PS4 - Wifi problems

[gripped]

My son got a PS4 for Xmas and with the firmware on my RT-N66U at that point (I think it was Merlin 3.0.0.4.354.28, around that one anyway) everything was fine.
Just over a week ago I set up parental controls to try and avoid the nightly argument regarding coming off the computer. I upgraded the firmware to 3.0.0.4.374.35_4 just before I set it up.

He didn't tell me for a few days but at the point I updated the firmware the ability to play online games on the PS4 or access the PSN store on the PS4 stopped working.

As he didn't tell me straight away , or indeed mention it had not been working for a few days, I did not think the firmware upgrade was the cause and concentrated on the PS4 as the issue. I tried deleting settings and doing a full reinstall of the PS4 firmware but the problem remained.
Oddly the PS4 insisted that the internet was fine and that we were logged into the playstation network but games insisted we were not.

I tried static IP's , portforwarding all the ports mentioned on portforwarding.com for the PS4 and setting DMZ to the PS4's IP. Still no Joy.

I turned my phone into a wifi hotspot (through mobile 3G network) and connected the PS4 to that. Everything worked again (though the latency would of course be no good for games)

So now I knew it was the router.

I tried 3.0.0.4_374.38_1 which had been released in the meantime.
No joy

I read some more and thought maybe the change to SDK6 had made a difference.

So I installed 3.0.0.4_374.35_4-sdk5
(For the record I did the restore factory settings with the WPS button after every up/downgrade)
Still no Joy.

This morning I bought a long cat 5 cable and connected it to the PS4 to make sure it was the wifi as I suspected.
Everything works. But it's not ideal. I'm going to have to start drilling through walls to do the cabling properly so I'd rather use wifi.

I have tried with b/g protection on and off and optimized for xbox on and off and different channels. Not sure what else to try regarding wifi settings ?

So any idea's why this happened ?

Is there an archive of older merlin firmwares ? I can see 3.0.0.4_372.30_3 but no older. I'd like to try 3.0.0.4.354.28 again but no longer have a copy.

So if anyone could help that would be cool but this is just a bit of feedback as well. I told my son not to get the PS4 until the bugs had been ironed out in the unit and the firmware but he wouldn't listen (and I'm to soft).

Thanks for the firmware.

 

[gripped]

Update:

I've downgraded to 3.0.0.4_372.30_3 and online gaming over wifi is working so far.

When I get a chance I will go through each firmware update in turn to see at which point it stops working.

 

[MarkyPancake]

My PS4 works fine with both the latest Merlin SDK5 stable and beta build.

It's a shame Sony chose to use an old wireless chip that doesn't work with 5 GHz networks. Not a great decision by Sony for a device with a bias towards digital downloads.

 

[RMerlin]

It's a shame Sony chose to use an old wireless chip that doesn't work with 5 GHz networks. Not a great decision by Sony for a device with a bias towards digital downloads.

That also surprised me, considering this is hardware they intend to sell for the next 5-7 years. I guess they either ran out of development time to integrate a newer chip (due to racing Microsoft for release schedule), or they needed to save those 2$ per units the new chip might have cost (speculative figure here).

 

[gripped]

While sorting this out I read about lots of people having issues with the PS4 and the non recognition of a valid PlayStation Plus membership.

I think the PS4 firmware is buggy but still I can only report as I found.
Newer Merlin builds didn't work. (three tried)
Wifi through phone Did
Lan did
Older Merlin did.

When I've got an empty house I'll start working through the firmwares as I said.

Agreed about the lack of 5Ghz. When I set it up on xmas day I was surprised.
And no DNLA, no media playback from USB and no audio CD support.
POS IMO but try telling a teenage boy that !

Edited to add:
Interested to know if others are having no problems with PS4 + Wifi + Newer Merlin builds.
I'll RMA it if I'm the only one.

 

[elorimer]

Isn't Sony using the older Markell chip that caused problems with the Xbox Slim and Asus firmware? There are some long threads about that around here, about connecting but then falling back into b mode. Maybe some of that would help you.

It is kind of interesting that the XBox 1 can't be a media extender, and the PS4 can't play media the way the PS3 (protected!) could.

 

[sinshiva]

damn, i almost got a ps4 expecting all of the above, too. i'm sure you've tried this, but figured i should ask; have you tried using a new ssid ?

 

[gripped]

damn, i almost got a ps4 expecting all of the above, too. i'm sure you've tried this, but figured i should ask; have you tried using a new ssid ?

Thanks but yes. And tried guest ssid.

Isn't Sony using the older Markell chip that caused problems with the Xbox Slim and Asus firmware? There are some long threads about that around here, about connecting but then falling back into b mode. Maybe some of that would help you.

Cheers
According to chipworks it's a Marvell Avastar 88W8797.
(And two Skyworks/SiGe WiFi front end modules. whatever that means ?)
I'll do some reading.

 

[sinshiva]

oh, there's two 38_1 builds, 38_1 and 38_1-em, tried both?

 

[gripped]

oh, there's two 38_1 builds, 38_1 and 38_1-em, tried both?

Not yet, 38_1-em is on the to try list. I'll try in the morning.
Thanks again.

 

[MarkyPancake]

That also surprised me, considering this is hardware they intend to sell for the next 5-7 years. I guess they either ran out of development time to integrate a newer chip (due to racing Microsoft for release schedule), or they needed to save those 2$ per units the new chip might have cost (speculative figure here).

Microsoft are using a newer version chip from the same manufacturer and it supports 5 GHz. The X1 isn't without its problems though.

 

[connorm]

this is just my opinion. nothing more.

first of all. if you can, just take the time to wire your sons ps4. it will save you so much hassle and you will always know he has the best connection possible.

secondly. if you just limit your kids wifi. when he gets out of your house hes gonna stay up 24/7 cause hes been limited to how late he can play his whole life. a major thing that school does for kids (or what its meant to do) is gear them for going to bed on time. getting up early. and being on time for everything. kids who are babied through this never learn. basically preparing you for a 9-5 job.

i am not saying there wont be the kids that dont learn or that are to stubborn and possibly require parental controls. but i can not show how happy i am that my parents never did this to me. damn i would have hated them.

do you wish your parents had a lock on you every time you wanted to sneak out at 1 or 2 am? i see it as the same thing. if you wish your kid to go to bed earlier or you feel he is developing bad habbits. i recommend having a talk about it

im 21 so i think im pretty good at seeing both sides of this. and although i stay up fairly late now (about 4am) i never did through highschool because i had to go to bed or i would feel like shirt when i got up. i could always use the computer as late as i wanted but i taught myself and i used to play WOW

all i know is. when you don't want someone to do something. it makes them want it more. usually when you don't worry about it. the kid learns themselves to go to bed early. hell most of the people i know who stay up really late. there parents will nag them every morning they get up. apparently it doesnt help.

 

[cmillar6]

That also surprised me, considering this is hardware they intend to sell for the next 5-7 years. I guess they either ran out of development time to integrate a newer chip (due to racing Microsoft for release schedule), or they needed to save those 2$ per units the new chip might have cost (speculative figure here).

This is the main reason I am in no hurry to rush out and buy a ps4. Unacceptable such an expensive device released in 2013 does not have a 5Ghz wireless card in it. Even the $100 leap pad tablet I bought for my daughter for Christmas has 5Ghz wireless.
Sony did the same thing with the PS3 restricting it to wireless G through several hardware revisions. I suspect they do it to trim manufacturing costs on a device with an already limited profit margin.

 

[connorm]

wow it actually doesnt have 5GHz? sad. even more reason to go wired. even a stable 2.4 network has jitter on a consistent basis. horrific for gaming

 

[sinshiva]

OT, but just wanted to say sorry again, and that i just found the 'ignore list' under usercp, if anybody else has this problem

 

[RMerlin]

Microsoft are using a newer version chip from the same manufacturer and it supports 5 GHz. The X1 isn't without its problems though.

That might explain things, if the chip is too buggy or unreliable at this time.

With the PS3 Sony never changed the actual specs. With any luck they will be more aggressive in their PS4 HW revisions, and might eventually upgrade the wifi controller.

Otherwise... A product like the Asus EA-N66U might be attractive, assuming they release an AC version of it.

 

[icece]

RT-AC68U - My XO is connected via 5G with stable 270/270Mbps (at wireless interface), and between 60 to 85 Mbps to MS live services through a 100Mbps WAN interface

 

[MarkyPancake]

This is the main reason I am in no hurry to rush out and buy a ps4. Unacceptable such an expensive device released in 2013 does not have a 5Ghz wireless card in it. Even the $100 leap pad tablet I bought for my daughter for Christmas has 5Ghz wireless.

wow it actually doesnt have 5GHz? sad. even more reason to go wired. even a stable 2.4 network has jitter on a consistent basis. horrific for gaming

I never knew about this until I tried connecting it to my 5 GHz network and it wasn't in the list.

I never even thought it wouldn't support 5 GHz wireless, being as its rival the X1 does and my old Motorola Xoom and Samsung Galaxy Nexus do too.

 

[gripped]

Talk about weird

Tried RT-N66U_3.0.0.4_374.38_1-em (factory settings except add wifi password) and everything worked on the PS4.

Tried RT-N66U_3.0.0.4_374.38_1 again and everything worked !!

Yesterday I switched several times back and forth between phone 3g + wifi, LAN and router wifi and the router wifi did not work once for online play until I downgraded as I said ??

Never mind it works now.
I sorry if I've wasted anyones time but more of mine was wasted

Not a complete loss though as at least I got a valuable lesson in parenting.
(One graduated from university, one at university and one who regularly gets 16+ killstreaks in COD)

I'll stick with RT-N66U_3.0.0.4_374.38_1 for now.
Thanks again for the firmware.

 

[przemekwawa]

I have PS4 for 2 days, and after upgrading do PS4 firmware 1.71, every time when I try to download update to games etc. it says that has problem with DNS (error code: NW-31250-1). I found some information that changing on PS4 DNS to google 8.8.8.8 will help. It works but not everytime. It is strange, probably PS4 has some bugs in firmware. I tried using parental control to redirect DNS to google, but it doesnt work. Only changing on ps4...
Do anyone has similar problems? On weekend I will make additional tests, maybe try with phone wifi or redirect connection through other device...