Your PS5 Slim won't connect to the internet. PSN login fails, multiplayer games kick you out, downloads take forever, or the network test comes back with NAT Type 3 (strict). The Slim uses the same WiFi 6 (802.11ax) chip as the original PS5, so the usual fixes apply plus a couple quirks specific to this revision.
Start with the built-in check. Go to Settings > Network > Connection Status > Test Internet Connection. The test runs through five or six items including NAT type and PSN sign-in. Whatever stops first tells you where the problem lives.
If you already ran that test and it's still failing, work through these fixes. Most of them take under five minutes.
Restart the Router and PS5 Slim
Unplug your router from power for a full 30 seconds, then plug it back in. Wait 2 3 minutes for the router to fully boot and reconnect to your ISP. Then restart the PS5 Slim from the power menu: Power > Restart PS5.
This clears stale ARP and DHCP entries on both ends. It's the single most common fix for transient network issues, especially when the test fails on "Internet Connection" despite the console getting an IP address. If you have a separate modem (a box from your ISP), restart that too, but wait until its lights settle before powering the router.
Try a Wired Ethernet Connection
The PS5 Slim has the same Gigabit Ethernet port as every other PS5. If you can run a Cat5e or Cat6 cable from the router to the console, do it. Wired connections eliminate wireless interference, reduce latency by 10 30ms compared to WiFi, and rarely drop packets.
Plug the cable into the back of the Slim, then go to Settings > Network > Set Up Internet Connection and select the wired option. The console picks up an IP automatically within seconds.
Switch to the 5GHz WiFi Band
The PS5 Slim supports dual-band WiFi 6 (2.4GHz and 5GHz). If you can't wire in, make sure you're on 5GHz. The 2.4GHz band is crowded with neighbors' networks, microwaves, and smart home devices, which causes lag and disconnects during online gaming.
Most routers broadcast separate network names for each band, often with a "-5G" suffix. Connect your Slim to that one. If your router combines both bands under one name (band steering), you can force 5GHz by going into the router's settings and disabling the 2.4GHz radio temporarily, or by assigning the console a static IP on the 5GHz side.
Change the DNS Servers
Your ISP's DNS servers are often slow or unreliable. Switching to Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) or Google (8.8.8.8) usually speeds up PSN sign-in and game updates noticeably.
Open Settings > Network > Settings > Set Up Internet Connection. Pick your active network, choose Custom, leave IP and DHCP on automatic, then set DNS to Manual. Enter Primary DNS as 1.1.1.1 and Secondary as 1.0.0.1 (Cloudflare), or 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 (Google). Keep MTU on Automatic and disable the proxy server.
Fix Double-NAT (NAT Type 3)
NAT Type 3 (strict) blocks voice chat and matchmaking on most games. The cause is almost always double-NAT: your ISP's modem-router combo plus your own router both trying to manage network address translation.
The cleanest fix is to put the ISP device into bridge mode. Log into your modem-router admin panel (usually 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1) and look for Bridge Mode, Pass-Through, or IP Pass-Through. Enable it, save, and reboot both devices. Your own router now handles NAT alone, and the NAT type should drop to Type 2 (moderate) or Type 1 (open).
Forward the Correct Ports
If you can't bridge the modem, manual port forwarding can fix a strict NAT. Sony's recommended ports for the PS5 are TCP 80, 443, 3478, 3479, 3480 and UDP 3478, 3479. Forward all of them to the PS5's local IP address.
First, find the Slim's IP: Settings > Network > Connection Status > View Connection Status. Then set a DHCP reservation in your router so that IP never changes. Finally, add each port forward in your router's admin panel (usually under Port Forwarding or Virtual Servers). The change takes effect immediately after saving.
Update the System Software
The current PS5 system software version is 26.03-13.20.00 as of April 2026. Sony regularly patches network-related bugs, including PSN sign-in instability and WiFi disconnection issues. Update from Settings > System > System Software > System Software Update and Settings.
If the console can't reach the update servers (common chicken-and-egg situation), download the update file on a PC from Sony's official site, put it on a USB drive formatted as exFAT or FAT32, and install via Safe Mode option 4. Boot into Safe Mode by holding the power button until the second beep, then connect the DualSense via USB-C and follow the on-screen instructions.
Assign a Manual IP Address
Some ISPs have buggy IPv6 configurations that cause PSN sign-in delays or random multiplayer drops. The PS5 doesn't have a toggle to disable IPv6 entirely, but you can set a manual IPv4-only connection that avoids DHCPv6 negotiation.
Go to Settings > Network > Settings > Set Up Internet Connection, edit your connection, choose Custom, and set IP Settings to Manual. Enter your Slim's local IPv4 address, subnet mask (usually 255.255.255.0), and default gateway. For a more thorough fix, disable IPv6 in your router admin panel and reconnect the console.
Reduce Wireless Interference
In apartment buildings or dense neighborhoods, overlapping 2.4GHz channels are a major source of WiFi instability. Open your router's settings and check the WiFi channel. On 5GHz, stick to channels 36, 40, 44, 48 (low band) or 149, 153, 157, 161 (high band) these are usually the least congested.
Most routers have an "Auto" channel setting that picks the quietest channel automatically. Toggle it off and back on to force a rescan, or use a WiFi analyzer app on your phone to find the cleanest channel and set it manually.
Restore Default Settings via Safe Mode
If every fix fails and the network test still comes back broken, reset the console's settings without losing your games or saves. Boot into Safe Mode (hold the power button until the second beep, connect the DualSense via USB-C), then select option 5: Restore Default Settings.
This wipes system preferences, including all network configurations, but leaves your installed games and saved data untouched. After the restart, set up the internet connection from scratch. The reset takes about five minutes and clears any corrupted network state stored in the system partition.
