If you connect your PlayStation 5 to your network via Wi-Fi, you are likely to encounter network issues sooner or later. Whether your PS5 isn’t connecting to Wi-Fi, or your network performance is generally suffering, you can fix these issues.
Follow these steps to diagnose and fix problems with your PS5’s Wi-Fi connection. Most of them will also help you fix internet problems if you are using Ethernet to connect.
1. Check the connection of your other devices
When the PS5 starts having network problems, you should first check the computers, phones, and other consoles on your home network. If your internet problem affects everything, follow our guide to diagnosing internet problems at home. The steps in these instructions should fix all your problems, including PS5 Wi-Fi issues. Internet problems at the home level are not rooted in your PlayStation.
If the problem is only with your PlayStation 5 and everything else is working fine, then continue with the troubleshooting steps below.
2. Restart your PS5 and network device
If you did any troubleshooting before, you should know that restarting all affected devices is an important first step. Rebooting can fix minor issues, and it’s smart to do it first so you don’t waste time on more intense steps for no reason.
First, the PS5 must be completely restarted. To do this, click PlayStation button again to open the quick menu at the bottom of the screen. Scroll all the way to the right, select Energyand choose Restart PS5. This will turn your PS5 off completely, then turn it back on again.
Alternatively, you can use the physical power button on the front of your PS5 to turn it off. On the standard PS5 model, the Energy The button is closest to the bottom of the console. On PlayStation 5 Digital Edition, there is no Directed by Button due to lack of drive, so the file Energy The button is the only one.
Either way, press and hold Energy button on your PS5. When you hear one beep, hold it down until you hear a second beep, then let go. This will turn off your PS5 and turn off the overhead lights. If you see orange lights, your PS5 is in rest mode and hasn’t shut down completely – turn it back on and try again. Putting your system to sleep is not enough for troubleshooting.
If restarting the PS5 does not solve the problem, restart the router and modem (if you have an installed unit, restart it). Some models have a physical power switch that you can turn off; If it’s not available on your devices, unplug them for a minute or two, then plug them back in. Try to reconnect to the Internet once everything is connected again.
3. Confirm your Wi-Fi network details
If you are not able to connect your PS5 to Wi-Fi at all, then you should make sure that you enter the correct network credentials. There is a possibility that you mistyped the password, or that someone else with access to the network changed it.
To enter your network details again, select Settings From the top right of the PS5 main menu. then go to Network > Settings. Make sure you have Get online Enabled, then select Internet connection setting.
under the list Networks found, select Wi-FI Connection and enter your network’s Wi-Fi password. Make sure you choose the right network, especially if there are a lot of options on the list.
Make sure you type the password correctly. If he’s still not connected, and someone else is running the network in your home, ask him if he’s set a new password recently.
After connecting, if you want to change other options, press X With your Wi-Fi connection selected below Registered networks and choose Advanced Settings. Most of these are not relevant, but as an additional troubleshooting step you can try using an alternate DNS server for your PS5 under DNS settings.
4. Run the PlayStation 5 Network Test
The PS5 includes a built-in test that attempts to connect to the Internet and connect to the PlayStation Network (PSN), and then lets you see the results. If you’re still not sure why your PS5 won’t connect to the internet, you should turn this on.
To perform a network test, head over to Settings > Network > Connection Status. Choose Internet connection test Here for a new check.
Here’s what the steps in this test mean:
- Get an IP address: If that goes through, your PS5 will be connected to your router and successfully obtained an IP address.
- Internet connection: When that works, your console can connect to the Internet.
- Sign in to PlayStation Network: This last step ensures that you can connect to PSN to enjoy online games and other services.
- connection speed: These should be in the ballpark for the speed you get from your ISP. If it is too low, then either your system has a weak Wi-Fi signal or there is a lot of other activity on your network.
If your PS5 is online but not connected to PSN, you may need to forward ports on your router so your console can access PSN services. This can happen if your system is connected to an enterprise network, such as in college. You may need to speak with your network administrator if you want to connect at your university.
If one of the other two checks fails, go to the general network troubleshooting guide linked earlier.
After performing this test, you may want to continue running the PS5 Connection Wizard Sony PlayStation Repairs Page. Select your console and issue from the initial screen, then it will walk you through some troubleshooting steps to hopefully solve it. Most of these tips are the same as the ones we mentioned here, but trying out a Sony tool may help you pick up something you’ve overlooked.
5. Move your PlayStation closer to your router
Wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi are subject to interference and only cover a certain distance before the signal deteriorates. To check how solid your PS5’s Wi-Fi connection to your router is, go to Settings> Network> Connection Status> View Connection Status and find Signal strength area. If it is below 80% or so, you should take steps to improve this strength.
If possible, physically move the PS5 close to your router. Avoid having either device near common sources of interference, such as microwaves or baby monitors. And remember that thick surfaces such as concrete severely impede radio signals.
For more detailed help, check out our guide to improving router speed.
6. Stop other network activities and review your internet plan
Your home network only has a lot of bandwidth, so if there is a lot of other heavy activity, PS5 network performance will be affected. Stop any other devices in your house that are downloading or uploading large files, 4K video streams, torrenting or the like. This should free up bandwidth for your PS5 to perform at its best.
If nothing else is happening on your network and your PS5 is still experiencing poor network performance, your internet plan may not be enough to meet your needs. Read about what your internet speed should be to see if you need to upgrade.
And remember that even with a solid internet plan, poor network equipment will be a bottleneck. You may want to consider purchasing a new router and/or modem. If it’s been years since you upgraded to a standard that supports modern standards, you’ll be surprised at how much it helps with speed and reliability.
7. Check your PSN and ISP for outages
At this point, you have ruled out most minor issues and improved the PS5’s connection to your network. You should now check if the problem lies somewhere else along the line – although this rarely happens, your PSN might be down.
Go to PSN service status page On any device to take a look. If something is wrong, you will see a message about it here.
You should also check your ISP for outages. If you are still unable to connect to the internet normally, use mobile data on your phone. Then you can log into your account with your ISP and check their status page for issues in your area, or try a site like Downdetector To check for recent reports of problems. You can call your ISP and tell them the problem, but you are likely to talk to a bot.
In case someone else has issues, there isn’t much you can do other than wait for Sony or your ISP to fix the problem.
8. Connect with Ethernet cable
Here we’ve focused on fixes for PS5 Wi-Fi problems, but it’s worth noting that you can work around your wireless connections by using an Ethernet cable instead. With a wired connection to your PS5, you’ll enjoy faster speeds and a more reliable connection.
Whether you can connect your PS5 to your router with an Ethernet cable depends on your home setup. In some cases, you may be able to buy a long cable and lay it along the edges of the rooms of your house. If this is not possible, consider purchasing powerline adapters, which run the Pseudo-Ethernet network through the power lines in your home.
Wi-Fi is convenient, but that’s its only real benefit over wired connections. Connecting your PS5 to your network, if possible, avoids a lot of Wi-Fi instability issues.
Get your PS5 back online
With these tips, you can fix PS5 network problems when Wi-Fi won’t work. They will help you reconnect if your console is not online, or correct any reliability issues.
Once your PS5 is ready to go again, make sure you get the most out of its lesser-known features.
