PS3 and WRT54G Linksys router - I can't connect!

Aizawa

Hi!

Ever since I bought my PS3, I haven't been able to connect to my wireless network - every time I want to play online I need to have a network cable across the whole apartment!
I have a Linksys WRT54G router, and since I didn't set it up (my father did, who is quite tech savvy but doesn't know why I can't connect with my PS3) I don't know the details. I do know that UPnP is not enabled, it uses DHCP, and it uses WPA encryption (From what I've seen there are different types of WPA, but I at least know it's not WPA2).
I know this is not a lot to go by, but perhaps it gives you any ideas. It's broadcasting the SSID, and when scanning my PS3 finds it, it just can't connect.

Lots of people seem to be having trouble with connecting their PS3 to the WRT54G, but the solutions are different from case to case, and I can't see any pattern.
If I can think of any other information I will edit it in. Also, we have 8 computers that can connect to it flawlessly, of varying operating systems and hardware.

Thanks in advance, and I apologize for my English.

Mugsley

A few general things to check:

Can you connect if you disable WPA?

Does it prompt you to enter the WPA password when you attempt to connect via PS3, or does it just time/crap out?

Do you have MAC filtering enabled on the router?


You basically want to start with all the security disabled and attempt to connect. Then you slowly add layers of security (reconnecting along the way) until you reach your desired level of securty.

Possibly ask your dad about putting Tomato on the WRT?

Aizawa

We haven't tried to disable WPA, largely because my dad is very much against the idea of doing that. He has worked a lot with network security, and as a result he's terribly paranoid about this stuff even at home.

I have never seen a PS3 prompt you for a password, but what happens is this; no matter if I take the "easy" or "advanced" route through the configuration (on the PS3), it all seems to work right up to where it tests the connection, where it only takes a few seconds until it gives some error code, and a message that it couldn't connect and that I should check the settings.

MAC filtering is enabled, and the MAC address has been added to the, um, "list."

Since my father has quite the setup here, "starting over" and, as you said, add layers of security, would be a pain since we have so many different devices that would need reconfiguration, and quite frankly he's not really interested in doing this after he's done the same thing all day at work. I was hoping for a simple solution, but it is understandable that it may not be so easy since I gave you so little information.

For reasons I've already stated, I doubt he's interested in fiddling with the firmware. I feel quite hindered by his laziness.

Thanks for your help, though!

EDIT: I got to go, but if you have any other input, please post - I'll read it tomorrow, or later.

travathian

This:

Aizawa wrote: »

He has worked a lot with network security, and as a result he's terribly paranoid about this stuff even at home.

And this

MAC filtering is enabled, and the MAC address has been added to the, um, "list."

Are not compatible. If your father actually knew anything about wireless network security he'd know that MAC filtering is worthless. Let me guess, UPnP isn't enabled because of the boogie man getting on your network?

Mugsley already nailed it, when you can't get a wireless device to connect the first thing you do is temporarily strip away as much as possible to get to the root of the problem. If you strip away everything, set the router to defaults and the PS3 still can't connect then it is likely pointing to a PS3 issue and you'd want to try and test it elsewhere to verify.

Mugsley

I've had issues in the past with MAC filtering causing problems, at least at first. If you can convince him to at least disable this feature, you may get lucky.



The other option would be to get a hold of some sort of wireless bridge and see if that solves the problem (redundant, but if it works, it's better than the long ethernet cable).

khain

Aizawa wrote: »

I have never seen a PS3 prompt you for a password, but what happens is this; no matter if I take the "easy" or "advanced" route through the configuration (on the PS3), it all seems to work right up to where it tests the connection, where it only takes a few seconds until it gives some error code, and a message that it couldn't connect and that I should check the settings.

Am I misunderstanding this or is the PS3 not asking for the WPA passphrase since if it isn't that would your problem. Also look up the error code online since it should tell you something, thought if it's failing due to MAC filtering the error code probably won't indicate that since a failure due to MAC filtering isn't easily identifiable. MAC filtering is also completely useless, but I doubt you'll be able to convince your dad of that.

Aizawa

All right, I'm back earlier then I'd thought.

I don't know much about wireless security, as said, but could you explain why MAC filtering is 'worthless'? I believe you, I'd just like to know why, since it sounds pretty foolproof.
I probably wont be able to talk him out of it, at least not with any reasonable arguments. "A guy on the internet said it was bad" doesn't quite qualify! :winky:

Also, while my father does work with network security, he has never (professionally) worked with wireless networks.

UPnP isn't enabled because that was one thing we did fiddle with, amongst others, when I tried finding a solution by googling, and I don't think anything we own use it, not right now at least. Should it be enabled?

Sorry if I'm at all unclear, your help is greatly appreciated, although it'd be even more so if you could help me out and explain why something isn't right, instead of just saying it's not right!

EDIT: I misunderstood what you meant by "prompt for password" - it obviously asks for the password during the configuration process, and, well, I obviously enter the password.

Mugsley

I believe it's because you can clone MAC addresses, but I don't know the details.

khain

MAC addresses are transmitted unencrypted so anyone with a wireless card and freeware software like wireshark can find them and you can then use a program like SMAC or edit the registry to change your own MAC address to whatever you want.

Aizawa

Fancy that. I don't see how it could do anything but help, though. Even if it's rather easily bypassed, as long as it doesn't hurt I don't see why we shouldn't use it?

EDIT: I'm off for real this time. Please post any further tips you have!

Dehumanized

I'm pretty sure I had to update my firmware to the latest revision to get my Sony devices to play nice with my router. Currently running v1.02.6.


EDIT: the firmware update process isn't too painful assuming nothing goes wrong; you just save your existing settings to a backup, flash the new firmware, then restore the old settings from your backup file.

Dranyth

Hmm... actually that's a good point. I had problems with my WRT54GS and my PS3... whenever the PS3 would boot up, it would take down the router. This was via wired connection. Turned out there was an issue between them with UPnP enabled.

So yeah, updating the router firmware might be the next step.

Aizawa

Um. We feel less than awesome now. We solved it, and it turned out to be human error: somehow, during the last, what, two and a half years, we have time after time entered the wrong MAC address in that list. Last night we did it again, to be sure, and now that we entered the correct one it worked.

What beats me is that it wasn't a simple typo, at least 2 pairs of letters/numbers were completely different. We have checked this address something like 10-20 times during this period, and somehow we've either got it wrong, or it... changed? I don't know if it ever changes, but I have a hard time believing we so many times screwed up such a simple task.

In any case, I finally have a connection on my PS3. Thanks for the help everyone!

Dranyth

That's strange... a piece of hardware's MAC address wouldn't change. The PS3 should have two though, a MAC address for the WiFi connection and a MAC address for the wired ethernet connection. Usually they're printed on the device, but lately I haven't seen it on the device as often anymore. Not sure if a regulation changed regarding that or what.