffalo Technology. These routers will have an AOSS button on them, usually on the back. Tap AOSS on the connection settings screen and then press and hold the AOSS button on your router until the AOSS light flashes. Your DS will attempt to connect to the router; you should get a connection successful message and you can head back to the ACWW main screen.

The Manual Setup will require you to enter your router’s connection information manually. You’ll need to enter the SSID at the least, and if your router uses WEP security settings you’ll need to enter your WEP key as well. If you don’t know what an SSID or WEP key is or where to find this information, I would suggest simply searching for an access point and connecting to your router that way.

Router information

If you don't have a wireless router and are looking to purchase one, or are having problems with your current router, check out this page for Nintendo's list of supported routers.  For your convenience, here is a list of routers that Nintendo gave 5 stars, that can be found at Newegg.com:

Belkin F5D7230-4
Belkin F5D8230-4
D-Link DI-524
D-Link DI-624
D-Link DGL-4300
D-Link DI-784
Linksys WRT54G
Linksys BEFW11S4

Disclaimer: This list is for your convenience.  ACC does not endorce or provide support for these products (outside of the support you may get from the commuity on this board).  As always, please do your research (and get permission, if necessary) before making a purchase.

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If anyone has anything else to add, feel free to PT me (aldericon).