PSN Networking Explained
PSN Networking Explained and some useful links for gaming problemsThe PSN network can be pretty iffy and hard to approach for a new user. This guide explains some of the basic principles of getting online and some specific issues with games and setup.
Contents
1. Basic Networking1.1 Broadband
1.2 Wired or Wireless
1.3 Wireless Networking
1.4 Router Features2. Setting it up
3. Common Wireless Problems
3.1 Poor Signal
3.2 Security protection4. Gaming
4.1 General Issues with gaming connection 4.1.1 Port forwarding
4.1.2 Setting up a static IP address 4.2 Specific Issues with games Warhawk
FIFA 08
Rainbow 6 Vegas
PES 2008
COD 45. Media Streaming
1. Basic Networking
1.1 Broadband
For a basic PSN connection you will first need broadband, now this can be via ADSL (telephone lines) or Cable (dedicated fibreoptic connection). Now this area can be very confusing as there are a myriad of Internet Service Providers (ISP) and tbh there simply is no best one. The nature of the internet is that it fluctuates a lot, most connection speeds are not guaranteed and the complexity can be that one user on a provider will have a completely different experience to another. The most useful link is: -
http://www.thinkbroadband.com/
This is a great website with a lot of resources on most of the big name providers. If you don't want to spend a lot, then go cheap, but you may end up with a flaky provider or low download limits. The general rule of thumb is that you pay for what you get, a higher per month price, usually reflects the quality of service from support, general network status and ability to download more.
One factor you may want to consider if money is not an issue, is to look for providers which offer higher upload speeds than normal. So this would be 512Kb/sec and above, this speed increase means you can host more players on the games you may play online, this will make you very popular with your clanmates and buddies data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7 as it guarantees a smoother experience for all.
BE Internet currently have a very good reputation and offer huge upload speeds for UK users, around 2.5 mb/sec. Try www.bethere.co.uk. Other specific ISP information is be wary of the larger providers like PIPEX, Virgin, Tiscali etc. They are starting to implement Traffic Shaping, which essentially means that during peak hours, evenings and weekends, they limit P2P traffic, unfortunately this also includes gaming traffic on the PSN, so often you will find your connection is limited or cut out all together.
1.2 Wired or Wireless
The next choice, once you have selected an ISP, is to go wired or wireless. A lot of ISPs will provide a router to go with their connections. In basic english, a router does what it says on the tin, it takes internet traffic that you transfer from your PS3, PC etc. and routes it to the correct device. This allows you to connect multiple devices to one internet connection, meaning that your girlfriends facebook addiction will not get in the way of you fragging some n00bs! It can be a good option (if you have the choice) to choose a wireless router as this gives you a lot of flexibility, as all wireless routers have wired ports as well. Be careful of providers that offer single port Router/Modems, these only allow one connection and will more than likely be useless to you.
The PS3 (at current release) can be connected to your router via a wired connection or wireless, in the future this may change. Personally, I would recommend, that if you can, a wired connection is far more preferable, as this is the easiest to set up (you just plug it in) and also a lot quicker and not susceptible to problems with range and frequencies. Also, just in case you do not have a PC at home, then this will be your only option as wireless routers generally need to be configured from a PC.
Wireless is very useful for when your telephone point and connected router is just physically too far away and you do not want cables trailing your whole house. It is more complicated to set-up and can initially seem very confusing. The next section will deal with specific wireless issues, as wired is extremely simple!
1.3 Wireless Networking
Wireless Networking is not really for the feint hearted, there are massive steps being made in wireless networking and making it very consumer friendly, however, it still does require some knowledge if things go wrong. If you did not receive a wireless router with your ISP, or you wish to upgrade from a wired-only router, then your first question is what do I want? Again, this is very confusing. Websites that I have used and recommend are: -
http://www.broadbandbuyer.co.uk/
http://www.dsl-warehouse.co.uk/
There are tonnes of features that a router can have and trying to battle your way through all of them can be daunting. Again, general rule of thumb is that the following brands are usually fairly trustworthy (I have used all them myself apart from Linksys):-
Belkin
D-Link
Linksys
Netgear (there have been some issues with these routers and WPA).
US Robotics
There is very little between these manufacturers. Again the general rule of thumb is you get what you pay for, lower priced routers will have less features and sometimes short-cut features (they may advertise they support something, but they do it in a non-standard way, which may cause problems). From personal experience I would not recommend cheap manufacturers such as Zyxel for this reason. On the other end of the scale, a supplier like Draytek is very expensive and although great peices of kit are really for business users.
Another solution to look at is Homeplugs, these plug into your mains socket and allow your router to speak to a connected device similar to a wired connection. They are an extra cost, but can get around many of difficulties of signal strength and security protection.
http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=517960
1.4 Router Features
Some router features are necessary (they are shared somewhat with wired routers as well). These are detailed below (NOTE I will not really cover speeds as you cannot buy slower wireless speeds anymore, unless it is 2nd Hand):-
WPA/WPA2 - Wi-Fi Protected Access. This is a form of security for protecting your wireless connection. It works by you supplying a key/password to your router, this then means that you have to put this key/password in every device you connect to it. It basically replaced WEP.
WEP - Wired Equivalent Privacy. The pre-cursor to WPA/WPA2. Now generally you will only use one or the other. WPA is preferred as it is more secure. However, for home use, it is fine if you use only WEP. In fact, there are some problems with some routers, that may cause connection issues when using WPA, due to the way it is has been implemented on each device. If you have connection issues, try using WEP.
Firewall - Most routers these days have in-built hardware firewall. This is a cool sounding name, for a very boring feature of network protection. It's role is simply to stop all unwanted traffic saying hello to devices on your networks, it is very important to stop your PC being "haxxored" by script kiddies. Your average teenager who is bored on their PC.
NAT - Network Address Translation. Now this is quite important, this means that your router can forward all traffic properly to the correct place.
Port Forwarding - This is a feature used to help applications/games connect, when NAT fails them. Basically, it means that you can tell your router where to send all information received on a port to a certain device on your network. Don't worry if this sounds confusing, it normally is and will be a little clearer in a mo.
DMZ - De-Militarised Zone. This is essentially a last measure when you have lost all your hair trying to get some stupid shooting game to work so you can kill your friends. It essentially, means that you tell your router to remove all restrictions on traffic to the device.
UPNP - Universal Plug N Play. This feature is fairly new and still doesn't seem to work that well, although it is getting a lot better. It is designed to take the headaches out of most the above networking, allowing your router to magically open and forward ports when requested by the PS3/PC. It is not uncommon for UPNP enabled routers to not be detected as UPNP compatible. You can check this when you test your internet connection on the PS3.
If your router supports all the above, then it will be able to cover pretty much any eventuality. Most of these features are now pretty standard, and may only be missed of cheap bargain bin routers.
2. Setting it up
The most important key here is RTFM (Read the Flipping Manual). Due to all the different combinations of ISPs and routers you can have, it is not possible to detail here what you can do. Read the guides that come with your ISP/Routers and you should be ok.
To set up the PS3 use these links:
Wired : http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps3/current/settings/connectwired.html
Wireless : http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps3/current/settings/connectwireless.html
3. Common Wireless Problems
3.1 Poor Signal
Positioning of your router can make a big difference, don't expect that because it is wireless you will get a good connection. Often wireless signal strengths through floors or thick walls will be significantly affected. Problems you will likely experience include flaky connection leading to frequent disconnects or even slower speeds.
The only remedies are to move either the router or the PS3, not really ideal. Look at Homeplugs as mentioned above in 1.3. Or knock a hole through your wall/floor, definately does not impress the wife!
3.2 Security protection
The reason you protect your network in the first place is to prevent people using it to access the internet. There is also limited risk that if you have set up file sharing on your PC, people can see those files when it is turned on. Don't worry about the PS3, it is not currently exposed to anything and should be quite safe with no protection.
Despite routers often saying they support WPA or WPA2, there can often be small details in the implementation, that will cause issues with other connecting devices. This will usually manifest itself in your PS3 point blankly refusing to connect to your router. You will see the router detected, but it may not accept the key/password and just fail with password errors. The best here is to remove WPA and try again, if it works you know the problem is with the protection. You can now try using WEP protection, which for home use is more than adequate. You can also read the manual and look for how to disable your SSID being broadcasted. This is a very simple solution that stops people being able to scan for your wireless router, you have to know the name of the wireless network to see it.
If you have to run your wireless with no protection, you may want to download a free software firewall for your PC or wire it to the router.
http://www.zonelabs.com
The worst case is that WPA cannot be changed like with BT Home Hubs, your only option is to wire it or use Homeplugs (see 1.3).
4. Gaming
You should now be the proud owner of a internet enabled PS3. You will likely enjoy the 3 hour process of updating your PS3, trying to wrangle with the PSN Store and entering in usernames you regret on the rubbish "yoof" style text keypad.
Generally, you should not see any further problems.
However, there are some game specific issues you may encounter, which might require some rolling up of sleeves and getting dirty!
4.1 General Issues with gaming connection
4.1.1 Port forwarding
If you are experiencing connection issues when you are trying to play online games then you can look at portforwarding on your PS3/router. Again, due to the amount of routers and different configurations there are, the following website is a useful tool to learn how to do this on your router:-
http://portforward.com/
For a description of how to set up your PS3 and common port rules for the PSN and some games, this is a useful site.
http://www.orpheusinternet.co.uk/support/ps3/index.html
Although, be careful with the instructions on how to assign your IP address to the PS3, these details are for Orpheus themselves and if you enter them they will not work (unless you are an Orpheus subscriber!). Assigning a static IP address can be useful if you want to port forward or set up a DMZ (this is explained below).
You can also place your PS3 in a DMZ, which allows all traffic to access it freely. Not recommended for a PC or security sensitive individual, however, the PS3 has a protected OS, which currently has no known hacks or viruses. You should be pretty safe. However, I do not really recommend this, as the situation could change one day and you may end up with a brick!
4.1.2 Setting up a static IP address
An IP address is the name (well number) that your PS3 has on the internal network, it is the address your router uses to send information to it. You can easily set up a static IP address using the following information.
IP Address - Your router manual will tell you the pool of IP addresses you can select, you can choose anyone, usually something like 192.168.0.2.
Subnet Mask - This will be 255.255.255.0.
Default Router - This is the IP address of your router.
Primary DNS and Secondary DNS - This is where it gets complicated, see below.
Default Router, Primary DNS and Secondary DNS can be hard to work out. They depend on your setup. This is where your PC comes in handy. Go to Start - Run and type in CMD. Press enter. You get the command prompt up. Type in ipconfig /all this will display a load of mumbo jumbo. However, in there will be the Default Gateway (Default Router) and two DNS addresses. Write these down on a bit of paper, then go put these in the appropriate slots on your PS3.
Now you have a static IP address, you can tell your router how to do complicated stuff with your PS3!
4.2 Specific Issues with games
This section will cover specific issues with games that are known about, please let myself or a mod know if there are any others so it can be updated.
Warhawk
There is a known issue with servers reporting they have slots, when in fact they are full. There is little you can do for this as it is a master server issue not a problem with your connection. A helpful tip I have discovered, is to favourite the servers you want to play on, then you have a smaller list to refresh, this at least quickens the time to refresh them and to check for player number changes.
There are also ranking issues and stat update issues. These have been recognised by the developer with an update to follow.
These problems are mostly resolved now - 23/11/07
FIFA 08
Initial reports have shown quite a few network problems with matchmaking games with other users. At the moment, it appears that the game will have problems with non-UPNP routers. Basically, two players each with a non-UPNP router will be unable to connect to each other. EA have not released any information on what ports are required to be open to prevent this. The best solution is to ensure UPNP is enabled (if possible) or place your PS3 in a DMZ.
Rainbow 6 Vegas
Lag and Voice Comms problems are rife in this game. Unfortunately, again it is a problem with the game itself. The best bet is to try and play with someone you know has a good upload speed to reduce lag for all players.
Pro Evolution Soccer 2008
The online system for this game is currently very fubarred! The lag is very bad. Unfortunately there are no ways to resolve this problem, and a patch has been promised from Konami, date unknown.
COD 4
There are issues with the master server, that Infinity Ward are aware of, resolution date unknown. These cause inability to get into games on popular game modes, loss of create a class names or even rank resets.
The following ports are recommended to be open if you have a complete lack of connection problem
3075 UDP
3074 UDP
This will not solve any other issues.
To help you get into a game, I recommend that you choose a less popular mode like Hardcore or Headquarters or Sabotage if you are really desperate. Also, if you do not find a game within around 30secs of "joining potential matches" restart the search. Either it will match you into a game quickly or not at all in my experience.
Also, if you have your rank reset, anecdoctal evidence is that try to join a Free For All game, connect, then quit all the way out to singleplayer and log back in. I have never tested, but it is reported to have worked.
5. Media Streaming
A great strength of the PS3 is the ability to stream data across the network from your PC, this means you can play music, view photos and watch video.
The simplest way to set this up is Windows Media Player. You will need at least version 11 on your PC, which you can download via MS Update in Windows XP and Vista. Make sure both your PC and PS3 are switched on and follow these instructions in Windows Media Player:-
* Click the arrow below the Library tab, and then click Media Sharing.
* In the Media Sharing dialog box, select the Share my media to check box.
* In the list of devices below the Share my media to check box, select a device.
* Do one of the following:
* If you want to share your media with the computer or device you have selected, click Allow.
* If you don't want to share your media with the computer or device you have selected, click Deny.Here is the link to the MS FAQ page:-
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/faq/sharing.mspx
Generally, once you have allowed the device, the best bet is to reset both the PC and the PS3, once they are loaded you should see your folders under the appropriate XMB heading. Another thing to bear in mind is that if you have multiple users on your PC and they have their own pictures etc. you will need to set up media sharing for each user.
The main problem with WMP 11 is that it does not support a lot of video files, to get around this you can use a product called tversity. Here is the link to the home page:-
http://www.tversity.com/home
Here is a good link for lots of information on streaming:-
http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=528713
A final note on streaming is that on wireless connections there can be problems with detection of media servers and also the speed of file transfer. It certainly will stutter if you decide to listen to music and look at photos at the same time. Unfortunately, wiring the connection is the best remedy. Or you may want to simply transfer the files over, however this will obviously take up space on the PS3. Hey people, I have written this guide, let me know what you think, anything I need to update it with!
Cheers
Not sure whether to include a general internet connection troubleshooting guide. Very Very helpfull you are the man!!!data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7 wow, thanks for taking time out to do that mate.
BTW, there is some informtion towards the back of the fifa 08 manual about ports, although the information is reagrding firewalls it might be of use, i'm a noob so i don't know ! data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7 I don't have FIFA, I only guessed from some posts I have seen, if you can put it up or point me a link I will update, I couldn't find anything on google! Thank you for this - most helpful, I look foward to updates as they become available, everything changes at such a speed.
Can you tell please if there are any known issues with streaming to PS3 with Windows Vista? Yes, great work mate. Well done. Top Post data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
I've bought a PS3 for Xmas so will no doubt head over here on December 25th data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7 Good post, thanks for taking the time to do it.
Mark. Thanks for the responses.....
Update with info on COD4 and PES2008
As for Vista issues I am not aware of any.