This can be a very specific and annoying error on the PS4. Users find that they cannot connect to the internet through wifi on their console, even though it may have worked before and other devices on the network may be fine. What does this error mean and what ways are there to fix it?

The NW-31295-0 error code means that the PS4 cannot connect to the Wi-Fi network, usually because the signal is too weak or inconsistent. The most common way to fix the error is to load up the PS4 in Safe Mode (press and hold the power button for 7 seconds) and choose Option 4 – Update System Software.

Annoyingly, this error code can show up when other people are using Wi-Fi on the same router and not having any problems. This can sometimes simply be because your console hasn’t quite had long enough to connect to the router’s Wi-Fi network – give it a few seconds if seeing this error when turning on your PS4/PS5 to see if the connection properly establishes, and the problem might go away.

It can also sometimes appear out of nowhere, when the Wi-Fi was working fine the day before, but now suddenly stops working for the PS4. Let’s look in more detail at all the different things we can try to fix this problem.

Updating the PS4 in Safe Mode

The most reliable solution to this problem, that seems to work for a lot of people who try it, is to boot the PS4 in safe mode and update the system software, preferably using a wired connection. The Wi-Fi is not working because system software is not fully up to date and performing the update solves this. This often, though not always, fixes the problem and restores a decent Wi-Fi signal. Here are the general steps to do this:

• Power your console off then power it back on in Safe Mode. To do this, press and hold the power button on the PS4 for 7 seconds. It will then boot in Safe Mode.
• Make sure the controller is connected to the console via cable when using Safe Mode, otherwise it won’t work.
• Once in Safe Mode, choose the Update System Software option and click Update via Internet. If the Wi-Fi still doesn’t work then connect direct to your router with ethernet.
• A system update should download. Once complete, reboot in normal mode.
• This update fixes the problem for a lot of users. If it doesn’t then there are other things you can try, which we will go into more detail about below.

Other Tips to Solve the Problem

If the system update in safe mode doesn’t work, here are some quicker solutions you can also try to see if it manages to restore a decent Wi-Fi signal. Sometimes a quick reset will do the trick, sometimes it won’t. Here are some easy things to try:

• Check the status of the PlayStation Network (PSN) here. Sometimes this problem can show up when the entire PSN is down. If this is so, you’ll have to wait until the network comes back online again (problems are usually resolved quickly).
• Run an internet connection test on your console by going to Settings….Network….Test Internet Connection. If the connection establishes fine and delivers usable speeds, don’t worry about it. The error might have shown up temporarily for a few seconds when you first switched on the console, and now it’s gone.
• Move your console and router closer together.
• Try quick resetting your PS4 and your router.
• Try hard resetting your console and router – in other words, power both router and PS4 off fully and unplug for 5 minutes before plugging them back in and restarting.
• If Deep Color settings are enabled on your PS4, turning them off has sometimes resolved this problem for some users. Go to Settings…..Sound and Screen…….Video Output Settings and make sure Deep Color Output is set of Off if it is currently on.
• Try changing your DNS servers as shown in this video. Works for some people but not for everyone. See also our article on DNS servers for gaming.
• Move onto a wired connection if possible. Ethernet cables are available cheaply on Amazon. If you are several rooms away from the router and can’t easily do this, consider using a powerline adapter to deliver a wired connection – see below for more on this.
• You can use Wi-Fi extenders/repeaters as a last resort, but they’re not optimal for gaming (see section right at the bottom).
• Send your console in for repair or replacement.

Gaming is Better on Wired Connections

If you have tried all these options and still can’t get the Wi-Fi to work properly, then you may need to send your PS4 in for some kind of repair. A better long term option is to simply switch to a wired ethernet connection anyway, since this will always provide the strongest and most reliable connection anyway, especially if you play a lot online and want to keep lag down and download games and patches faster.

Some people are only using Wi-Fi in the first place though because they are too far away from the router to run an ethernet directly, and don’t want to be messing around feeding long cables down stairs or drilling holes in walls and floors to feed wires through. What options are available in this case?

This is where a powerline adapter can be an excellent home networking solution which can provide a wired ethernet connection even for gamers based several rooms away from the router. They effectively turn your wall socket into an internet connection and can allow you to bypass using Wi-Fi altogether, with all it’s inherent problems with the signal weakening and dropping out over distance.

Powerline adapter kits consist of a pair of adapter plugs, one of which is plugged in and connected to the router and the other of which is plugged in and connected to your PS4 or other device. The two plugs then transfer data through the electrical wiring of the house to deliver a wired internet connection to the plug on the receiving end.

Copper wiring can send data as well as electricity and powerline products take advantage of this fact to deliver wired connectivity to wherever they are installed. See the video below for a demonstration of how powerline technology works. Multiple kits can be installed in different rooms in a home to create a powerline network with multiple wired access points wherever they are needed.

 

Click here to view the entry level TP Link Nano Powerline on Amazon. See this page for links to some other models.

They are an excellent middle ground solution to get you on a wired connection and off Wi-Fi without needing to do loads of DIY running long ethernet cables all through the house. There are some cases when they will not work, like in old or large houses where the wiring is worn or runs of separate meters, but in most modern and semi modern houses they will work very well in delivering a wired connection to another part of the house.

Using Wi-Fi Extenders To Boost Wireless Connections (Sub-optimal Solution)

If you can’t really get onto a wired connection by any means (including via powerline adapter) and have to stay on Wi-Fi, a kind of last ditch option is to use a Wi-Fi extender/booster/repeater to improve your wireless connection and signal.

This can be a workable solution if you’re a long way from the router, can’t use ethernet, and the signal keeps dropping out because it’s too weak/inconsistent, and you keep getting this NW-31295-0 error as a result.

Wi-Fi extenders work by capturing and boosting the existing signal from the wireless router, providing a mid-way bridge access point for you to connect to that can have at least a workable and more consistent signal than try to connect to the router direct if you’re too far away.

You plug the extender in a wall socket hopefully somewhere in the middle  between your router and PlayStation console, connect the extender to your router with some easy setup steps, and then connect your PS4/PS5 to the extender, where it can hopefully draw a more consistent signal.

Here are some articles to help get started if this is your only real option:

• Specific guide on using extenders with games consoles (including setup)
• Some Wi-Fi extender models in different price brackets.

However, be aware that Wi-Fi extenders are really not an optimal solution for gaming, in that they’re highly likely to increase ping and may not even be reliable since Wi-Fi connectivity is so fickle and variable in different houses.