You may experience connection problems on your PS4 from time to time. Sometimes, the issue may be coming from the console itself while at other times, it’s entirely outside of it. In most cases, simple troubleshooting steps like checking network cables or restarting the console fix connection woes but at other times, the cause is deeper. This guide will show you the possible solutions that you can try if you have a connection problem when gaming on your PS4.
Causes of PS4 internet connection issues
There are a number of possible factors that may cause connection problems on your PS4. Let’s discuss each of them below.
PlayStation Network Services are down.
If you’re having trouble connecting to an online game, like when you can’t join a multiplayer session, or can’t access game servers at all, it’s likely that the issue is with the PlayStation Network servers. At the time of this writing, many PS4 gamers may find that their downloads are slower than normal or delayed because Sony has intentionally slowed down their services as they work with Internet Service Providers in reducing internet traffic. There can be different reasons why there’s PSN servers issue although the common ones include outages or maintenance.
Bugs with home network equipment.
Modems or routers may encounter errors from time to time, which can result to degraded performance or connection problems. You may need to work with your ISP or replace your network equipment if your home internet connection won’t improve at all.
Network cable is bad.
If your PS4 uses wired connection, one of the possible causes of connection issues can be the ethernet cable. You want to make sure that you check the network cables in troubleshooting your issue.
ISP-related problem.
If you are unable to connect to the Internet on your PS4, one of the factors that you must check is the connection from your ISP. If all your devices can’t connect to the internet at the same time, you may have to contact your ISP for a possible issue from their end.
IP conflict.
A modem or router assigns an Internet Protocol (IP) address to each device that’s connected to it. Sometimes, two devices in a home network may share the same local IP address. This can result to connection problems for the devices affected since only one device can use a local IP at one time.
What to do if your PS4 has connection problems or won’t connect to the internet
Below are the troubleshooting steps that you can do to identify the source of the problem you’re experiencing.
Do a quick cables check.
If you’re on a wired setup, you want to make sure that you deal with your network cables early in your troubleshooting ladder. Try unplugging the ethernet cable from both the router and PS4 and ensure that both ends are plugged in properly afterwards. If nothing changes, try using a second ethernet cable or use another ethernet port in your router.
Troubleshoot your wifi.
If you don’t use a wired connection and using a wifi instead, make sure that you troubleshoot for a possible wifi issue on your PS4. These two articles can assist you in this regard:-How To Fix PS4 Wifi Not Working Issue | Won’t Connect-Easy Ways To Fix PS4 Slow Wifi | Download Or Upload Is Slow
Check PSN status.
Another important troubleshooting step to fix any connection issue on your PS4 is to check PlayStation Network services status. The problem you’re having may be caused by a server outage, maintenance, or issue.
Power cycle PS4 and network equipment.
Make sure that you reboot your PS4 and modem/router. Turn off your PS4, disconnect the power cable from the back and wait for 30 seconds. Do the same for your modem or router. Once the devices have been shut down, turn on the modem or router first but not the PS4. you’ll have to wait until the router has finished starting up fully. Once the lights on your router are stable again, that’s the time that you want to turn on the PS4 and see if the connection problem is gone.
Confirm ISP Internet is working.
If you are connected to your own home network, try to check if other devices are having the same issue your PS4 is experiencing. If there are multiple other devices with the same exact connection problem in your network, there may be an issue with the modem/router, or your internet connection in general. You may have to get help from your ISP after doing a power cycle of your modem or router.
Confirm router allows connection to game servers.
If you’re having an issue playing an online game, connecting to an online multiplayer game, or connecting to the PlayStation Network you may have a port problem. The router must allow the following ports to be accessible in for your PS4 to connect to the PlayStation network:-TCP: 80, 443, 3478, 3479, 3480-UDP: 3478, 3479If you are not sure how to check your router if these ports are opened, contact your ISP or consult the documentation that comes with it.
Contact PlayStation support
If you are positive that there’s no problem with your router or your ISP, we suggest that you contact Sony’s PlayStation support so they can assist you further in checking a possible network port issue on your console.
Suggested readings:
- How To Test Internet Connection On PS4 | Speed Test, NAT, PSN Status
- How To Fix An Xbox One That Keeps Freezing Or Crashing
- How To Fix Xbox One Won’t Install Games | Installation Stopped Error
- How To Fix Xbox One Random Restart Issue | Turns Off Randomly
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