After a long hectic week, you might be playing Destiny 2 on PS4 with your gaming buddies. But the night can get easily spoiled if PS4 keeps dropping the Wi-Fi connection.
So, why is your PS4 releasing the network & what you can do to fix it right away?
To keep gaming without any Wi-Fi interruptions on your PS4 console, read this article and apply the tested fixes.
Let’s begin!
Why Does Your PS4 Keep Disconnecting from WiFi?
Your PS4 is dropping the Wi-Fi connection simultaneously due to a poor wifi signal, misconfigured router, or an overloaded network. Other factors, such as wrong DNS server settings, outdated PS4 or router firmware, etc., can also make the PS4 drop the WiFi network.
Here are the reasons behind your PS4 can’t hold the WiFi connection:
1. Weak Wi-Fi Signal
A weak wifi signal is the main culprit behind your PS4’s unstable internet. When you’re playing online games on PS4, you need a flawless internet connection.
If the wi-fi signal is poor, PS4 won’t hold that wireless network link and keeps dropping it. Besides, the signal gets weaker due to obstruction when the router is too far away.
2. Problem with Router Configuration
If the router is misconfigured, networking might drop. To get an uninterrupted network from the router, you must configure the router properly. However, outdated firmware can cause this networking issue too with your router.
3. Network Overloaded
Each thing has a breaking point; the router is not out of this. When you connect too many devices with the router’s WiFi signal, the router might not handle the load and drop the signal. That’s why the router can’t provide a strong network connection to the PS4.
4. Wrong DNS Settings on PS4
The DNS server helps to link your PlayStation 4 to the internet. So, if that DNS setting is wrongly configured, the console will fail to connect to the internet and might drop the network signal.
Moreover, due to wrong modification, the DNS server can’t translate domain names into IP addresses and lose the internet connection.
5. Outdated PS4 Firmware
Backdated firmware on Playstation 4 can cause many issues, and Wifi disconnected randomly might be one of them. That’s why software updates roll to the devices to fix issues like this. So, check your PS4 firmware version.
So, these are common factors behind your PS4 suffering from an unstable internet connection. For an unsteady network, you might face error code WS-44949-0 and be unable to sign into the PlayStation Network (PSN). But you can fix it by applying some quick methods.
How to Fix WiFi Keeps Disconnecting Issues in PS4
To fix this Wifi signal disconnection issue in PlayStation 4, restart the router and ensure there is not much gap between the router and the console. If the router’s firmware is outdated, update it asap and check the console’s firmware too. Also, modify the DNS to the proper settings.
Here are the methods to fix the WiFi dropping in PlayStation 4:
1. Restart the Router & the Console
You can restart the router & the console if your PS4 releases the internet connection frequently. Restarting the router fixes many problems, including the wifi dropping issue. To restart, turn off the router and unplug the power cord.
To turn off the console, hold the PS button on the console for two to three seconds to open the Quick Menu. Go to Power > Turn Off PS4.
Unplug the PS4 power cable, wait for a few minutes, and then plug both devices’ power cords again.
Now turn on the router and the PS4. The wifi signal should get stable by now.
2. Shorten Router and Console Distance
If restarting the router & the console didn’t solve the WiFi disconnecting issue, check whether there is a big distance between the router & the console. A long distance between the router and the connected device might create an unstable network problem.
To sort this out, you must narrow the gap between your PS4 and the router. If you live in a complex living space, you can use a strong wifi signal extender to solve this problem.
3. Test Internet Connection from PS4
Sometimes slow or abnormal internet causes wifi disconnect issues on PS4. You will get low bandwidth if there is a connection problem in your locality. So, perform an internet connection test from your console.
- Go to PS4 Settings > Network.
- Select the Test Internet Connection option.
Now, the network test will start, and it will take a minute or two. The test result will show the Successful status of Obtaining IP address, Internet Connection, and Network Sign-in. The result also shows download and upload speed.
If there is any unsuccessful status or low download-upload speed, contact the ISP.
4. Change the WiFi Frequency from the Router
If you’re using the original PS4 and setting your router frequency to 5GHz, the console will face an unstable network connectivity issue. The fact is, not all PS4 models support 5GHz frequency. Only the PS4 Pro and Slim models support 5GHz Wifi signals.
So, if you own a PS4 original model, you must change your router frequency to 2.4GHz.
5. Edit PS4 DNS Settings
Wrong DNS settings will result in an internet connection dropping issue in the PS4 console. So check if your DNS server settings from the PlayStation console is okay. If not, you must edit the DNS settings properly.
- Go to PS4 Settings > Network > Set Up Internet Connection.
- Select the Use Wi-Fi option because you’re dealing with WiFi issues. You can select Use a LAN option if you have connected the PS4 with an ethernet cable.
- Choose Custom and select your WiFi.
- Select Automatic for IP Address Settings.
- Set Do Not Specify for DHCP Host Name.
- Choose Manual for DNS Settings.
- Set any of the following DNS settings for the Primary and Secondary DNS. And check which one works best for you.
| DNS Provider | Primary DNS | Secondary DNS |
|---|---|---|
| 8.8.8.8 | 8.8.4.4 | |
| Cloudflare | 1.1.1.1 | 1.0.0.1 |
| Quad9 | 9.9.9.9 | 149.112.112.112 |
| OpenDNS | 208.67.222.222 | 208.67.220.220 |
After setting the perfect DNS for your PS4, you shouldn’t face the frequent Wi-Fi dropping issue on your PlayStation console.
6. Update Router’s Firmware
Furthermore, if your router runs on the old firmware, there might be many problems. Network interruptions are common if you haven’t updated the router firmware for a long time. So, go to router settings and update the firmware to the latest version.
After updating it, the router will restart. Next, check whether the problem still exists or not.
7. Update PS4 Firmware
Updating the PS4 firmware always solves many issues and bugs on the console. Many users found this WiFi disconnecting issue solved after they updated the PS4 firmware to the latest version. Here’s how to do that:
- Launch PS4 Settings > System Software Update.
- Select the Next button if there is an update automatically downloaded.
- Choose the Update button.
After selecting the option, the updating process begins, and waits until the update is fully installed. After updating, the console will restart and then check the Wi-Fi connection is stable. I bet updating the firmware will surely solve the issue.
8. Restore PS4 to the Default Settings
Some configurations might create wifi disconnecting issues on your PS4. So, if you don’t know which settings changes did this, you can restore the PS4 to the default one. Don’t get worried because restoring the console won’t cause any issues or delete any installed games.
But saved games might get affected. However, fixing the network issue is the priority. So, let’s see how to restore the PS4 to the default settings.
- Turn off the PS4.
- Press and hold the power button until the system beeps for the second time.
- Release the power button.
- Connect the Dualshock 4 controller via the USB cable and press the PS button. You’ll be in the PS4’s Safe Mode screen,
- Select the no. 4 Restore Default Settings option.
Once the restoring settings are completed, check if the WiFi signal is stable. If you want to rebuild the database of the PS4, you can apply that from the PS4 Safe Mode. Choose the no. 5 option, which is Rebuild Database.
9. Connect PS4 with LAN Cable
If nothing works out for you and still the wireless network drops frequently, it’s time to use an ethernet cable. There is a LAN port on the back of the console. Use an ethernet cable and connect your PS4 directly to the router for an internet connection. Apply these steps afterward:
- Go to Settings > Network > Set Up Internet Connection.
- Select Use a LAN option if you have connected the PS4 with an ethernet cable.
- Input the required Wifi details and test the internet connectivity.
I bet this is the ultimate solution to fix Wifi dropping issues on your PS4. This will resolve the network issue for sure.
FAQs
Why does my PS4 console keep disconnecting from WiFi?
Your PS4 frequently disconnects from the wireless connection due to network congestion, poor wifi signal, long-range network obstruction, or outdated firmware. However, a misconfigured router or overloaded network might initiate this too.
How can I fix an unstable Internet connection on PS4?
To fix that, you can reboot the console. Simply turn off the PS4 and turn it on after a few minutes. Also, move the router closer to the console. You can also restart the router or update both the router and the console’s firmware.
What DNS should I use for PS4?
For a faster internet experience, you can use Google’s Public DNS settings. Go to Settings > Network and head to the manual DNS settings. For the Google DNS server, enter 8.8.8.8 for Primary DNS and 8.8.4.4 for Secondary DNS.
Bottom Line
Without a proper stable internet, you won’t be able to play any online games on your PS4 console. Frequent net connection drops will spoil the gameplay and ruin your day. That’s why I came up with this article, to fix this annoying problem and make your day shine.
I believe you have already solved the networking disconnecting issue in your PS4. Please drop a comment below if you need further help.
