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PlayStation 4 Network Problem: How To Fix Connection Issue After The 4.50 Update

By Cal Jeffrey
Published on: 06:38 PST, Mar 17, 2017

PlayStation 4 network problems have had users yanking their hair out since last week. The troubles began after Sony rolled out Update 4.50. The network issues seem to be affecting only those who connect to the internet through WiFi routers.

Problems ranging from no network connectivity at all to severe lag when playing online games have been reported. Some users have also complained that the PS4 gives them a message saying that their WiFi password is incorrect even when they have entered it correctly multiple times. Some have even been receiving an error with the code “NW-31297-2” or something similar.

According to SlashGear, “Sony doesn’t appear to have acknowledged that the update caused the issue at this point.”

Users who had been experiencing network problems on their PlayStation 4s since the 4.50 update had been getting the cold shoulder from tech support, even though all the complaints were coming immediately after the patch. SlashGear reported that Sony technicians were telling people to contact their internet providers, completely avoiding acknowledging that the last update may have been causing the problems.

However, a writer at Kotaku, who usually connects through ethernet, decided to test his unit on WiFi to see if he would experience the same problem. While it appeared that his console was connected, trying to enter multiplayer games failed every time. While his test was by no means definitive since he was already operating under Update 4.50, it does seem to indicate that the network problems are originating with the PlayStation 4 and not the routers or modems as Sony seemed to suggest.

PlayStation 4’s network problems as of today appear to have finally been acknowledged by Sony. Earlier this week, a PlayStation forum “MVP Support” moderator, who goes by the handle Dead-Sync, posted a checklist of information that users who are experiencing the problem should gather so that it could be passed on to technicians. They want information such as which wireless band is being used, what security protocols are set up on the router, type of PlayStation being used, and make and model of router.

On Monday, Dead-Sync updated his post.

“I heard back from PS Support staff, and this issue, along with this info-gathering thread (along with some others you all have posted) have been passed along to the appropriate teams within PlayStation. Hopefully, this can be looked at, replicated, and addressed. No further info outside of that, but the fine folks at Sony are listening and fingers crossed there can be a fix for the issue. If I hear anything else I’ll be sure to pass it along. In the meantime, please continue to post any relevant info if you have any in the thread as it may be of use.”

Hence, Sony has indeed acknowledged a PlayStation 4 network problem and is currently investigating to come up with a patch. There is no word on how long it will take to develop a solution. However, Dead-Sync posted an update Wednesday reporting that someone had come up with a workaround that seems to be getting a lot of users reconnected.

If you are experiencing network connectivity problems on your PlayStation 4, you can try the following temporary solutions.

The simplest fix is just to connect the PlayStation through ethernet. Doing this entails using the ethernet cable (see picture below) that you probably never even took out of your PlayStation 4 box and connecting one end to the back of your PS4 and the other to one of the ports on your router. Consult your PlayStation manual if you need a more detailed explanation.

While connecting through ethernet is the easiest and more reliable way to restore network connectivity to your PS4, it is not an ideal solution for everybody. Some cannot connect directly to their router due to the location of it, in relation to their PlayStation console. In this instance, WiFi is the only option.

If this is the case for you, some router settings will have to be altered. All routers are different and so accessing settings, and the appearance of the menus vary from brand to brand. Consult the user’s manual for your router or search the internet for how to access your configuration menu. Once in there, “disable 802.11 N and use B/G only.”

Kotaku reports that for a Netgear Nighthawk X6 R8000, you do this by switching the mode from “Up to 600Mbps” to “Up to 54Mbps.” After doing this, Kotaku had no more problems connecting to multiplayer games through WiFi.

While there is no word as to how long it will take for a patch to roll out, it should be fairly soon. If you are having this issue and wish to help, visit Dead-Sync’s thread and provide the information he requested. To keep apprised of the progress and know when a patch will go live, visit the PlayStation blog.

Once Sony does acknowledge that it has a problem, it works very hard to get it fixed as fast as possible. In this case, technicians are receiving a lot of information and feedback from users, so they should be able to narrow down the PlayStation network problem and develop a fix fairly quickly.

[Featured Image by PRNewsFoto/Sony Network Entertainment International/AP Images]

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