This PS4 error code sometimes comes up for gamers telling them the network connection is too weak or unstable to reach the server. This could be happening because of weak connections on the home network or problems with the wider internet in general. What solutions are there for this error code?

The most common cause of the NW-31250-1 error message is that the DNS servers have been set incorrectly or are not working. Manually changing them to Google DNS (8.8.8.8; 8.8.4.4) often fixes the problem, though if this doesn’t work there are other options to try, like resetting your router/PS4, or using QoS or DMZ settings to get a better connection.

More generally, this error message also appears a lot simply because the Wi-Fi connection between the router and PS4 is too weak, and getting onto a wired connection in one form or another (long ethernet or powerline adapter) is a good way of solving this problem more permanently and avoiding these connection error messages showing up. It is always better if PS4 gamers can get on a wired connection instead of wireless when possible.

Let’s look at the most common DNS solution first, then move on to some other options you can try if you get no luck clearing the error message this way.

Solution #1 – Change The DNS Servers on Your PS4

Manually changing the DNS servers on your PS4 seems to be the most common solution to this NW-31250-1 error code, working in about 70-80% of cases to fix the problem. We have have more solutions below for those who can’t get this solution to work.

Here are the general steps for configuring your DNS servers manually on the PS4:

• Go to Settings….Network……Set Up Internet Connection
• Select Wi-Fi or LAN depending on your connection. Plug into your router and use wired if the Wi-Fi doesn’t work.
• Select Custom setup
• Run through all the settings as they are, without changing them, until you get to DNS Settings
• For DNS Settings, switch to Manual
• Input these Google DNS servers: Primary: 8.8.8.8 Secondary: 8.8.4.4
• You can also use other free DNS servers; here are two common pairs:
  • • Cloudflare DNS – Primary 1.1.1.1 Secondary 1.0.0.1
    • Open DNS – Primary 208.67.222.222 Secondary 208.67.220.220
    • If one pair don’t work, try another pair. See our article on the best DNS for gaming for more information.
• See just below for a video demo of how to do this.

 

See here for a video showing you how to change your DNS servers at the router level instead of the console. This will apply these settings not just to your PS4 but to every device which connects to that router.

This seems to work for well over half the people who get this error message. Be sure to try out all three pairs if you can’t get the Google ones to work. Sometimes this happened but then users got it to work by using the OpenDNS ones instead.

Also make sure you are setting up the connection properly according to your own method you are using. The guy in the video above selects LAN because that’s what he’s using; if you are only Wi-Fi obviously pick Wi-Fi instead and proceed from there. The setup menus are virtually identical for each.

Other Solutions to PS4 Error Code NW-31250-1

If you’re not getting any luck with the DNS solution, then there are some other things you can try. If the problem can’t be traced back to DNS, then the most likely alternative cause is simply a weak internet connection to your PS4, or incorrect network settings that need reconfiguring.

Many of these solutions basically boil down to the same idea of flushing out and resetting your internet connection settings on your PS4 and starting over. They are just different ways of doing this for the most part.

Here are some other things to try if the DNS solution doesn’t work for you:

• If you are on Wi-Fi, try moving your console and router closer together.
• Connect to another Wi-Fi network instead, and then connect back to the original one.
• Use a wired connection if possible. See further below for more on this.
• Quick reset your router and PS4.
• Hard reset (power cycle) your router and PS4, fully unplugging them for 10-15 mins before plugging them back in.
• The PlayStation Network may be down. Check the current status here. This error appeared a few years ago because of a hacker attack on the PSN, Netflix and other major providers. There is not much you can do in these cases but wait for it to be fixed.
• Check that it isn’t your internet service that is down. Can other people connect on the same network? Contact your ISP if you are having wider problems.
• If your connection is currently set to Custom or Manual, then reconfigure it and switch to Easy or Automatic. Sometimes fixes the problem for wired LAN connections.
• If you have a lot of people using your internet at the same time, your home network may be congested. Try disabling some devices or using Quality of Service settings to prioritize your PS4 on the network.
• If you keep getting NAT type errors or fails when you try to test the connection, use DMZ settings to open all ports on your router to the PS4. See our article on how to use DMZ.
• Restore the Default Settings on your PS4 in Safe Mode. See this video for how to use Safe Mode – you need Option 4. This just restores settings and does not delete any data.
• If you keep getting screen freezes and other errors, you may need to do a Database Rebuild or even a full Re-Initialization of your PS4 to fix corrupted files. Enter Safe Mode as above and try Option 5, then 6 or 7 as a very last resort. You will lose all data though and have to start again with options 6 & 7.

If you still can’t resolve the problem after trying all these options, or are getting other error codes instead, firstly check out our PS4 Error Codes Library for solutions to more error messages. Some people report they get the NW-31297-2 error instead – click the link to see our solutions page for this. Otherwise contact PlayStation Support and/or your ISP to see if they can help you out.

Also, if you keep getting failed connection tests and super slow speeds on test – far less than your internet package is capable of – then it may simply be that the Wi-Fi signal is not good enough for your PS4 to properly get online. In these cases, you need to ideally find a way to get off Wi-Fi altogether and get onto a wired connection instead. Let’s look at one solution that allows gamers to do this below.

Getting Off Wi-Fi & Onto Wired Connections For Gaming

A lot of users report getting this error message when using Wi-Fi to connect their PS4, and furthermore often report that the DNS solution doesn’t work. This is because in some cases it isn’t really a DNS error that is the fundamental issue, but more a weak connection between the router and the PS4.

This is why it is important to get off wireless connections and onto wired LAN/ethernet ones if at all possible, since they provide a much more reliable and stable connection than Wi-Fi and avoid so many of these NW- error message problems that arise from a weak connection. See our linked article on the full benefits of wired over wireless connections.

If you are several rooms or floors away from the router and can’t really run a long ethernet all the way down to the router, then a powerline adapter is an excellent next best solution to consider, since they can deliver a wired ethernet connection using house wiring, without the need to use long network cables or stay on unreliable Wi-Fi.

Powerline adapters are a pair of plugs which can turn a wall socket into an ethernet connection. You plug one adapter in and connect it to your router, and the other one in and connect it to your PS4.

The two plugs then communicate through the electrical wiring of the house to deliver a wired connection to your console, which is most often much more solid and consistent than Wi-Fi, which tends to fade and drop out over distance.

They are a clever home networking solution that can be ideal for gamers who keep getting lag and connection problems with Wi-Fi but aren’t able to run a long cable to their router either. Powerlines are middle ground solutions. See the video below for a quick demo of how they work.

 

You can find links to the TP Link Nano Powerline adapter pictured above, plus more advanced models, from different retailers, on our Powerline Adapters page.