PS4 Cannot Connect To Server: 5 Reasons & Solutions

PS4 Cannot Connect To Server: 5 Reasons & Solutions

The gaming industry has witnessed immense growth since Sony first launched the very first version of the play station in 1999 and since then, we’ve seen growth in the industry and its technology. With the internet now available everywhere, playing games gets easier as users can now hop on the internet to join the PlayStation network and play with their friends and loved ones on the network. However, why does the PS4 say “Cannot Connect to server”? and are there any solutions and quick fixes to help?

The reason why your PS4 says “cannot connect to server” may be due to various reasons that may stem from your internet connection. This means you may experience this error because your WiFi isn’t connected to the internet, your Ethernet cable isn’t connected properly, and remote play won’t connect. 

There are other reasons why your PS4 won’t connect to the server however, the main issue usually is from your internet connection. in this article, I’ll share with you the reasons in detail and quick fixes or possible solutions to help you fix this problem if you ever encounter it. 

While various factors can cause this connectivity issue, an often overlooked culprit is the PS4 overheating. Excessive heat can disrupt the console’s performance and its ability to maintain stable network connections. Ensuring that your PS4 has adequate ventilation and is kept in a cool environment can help mitigate this problem and enhance your gaming experience.

Reasons Why PS4 Cannot Connect To Server 

PS4 Cannot Connect To Server: 5 Reasons & Solutions

For your games to work properly, you require a connection to the PlayStation Network in your PS4 and its system as a whole. If your PS4 cannot connect to the PlayStation Network (PSN) servers, then the application may not start at all, work online, or even update. To do this, you require a constant Get Twitch Followers online connection to PSN servers which is also a prerequisite to playing a lot of games and errors may arise if you cannot connect to the server.

Errors that arise due to you being unable to connect to the server can be resolved quickly without losing access to the community and other online opportunities for a long time. Your first step should be to verify that the PlayStation Network itself is working. If it doesn’t work, you’ll need to be patient for a while and leave the settings alone for a while because this may be due to maintenance reasons, accidents, errors with providers, or even DDoS attacks and all of these are enough reasons why the PSN network may not function for a while. 

Whenever this happens, your PS4 will issue one of the following reasons:

  • Failed to connect to the server to check the license.
  • Failed to connect to PSN within the specified time (CE-33987-0).
  • Cannot connect to the server (NW-31201-7).
  • Failed to connect to the server. (WV 33898-1). 

Whenever your PS4 shows the failed to connect to server error, the issue you’re facing definitely stems from your network connection. Hence the following will be discussing the reasons why you had the failed to connect to the server error and how to fix it: 

1.0 Slow WiFi Connection

Since we’ve now established that the major reason why you may be seeing the “cannot connect to server error” is due to your internet connection, you may need to check your WIFI connection. When you have a slow internet connection due to your WiFi, PS4 remote play will not connect because it requires a reasonably high amount of internet speed to connect to the server, hence, you may need to check your WiFi connection to make sure that everything is intact to get you going. A slow WiFi connection may cause the server to reload at intervals or not even connect because it requires a faster internet network. 

How To Fix This

PS4 Cannot Connect To Server: 5 Reasons & Solutions

There are different ways you can fix a slow WiFi connection. The most popular one is to restart your WiFi source, either a router or your MiFi device as this will restart your connection and connect you to a new internet server when your device comes on which may be faster than the previous server you were connected to. You may also need to reset your router and make sure it’s connected properly to generate proper, fast-speed internet signals so you’ll be able to connect your PS4 to it.

If this persists, you’ll need to use a wired connection to connect your PS4 to the internet because wired connections are relatively faster than wireless connections due to the internet traffic that may be on the wireless connection’s server. 

2.0 Bad Ethernet Cable

If you use a wired connection and you noticed that your PS4 isn’t connecting to the server, it may be due to the Ethernet cable not being connected properly or the cable has gone bad. Whenever an Ethernet cable goes bad, you’ll notice a twitch in the connection like the server being connected to one second and you lose the connection in the next second. Once you notice that the internet connection is shaking, you’ll need to check the wire to make sure it’s connected properly otherwise, the cable has gone bad. 

How To Fix This

The very first step for you to fix this is to make sure that the Ethernet cable is connected properly to your PS4 console and that the other end of the cable is connected properly to your router. Once confirmed and you noticed the connection still twitching, be patient for some time as this may be due to a network connection, and maybe the connection will get stable when you restart your router, hence you may restart it. If it doesn’t work, you’ll need to check the Ethernet cable and make sure that it’s not gone bad. 

3.0 Slow Internet Connection From Your Wired Network

Another reason why your PS4 isn’t connecting to your server may be because your wired network is experiencing a slow internet connection. This may be due to your internet provider experiencing server maintenance, or the internet server is clogged with a lot of requests and downloads. If a lot of users are downloading via an internet server, the server will receive too many requests which in turn will make it very slow hence, making your PS4 not connect to the PSN server.  

To know if this is the reason why your PS4 isn’t connecting to its server, try connecting another device to your wired internet connection and test its internet speed. If it’s not fast, then this is the reason why your ps4 isn’t connecting to its server. 

How To Fix This

PS4 Cannot Connect To Server: 5 Reasons & Solutions

To fix this, you may need to wait for some time so the traffic on the network server is reduced. You may also need to restart the network source you’re connected to as this may be the cause of the slow network. If this doesn’t fix it, you can try unplugging your device from the wired network and plugging it back.

If either of the above doesn’t fix the internet speed, contact your internet provider for troubleshooting steps or if they can perform a factory reboot for your internet source to restart the router. 

4.0 Bad Router

If your router is bad, your PS4 may be unable to connect to its server as it needs to be connected to an internet source to be able to connect to the server. Once you noticed that the console isn’t connecting to the internet, try connecting another device to your router. If the device doesn’t connect to the router, you may need to restart your router to make sure it’s working perfectly. 

How To Fix This

To fix this, you need to confirm that the router is the problem. Connect another device to the router to see if it will connect to the internet. If it doesn’t, you may need to restart the router.

If the problem persists, perform a router reset. You can do this by logging in to the admin profile of your router and navigating to the factory reset section to reset the router. After resetting the router, make sure to confirm that the router is working properly now. If it’s not, place a call to your internet service provider’s customer support to make a request for a new router and the steps to take to get a new one. 

5.0 Router Needs To Restart

PS4 Cannot Connect To Server: 5 Reasons & Solutions

A bad or unstable internet connection may arise from the fact that you need to restart your internet connection by restarting your router. Your router’s internet server may be clogged with requests and people using your router, causing the internet connection to be very slow and your PS4 not connecting to its server as required. Hence, to reset all of this and reset your internet connection, you may need to restart your router. 

Once you’ve restarted your router, the internet connection is restarted and the router is connected to a faster internet service. 

How To Fix This

To fix this, switch off your router by pressing the power button and unplugging it from the power source. After switching it off for about 5 minutes, put it back on and reconnect your PS4 to the router via a wired or wireless connection. However, if you want a faster internet connection, you’ll need to connect to the router via a wired connection like the Ethernet cable as a wired connection provide a faster internet speed. 

If this doesn’t solve the issue, perform a factory reset on your router by logging into the admin account of your router. You’ll see the details at the back of your router. Make sure to navigate to the factory reset section and click it to reset the router.

Author

  • Tristan

    Tristan has a strong interest in the intersection of artificial intelligence and creative expression. He has a background in computer science, and he enjoys exploring the ways in which AI can enhance and augment human creativity. In his writing, he often delves into the ways in which AI is being used to generate original works of fiction and poetry, as well as to analyze and understand patterns in existing texts.