PS3 wireless reception problem - Help or advice needed

[Nielsen]

A couple of months ago my PS3 suddenly started having trouble getting signal from our wireless router. As far as I know the connection speed hasn't changed and the PS3 and router have not been moved from their usual positions in the house. So in other words the problem came without warning.

The weird thing is that sometimes I can easily get online on the PS3 (but the connection is usually lost within 30 minutes or so and then I usually can't get back online) and at other times I can't even sign in to PSN at all. There is no obvious way I can tell what causes the problem. Naturally, the green indcator on the PS3 showing internet reception flashes with longer intervals when the problem starts to appear.

I have no problems getting or staying online with any of the computers in the household. I have also tried to move the PS3 around in different positions but it doesn't help. Neither does it seem to help shutting down all other online units taking broadband.

It would not be ideal to buy a new PS3 if the problem is caused by the router, connection etc. but does it sound like a problem with the PS3 hardware? Any advice or thoughts about what could be wrong would be appreciated. I really need a stable PNS connection when Gran Turismo 5 arrives next week. My PS3 is the old 60 GB model with PS2 game compatibility if that info can narrow down the troubleshooting in any way.

 

[opelgt1969]

Are you sure you're connecting to "your router" or someone living near you. If you're sure it's your router how much trouble would it be to run your PS3 in the same room that you router's in. I don't mean leaving it there just to test the PS3 to see if you can get a better signal and see if it still goes blinkie blinkie while playing. Also how hard would it be to "hard wire" the PS3? I have 2 lines running from my computer room to the living room where my PS3 "Fatboy" is, I get a better signal with the hard wire.

 

[Nielsen]

Thanks for your reply. I don't think the PS3 is receiving a signal from a neighboring house. I just checked and the PS3 shows the network ID name for our router. I just noticed something else though. It says that the wireless signal strenght is just 57% on my PS3. Is that too low for the PS3 to maintain a stable connection?

The router is in a small office downstairs and moving the PS3 there for permanent use is not an option. However, I could try moving it there just to check the signal strenght. But the PC I'm using right now has never had any connection problems and it's placed only one meter away from the PS3. So it doesn't make much sense unless the PS3 has a bad wireless receiver. It used to work absolutely fine though. As I said, nothing has changed since it worked.

The hardwire connection in this house was replaced by wireless some years ago. I still have the old hardwire plug in my room but the hardwire system is disabled from the router. Is there any way I can easily restore the hardwire connection while keeping the wireless connection? Broadband installations is not my strogest point of knowledge.

 

[opelgt1969]

I'll think about this and how to explain to you and give a reply on Thursday.

 

[Nielsen]

Ok any advice will be appreciated.

By the way could it be my upload speed which is causing problems? It's only 210.2 kbps while the download speed is 3.1 mbps.

 

[Neal]

Worth a try...



Also you could try this or a similar product.

 

[Nielsen]

Yes, that may actually be worth a try because I've noticed that the signal strenght indicator found in the PS3 settings varies from about 50% to a full 100%. I also noticed my online activities (such as comparing trophies with friends, loading PSN Store etc.) load in an instant when my PS3 gets a strong signal from the router. On the other hand, the same online activities hardly respond when the signal strenght is down to about 60%. The green network indicator on the PS3 is also responding with short intervals when the signal is strong whereas it hardly flashes when the signal is weak.

It could seem like the signal is very inconsistent but that still doesn't make sense considering how well my computer receives the wireless signal. As I mentioned, my computer is located just about one meter away from the PS3 and my computer consistenly shows the strongest possible signal (5 out of 5 bars).

So is the wireless network device in my PS3 defective or could it have something to do with the upload speed of my internet connection? It was 210 kbps when I checked earlier today. However, I'm sure that the broadband speed hasn't been downgraded since my PS3 worked just fine online.

 

[crazedmodder]

Sadly I had the same problem and never found a solution. Even when I did not get disconnected from PSN (which happened a lot) I couldn't get a good connection to any game and always had lag. Worst of all, my PS3 was in the same room as my router yet my laptop works from anywhere in the house with full reception, even outside. Anyways, I wired it up with a cheap CAT5 cable and have not had a problem since.

Your upload/download speeds make no difference as to whether or not you can log in to PSN so don't worry about those.

I love wireless but I have to say wire it up if you can. What kind of router do you have? The brand should be easy to spot but the model name is usually smaller and on the front or underneath on a sticker. This information will help us guide you. Do you already have the wiring in place and just need to set up the router?

Also, try running you PS3, go to settings > network settings and run the network test. What NAT type is it and is UPNP enabled?

 

[Nielsen]

Ok, thanks for making clear that I shouldn't worry about the connection speed. I remember the router brand is NETGEAR. I can't check the model no. right now as I would wake my family.

I'm not sure whether the hardwire connection is still installed. I think the system was uninstalled when we got wireless some years ago. However, I do have a network plug in my room so I may just need to setup the router. I'm not entirely sure.

I just did the connection test on the PS3. Here are the results you asked for:
NAT Type = Type 2
UPnP = Available (I ran the same test earlier tonight where UPnP was unavailable)

 

[crazedmodder]

With your router you should just be able to plug it in and it should work after you setup your PS3 to use the wired instead of the wireless connection.

NAT Type 2 is good
UPnP available is good, I don't know why you would lose UPnP like that it might be wireless issues or issues with the router. Try plugging in your PS3, running the network setup again to change it to wired and then logging into PSN.

Hopefully you won't have any problems.

 

[Nielsen]

It would be amazing if I can make it work just like that. I don't have network cable which is long enough to reach my PS3 from the network plug so I have to buy a cable on monday.

Alternatively, while searching for a nework cable I found a switch (NETGEAR model FS605 v3). Can I use that as wireless relay point? It doesn't have a visible antenna like the main router but is it possible? I bought the switch a couple of years ago for my old apartment because I needed a couple of extra network plugs.

 

[Nielsen]

Ok it seems that the switch doesn't support wireless.

I just tried to hook my PC up the wired connection but there was no response from the network so there's definitely more to it than just connecting the wire.

The "Ethernet" indicator on the modem is only responding when the wireless router is connected and I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing when I try figure out how the installation works. Any further advice is welcome.

 

[crazedmodder]

Hmm, I may need that model number then.

You hooked up your PC to one of the empty ports behind the router? Your PC normally connects wireless?

What exactly were the steps you took?
eg:
Wire connected between PC and router (empty port)
Disabled wireless card on PC (or disconnected from the network)
Tried to go to a website and it did not work?

 

[Nielsen]

It works now.

It was just me being stupid yesterday. Today I noticed another network cable on the floor which I plugged into the router instead of the first one and it worked. The first cable I connected was leading the connection into another room. So your first suggestion did work indeed. Sorry to have bothered you with further troubleshooting then.

Now I only need to buy a network cable which can reach my PS3 and I should be able to tell if there is an improvement compared to the unstable wireless. I'll let you know how it goes and thanks for your help!

 

[Nielsen]

I bought a cable and now the PS3 performs much better online. Thanks for your help narrowing down a solution. Too bad I can't stay wireless but I'm glad this works.
Roll on GT5.

 

[crazedmodder]

Glad you got everything running well 👍 I know it is a shame to lose wireless especially when other wireless devices work fine. Sony probably was not using good wifi chips at the time because many people I know with older PS3s have had problems with wireless, mine as well which is a 40GB.

Not sure about the new ones.

 

[Stephen220378]

I don't know much about routers, I have a BT HomeHub2, however whenever my ps3 suffers from a low wifi signal all I do is access my HomeHub from the BT website and change the wireless channel which works every time. Basically the signal drops because of interference from other appliances in my house of sometimes outside. If there's any way you can change the channel on your router then try it.

 

[starbug]

Basically the signal drops because of interference from other appliances in my house of sometimes outside.

I had the very same problem until I changed from a "G" router to an "N+" one.

Something to do with frequency interference of microwave oven, TV's etc.

Worth trying if people have a standard router and are having problems with dropped or rubbish signals.