Topic: I have a problem that no one seems to be able to fix or even find what the issue is

Hello all! I have been having issues with my PS3 for somewhere ranging from a couple days to potentially months, I'm not really sure. I have spent a lot of time with Sony's customer support and no one has been able to fix this, so I'm hoping someone might have any idea about what it is.

Here's the story. So I noticed about 2 days ago that I could not connect to PSN with my PS3. With the latest PS3 patch, we now need a generated password to acces the PS3's PSN. When this update (4.89), everything went right at first. I could normally generate a password and use it to get online. Fast foward to about 3 days ago. It had been about two months since I've last gone online on that console, so I don't exactly know when this stared, but the same generated password, set to be remembered by the console, would not work to sign in. Okay, I'll generate a new one. Still doesn't work, all I get is the typical screen that says to go to the site to generate a new password. Confused, I call the Playstation Client Support. They tell me that the problem is most likely that either not all or some port are unopened on my router and to call my Internet provider to open them. Then, they tell me that after this is done (I've got the specific ports by the way, there's just no point to listing them), to boot up the Ps3's Safe Mode and to restore my PS3 to it's default settings. So I do just that. Worked my way with my Internet provider for the ports, and reset my PS3. Nothing, it doesn't work.

The next day, I call Playstation Support again. This time, I spent around 2 and a half hours with one guy, who was really nice by the way, to figure out the issue. We did everything together. Get new passwords generated, resetting my ps3 to it's default settings again and even Restore the Database of the PS3 via the Safe Mode screen. Nothing worked. I was told by him that he just doesn't know what the problem is and that he cannot help me.

Weirdest of all, in my opinion, is that my PS3 can find my router and connect to the Internet. In fact, I can go on, say, Google with it and open some browser pages and, well, browse the Internet. I just cannot sign in on PSN. Also, my PS4's sign in works. However... I've beeen having some weird trouble with the PS4 as well. For about 2 months now, I have been having issues sending and receiving messages to/from other players, even from people in my Friend's list Sometime, I have to send a message 4 or 5 times before it goes through. Now, I'm seriously thinking that those two events are related, somehow. Both of my console are acting weird at around the same time, this cannot be a coincidence! I don't think it's really in the realm of possibility that they are both breaking/having issues at the same time. I'm seriously thinking those two event are related to one another.

Here are some things that might be noteworthy as well:

-I Rebuilt the Database on my PS4 about a month ago and did this not change anything for the messages being hard to send/receive.
-My PS4 sometimes just loses the Wi-Fi for anywhere ranging from a split-second to a couple minutes about 4 to 5 times weekly
-Neither console have ever been repaired nor modified. They all have the factory pieces and were NOT bought from someone else. They came in the box, from an official distributor.
-All of my other peripherals, like my Laptop or Phone have had no issue with my Wi-Fi and Router.

Does anyone have ANY idea of what is happening here? Because I cannot afford a new PS3 right now, especially considering I don't even know if my PS3 is the problem or my Wi-Fi, or even something more far-fetched.

The only thing I can realistically do is borrow my brother's PS3 in order to check if he can connect to his account at my place. If he can connect to PSN at his place and not mine, then I will know my Router's probably the problem, but if he can connect at both, I don't know what to make of it. Would it be a defective piece at that moment and is it even repairable?

Anyhow, thanks for reading this thing! I truly hope somebody can shed some light on this situation and I'm also curious if anything similar has ever happened to any of you guys. Major thanks in advance!

-Zerima

I'm sorry to hear you are having this much trouble with your ps3 and 4, i'm also sorry cause i really have no idea how to help cause i also can't put my finger on the problem , but i think the wisest thing to do now is to ask your brother for his ps3 and check as you said, although you said all your other devices never had a problem with the router or the wifi in general, i kinda have a feeling that it's the wifi after all (maybe im just reflecting cause i've had -and sometimes still do- issues with my ps4 appearing offline and not loading my friends list unless i go to the friends tab and wait for the list to load although my mobile and laptop 've good wifi).. but anyway it's just a feeling after all .. hope you get to figure this out soon, good luck.

@Zerima Sounds to me like you have an router issue, especially as you are having PSN issues with your PS3 and PS4.

Have you tried tethering your PS3 to your phone via mobile hotspot and then try generating a password that way?

I don't know if you can do this easily but maybe try connect the consoles to the router via Ethernet cable to see if they work as it should.

@Zerima I don’t have much to add regarding your PS3 other than to say (like others have mentioned) it does sound like maybe a router thing. I’m not very technically knowledgeable, but I know some routers have security protocols and perhaps your router has had an update that increased its security so that it’s not allowing PSN access. There may be some router settings to play with which could help. That’s my very uneducated response so take it for what it’s worth.

In that scenario of it being a router issue, I do think experimenting with taking your PS3 to your brothers house (or vice versa) will be a good way to narrow it down.

I do have a response to your PS4 dropping connection though, and I have had a weird issue with mine lately that I’ll share, and it may not apply to yours. My PS4 has started dropping connection to my DualShock4 controller. After a short time of use the Bluetooth connection to the controller drops and the system becomes unresponsive. Trying to hardwire connect or trying to connect another controller doesn’t help and I have to manually shut down the console with the power button. Through some research online I found that the WiFi antenna and the Bluetooth signal come from the same component in the console and so PS4’s occasionally have issues with this and it will result in only connecting to either Bluetooth or WiFi, but not both simultaneously. It’s weird. But when I disable my internet connection first, then my controller will stay connected for the entire play session (potentially for several hours) without issue. Or, if I hardwire connect the controller from the beginning to the console then I can use internet connection and it will work fine that way. I have to change the settings to tell the console to use the cable rather than BT when hardwired, and I have to use my second generation controller (the original controllers can’t send info through the hardwire) but it’s a work around to keep both controller and WiFi working at the same time. It feels awkward to play with a cord connected to the console (feels like I’m way back in the PS2 days!) but at least it allows me to be online. Fortunately I don’t play much online so I can survive this way.

I doubt your issue is the same, but I thought I’d share this nugget of info since it seems to be common, yet poorly understood in the online community out there.

Troubleshoot the router and let us know how it goes! 😄

@nitram2k11 Thanks for the suggestion, I will try this once a get a new phone for sure. My phone is currently a decade old so there's no way it can do that at the moment but I am changing this month to a new one so I will try this after I try my brother's PS3 connection first

@TheNomadLad Thank for the kind words. I'm also thinking it'S the WiFi. Everyone here seems to do as well... I'll try my brother's ps3 next time I see him, then I'll try rebooting the router or troubleshooting it. That's pretty much all I can do for now; try to pinpoint where the problem lies

@belmont Thank you for the suggestion but I did already consider that, not that I mentionned it in the message prior. It's not possible for me to do this as I lack the ethernet cable for one and that the router is in a hard to access spot. It's not like, fully out of reach, I just don't see myself being able to connect a wire to it and bringing it over to my room, even if it's only a room away...

@Th3solution This is some really interesting info! I don't think this related to my problem because I don't have any issue with my controllers and WiFi at the same time. I can still go online with my controllers unplugged on PS4, or browse, say, Youtube. Also, when resetting the PS3 to the default settings, you have to plug in the controllers as they aren't synced to the system anymore. So what I did while enterring the new password is to keep em plugged anyway, so that wouldn't make much sense to be the problem. Not that I don't appreciate the response mind you, so thank you! Might as well mention this, I don't plan on rebooting/troubleshooting my router unitl I have tested my Brother's ps3 connectivity. I want the router to stay at the same connectivity level as I test this, if it makes any sense.

I will update this topic in a week or two, depending on when I get my hand on his PS3. Again, thanks to all who replied!