How To Fix PS4 Wifi Not Working Issue | Won’t Connect

Serious gamers only connect their PS4 by wire but if you are confident that your online experience won’t be affected with a wireless setup, then wifi is a convenient option. Wifi setup is more prone to issues compared to a wired connection though. If your PS4 wifi is not working for some reason and you have no idea what to do, you’ve come to the right website. This troubleshooting guide will show you how to fix any wifi issue you’re having on your console.

Common reasons why wifi is not working on PS4

Wifi may stop working on your PS4 for a variety of reasons. In many cases, wifi issues are temporary and usually go away on their own. This means that majority of wireless connection problems are fixable by a user. In some cases though, wifi issues may persist after basic troubleshooting has been performed. Below are the common causes of wifi issues on the PS4.

Random PS4 bug.

Boot glitches or temporary network bugs may develop due to many factors. If your PS4 wifi is not working, make sure that you restart your console. This clears bugs and refreshes the system in general. Your PS4 can benefit from a reboot in many ways so it’s a must-do in this situation. 

Try rebooting your console on the controller first. You can also press and hold the Power button in front of the console. Alternatively, you can unplug your PS4 from the wall outlet or power strip and wait for about 1 minute before turning it back on.

Network or router issue.

Not all wifi issues are caused by error in your console. Some are caused by the wifi network you’re using, or by modem or router. Just like your console, any networking device can develop a bug as well.

Signal interference.

Unlike a wired connection, wifi signal may be affected by many things. If your router is far, your PS4 may only get weak wifi connection, which in turn, can affect internet performance. Wifi may also suffer from other sources of signal interference from other wireless devices. Thick walls, glass, or metal can also degrade wifi signal.

PlayStation Network issue.

In order to play online, your console has to connect to a chain of servers in a network. One of the servers in the chain is Sony’s PlayStation network. Even if your wifi at home is working fine but PS network is not, it may appear as if your internet connection may not work properly. For the uninitiated, the situation may look as if their wifi connection is to blame.

Console software issue.

An outdated software may develop bugs. If you’re not updating your console, it’s possible that it’s software may have encountered a network bug due to poor coding or corrupted software.

PS4 hardware malfunction.

In some rare cases, hardware fault may be to blame. Your PS4 uses a radio chip in order for wifi to work. If this chip is damaged for whatever reason, the rest of the system may work but the wifi may stop functioning. Other hardware issues may affect the network functionality as well like wifi.

Troubleshooting PS4 wifi problems

If your PS4 is unable to connect to wifi, follow the steps below to deal with it.

  1. Reboot the console.

    Minor connection issues may be fixed by restarting your PS4. Reboot the console by doing it on your controller first. Alternatively, you can try pressing and holding the Power button in front to restart the system. 
    If it doesn’t respond, unplug it from the wall outlet or power strip and wait for about 1 minute before turning it back on.PS4 front

  2. Check wifi connection using another wireless device.

    Can a second wireless device connect to your wifi? If you are not sure, use a smartphone or a laptop to check. If your wifi works normally, proceed to the next steps below.
    If a second wireless device is also unable to connect to the internet using your wifi, you must troubleshoot your wifi network instead.check wifi

  3. Power cycle the router.

    One of basic troubleshooting steps in this situation is to ensure that you restart the modem and/or router. Unplug your modem/router from the wall outlet and wait for 30 seconds. After that, turn the router back on and connect your PS4 to the network using “Easy” settings. Make sure to wait for the router to fully restart before attempting the setup.router 1

  4. Check for PlayStation Network server issue.

    If you are having trouble connecting to a game server, unable to play multiplayer, or use PlayStation online services, make sure that you check the PSN status.PSN status

  5. Check for PS4 software update.

    Some network connection issues are due to outdated software. The system may encounter a bug due if the console is running an old software version. You can manually check for software update by going to the Home screen>Settings>System Software Update.software update 3

  6. Initialize the console.

    Should none of the solutions have helped so far, you can try to return the software settings to their defaults to fix the issue. Go to Settings>Initialization>Initialize PS4 to do this solution.initialize 5

  7. Repair: Get help from Sony Service Center.

    If your PS4 is still unable to connect after initializing it, there must be a deeper cause for the problem. You want to contact Sony for help if nothing in this guide changes anything. The issue is likely caused by bad hardware so a repair may be necessary.Sony

WORKAROUND: use wired setup

If you’re having an issue connecting wirelessly, you can continue using your console by setting it up with an ethernet cable. Move your PS4 near your router and connect it by wire. You may have to buy the ethernet cable if you don’t have it handy.

Suggested readings:

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Having Issues with your phone? Feel free to contact us using this form. We’ll try to help. We also create videos for those wanting to follow visual instructions. Visit our TheDroidGuy Youtube Channel for troubleshooting.


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