If you've connected your PlayStation 5 to your network via Wi-Fi, chances are that you'll run into network problems sooner or later. Whether your PS5 won't connect to Wi-Fi, or network performance suffers in general, you can fix these issues.
Follow the below steps in order to diagnose and resolve issues with your PS5's Wi-Fi connection.
1. Check Your Other Devices
When your PS5 starts having network issues, you should first check other computers, phones, and consoles on your home network. If the issue is affecting everything, follow our guide to diagnosing home internet problems. The steps in that walkthrough should patch up all your problems, including your PS5's Wi-Fi issues.
In case the problem is only with your PlayStation 5 and everything else works fine, continue on with the troubleshooting steps below.
2. Reboot Your PS5 and Network Equipment
If you've done any troubleshooting before, you should know that rebooting all affected devices is an important first step. Restarting can clear up minor issues, and it's smart to do it first so you don't waste time on more intensive steps for no reason.
First, you should fully restart your PS5. To do this, you'll need to be on the main menu; hit the PlayStation button on your controller to open it if you're in a game.
Then hit the PlayStation button again to open the quick menu at the bottom of the screen. Scroll all the way to the right, select Power, and choose Restart PS5. This will fully shut down your PS5, then turn it back on.
Alternatively, you can use the physical power button on the front of your PS5 to shut it down. On the standard PS5 model, the Power button is the one closer to the bottom of the console. On the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition, there's no Eject button given the lack of a disc drive, so the Power button is the only one.
Either way, press and hold the Power button on your PS5. When you hear one beep, continue holding it until you hear a second beep, then let go. This will fully shut down your PS5 and turn off its top lights. If you see orange lights, the PS5 is in rest mode and didn't shut down fully—turn it back on and try this again.
If rebooting your PS5 doesn't fix the problem, restart your router and modem (if you have a combination unit, reboot that). Some models have a physical power switch you can turn off; if that's not available, unplug them for a minute or two, then plug them back in.
3. Confirm Your Wi-Fi Network Details
If you haven't been able to connect your PS5 to Wi-Fi at all, you should next make sure that you have the correct credentials. There's a chance that you mistyped the password, or someone else with access to the network changed it.
To enter your network details again, select the Settings gear from the top-right of your PS5's main menu. Then go to Network > Settings. Make sure you have Connect to the Internet enabled, then select Set Up Internet Connection.
Under the list of Networks found, select your Wi-FI connection and enter your network's Wi-Fi password. Make sure you type the password correctly. If it still doesn't connect, and someone else manages the network in your home, see if they set a new password recently.
After connecting, if you'd like to change other options, press the X button with your connection highlighted under Registered networks and choose Advanced Settings. Most of these won't generally apply, but as an additional troubleshooting step, you can try using an alternative DNS server for your system under DNS Settings.
4. Run the PlayStation 5's Network Test
The PS5 includes a built-in test that tries to get online and connect to the PlayStation Network (PSN), then lets you know the results. If you're still not sure why your PS5 won't get online, you should run this.
To go through the network test, head to Settings > Network > Connection Status. Select Test Internet Connection here to run a new check.
Here's what the steps in this test mean:
- Obtain IP address: If this passes, your PS5 connected to your router and got an IP address successfully.
- Internet connection: When this succeeds, your console is able to get online.
- PlayStation Network sign-in: This final step makes sure you can connect to PSN to enjoy online games and other services.
- Connection speed: These should be in the ballpark of the speed you get from your ISP. If they're extremely low, your system likely has a weak Wi-Fi signal.
If your PS5 is online but won't connect to PSN, you may need to forward ports on your router so that your console can access PSN services. If one of the other two checks failed, walk through the general network troubleshooting guide linked earlier.
After you do this test, you might want to walk through the PlayStation Fix & Connect wizard. Select your problem from the initial screen, then it will walk you through some troubleshooting steps to hopefully resolve it. Most of these are the same tips we mention here, but trying Sony's tool might help you catch something you overlooked.
5. Move Your PlayStation Closer to Your Router
Wireless technologies like Wi-Fi are susceptible to interference and only cover a certain distance before their signal degrades. 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 the Signal strength field. If it's below 80% or so, you should take steps to improve this strength.
If possible, move your PS5 physically closer to your router. Avoid having either device near common sources of interference, like microwaves or baby monitors. And remember that thick surfaces like concrete heavily impede wireless signals.
6. Stop Other Network Activity and Review Your Internet Plan
Your home network only has so much bandwidth, so if there's a lot of other heavy activity going on, your PS5's network performance will suffer. Stop any other devices in your house that are downloading or uploading large files, streaming high-res video, or similar. This should free up bandwidth for your PS5 to perform at its best.
In case nothing else is happening on your network and your PS5 still suffers from poor network performance, your internet plan might be insufficient for your needs. Read up on how fast your internet speed should be to figure out if you need to upgrade.
And remember that even with a strong internet plan, lousy network equipment can act as a bottleneck. You might need to consider a new router from a trusted manufacturer as well.
7. Check PSN and Your ISP for Outages
At this point, you've ruled out most minor issues and have improved your PS5's connection to your network. You should now check whether the issue lies somewhere else along the line—though it's rare, PSN could be down.
Head to the PSN Service Status page on any device to have a look. If anything is wrong, you'll see a message about it here.
You should also check your ISP for outages. Using mobile data on your phone, you can log into your account with your ISP and check its status page for issues in your area, or try a site like Downdetector to check for recent reports of problems. You can contact your ISP and let them know about the issue, but you'll probably talk to a robot.
In case of issues on someone else's end, there's not much you can do aside from waiting for Sony or your ISP to fix the problem.
8. Connect With an Ethernet Cable
We've focused on fixes for PS5 Wi-Fi problems here, but it's worth mentioning that you can resolve the hassles of wireless connections by using an Ethernet cable instead. With a wired connection for 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 might be able to buy a long cable and snake it along the edges of your house's rooms. If this isn't feasible, consider buying powerline adapters, which run a pseudo-Ethernet network over the power lines in your house.
Wi-Fi is convenient, but that's its only real benefit over wired connections. Wiring, if at all possible, avoids a lot of the instability problems Wi-Fi can have.
Get Your PS5 Back Online
With these tips, you can fix PS5 network issues when your Wi-Fi isn't working. They'll help you reconnect if your console won't go online, or patch up any reliability issues.
Once your PS5 is ready to go again, make sure you're getting the most out of its lesser-known features.
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