PS3 Question

[Laughing Man]

Oh, so thats why the cable companies advertise something along the lines of 'maximum of 3,5,10 IPs' with your 3/5/10Mbit connections?

That's a whole different system. Most companies here will assign one IP to your modem and then you need a router to connect more than one device to it. If you had multiple IPs you wouldn't need a router, you would just need another modem and another phone line to plug it in to.

Even though YOU are getting an 'ip' from your router, which is nothing more then 'adding' a few digits to the end of it, SOME cable companies have this nasty habit, where they ONLY want up to 3 devices connected to the router/modem. And since the cable companies knows EXACTLY what devices you have connected to your router

Uh no they don't know what you've got connected. The main give away behind this is almost every cable company will ask, what have you got connected to you're modem / router when you phone their tech support. If they knew this already they wouldn't need to ask. The reason they prefer you to have less devices is

a). More devices means more potential sources of problem more work for their tech support to solve
b). More devices means more bandwidth being chewed by one person

Shut off the power to the devices, because the router for instance, wants to only give out 3 IPs, even though theres a 4th device, but the only way to sometimes 'update' the router, is to shut it off. And even then, the Modem will sometimes do the same thing with the router.

That sounds like a shit router to me. My router will allow up to 255 devices to be connected, and it ain't no fancy router it is the bogo standard one provided by my ISP, and at no point does it ever require a shut down to allow another device to be connected. Even if it doesn't automatically assign an IP (which is the device connectings job and not the routers) then you can simply access the router options via your PC and assign the new device to the ARP table.

I guess if you want to call it something, you could say, that hte cable company has to authorize with the ROUTER, that a device is trying to connect, and the only way for the cable company to do this is to FORCE them to authorize it, by shutting off the modem, then turn it back on, which FORCES the cable company to authorize that the modem is on, that its supposed to be recieing internet, and of course, is working correctly..

Uh maybe but what you described sounds like the cable company is detecting your connection issues and is assuming, incorrectly, that the line has a fault on it. The result of that is they limit your cables speed, shutting down the modem and restarting forces the cable company to reauthorise the modem and connection thus returning the line to full speed.

Heres a clue.
One time, My router was only giving 1 IP address between 2 pcs.
Everytime my mother wanted to get online, I'd get booted.
Everytime I tried to do something online, she'd get booted.
Effectively we kept playing tag!
MY pc stole her IP and knocked her off, her pc stole my IP and knocked me off.
Then you throw in a PS3 in the mix, and ORIGINAL MODELS tend to want to get the '1st' ip, and not the 'first available' ip.

That doesn't sound like an IP conflict issue. It does sound like WZC having a spaz fit though. I dunno how much you know about PCs so here's my theory behind what is happening. Microsoft being the wonderful chaps they are decided to make wireless connection for laptops as easy and painless as possible. In doing so they added a service called WZC (Windows Zero Configuration.) Now the idea behind this was to allow you to move around with your lap top and have it automatically find the strongest Wifi signal to lock on to. Great for a laptop suck ass for a desktop. WZC works by checking ever so often for a better network signal strength. When it does this your network is dropped for a split second. Gamers will see this as a noticeable sharp and short increase in their Ping.

Now imagine you have two PCs both using wireless and both using the same IP. When PC one does a WZC check for a split second that IP has become free. PC Two grabs it until it does a WZC check at which point PC One grabs the IP number back. The result is that the IP is tossed around between the two PCs.

Now throw a PS3 in to the mix. It doesn't have WZC so it sits there and watches these two PCs toss this IP address around. The IP gets freed up so the PS3 grabs it and holds on to it.

If I was you I would

- Ditch the cable company, they sound shite
- Get a better router, it sounds shite
- Disable WZC on any wireless PCs (services.msc right click the WZC and select not to start at boot) You will however have to use the software provided with your wireless receiver to set up your PCs network connection (unless you're happy doing it through Windows)

 

[BallPtPenTheif]

Wow. It took me all of 30 seconds to set up wireless for my PS3.

Yes, the autodetection settings are very well done.

 

[GloatingSwine]

Oh, so thats why the cable companies advertise something along the lines of 'maximum of 3,5,10 IPs' with your 3/5/10Mbit connections?

A home broadband system will generally have one external IP address. Multiple IP systems are for larger networks in business environments.

THe PS3, is 'aggressive' when it comes to connecting with WiFi, I used the word AGGRESSIVE, because most other 'wifi' devices, will attempt to connect to ANY IP, on the router its connected to. The PS3, is 'stubborn' if you want to call it that, it WANTS to only connect to the 1st IP, regardless if its available or not.

It uses DHCP like anything else. It asks the access point for an IP address, the access point gives it one.

You've never had to deal with any connections issues obviously.
It also depends on WHAT cable company you go through.
Mine sucks, Thusly I have to go through a SUCKY method of getting everything to hook up.

You probably just have a rubbish router.

Heres a clue.
One time, My router was only giving 1 IP address between 2 pcs.
Everytime my mother wanted to get online, I'd get booted.
Everytime I tried to do something online, she'd get booted.
Effectively we kept playing tag!
MY pc stole her IP and knocked her off, her pc stole my IP and knocked me off.
Then you throw in a PS3 in the mix, and ORIGINAL MODELS tend to want to get the '1st' ip, and not the 'first available' ip.

Rubbish router. A home router should be able to assign 254 unique IP addresses (unless you've been fiddling with it's DHCP range). These IP addresses are completely different to the ones given out by your cable company.

 

[sirdanrhodes]

I just gave up getting it online...

 

[GloatingSwine]

In doing so they added a service called WZC (Windows Zero Configuration.) Now the idea behind this was to allow you to move around with your lap top and have it automatically find the strongest Wifi signal to lock on to. Great for a laptop suck ass for a desktop. WZC works by checking ever so often for a better network signal strength. When it does this your network is dropped for a split second. Gamers will see this as a noticeable sharp and short increase in their Ping.

Wireless Zero Configuration connects to networks in order of preference, it does not change networks unless the preferred network becomes unavailable. It will stay on a network with a shitty signal if you've told it that's the preferred network. Wireless Zero Configuration is far simpler and more stable than any manufacturer shipped wireless configuration client I've encountered (and supporting home wireless networks is my job).

It also has nothing to do with DHCP lease renewal (Asking for a new IP address periodically), the DHCP service does that, and it shouldn't happen very often. If yours is renewing it's IP lease regularly, check to see if you can make the lease period longer. (DHCP service will automatically attempt to renew the lease after 50% of the lease period, set by the DHCP server in your router, has expired)

 

[Laughing Man]

Wireless Zero Configuration connects to networks in order of preference, it does not change networks unless the preferred network becomes unavailable.

Uh that's actually wrong on two counts

First it WILL drop a network if it has a hidden SSID in favour of a network that has a broadcast SSID. Irrespective of weather the hidden network SSID is the preferred one or not. Even Microsoft say that http://support.microsoft.com/kb/811427

When your Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 1 or Service Pack 2 (SP1 or SP2)-based Wireless Zero Configuration (WZC) client computer is in the proximity of two wireless access points, and one of the access points is broadcasting its Service Set Identifier (SSID) but the other is not, your computer always connects to the access point that is broadcasting its SSID. This occurs regardless of the preference order of the networks that are configured on the Preferred Networks list.

Additionally, when your computer is connected to an access point that is not broadcasting its SSID, and another access point that is broadcasting its SSID is enabled nearby, your computer automatically connects to the access point that is broadcasting its SSID.

Second I didn't say it was connecting to another network or even trying to connect I was saying that WZC roams for stronger AP signals and it is well documented that this roaming function is a cause of headache for an awful lot of people. Resulting in; lag, high latency and unexplained disconnects (although I did say that when it goes roaming it disconnects and the way I described it it could be read that it does this by design rather than because it's a massive cock up that MS won't own up too.)

http://rhallock.com/2008/06/solve-wireless-lag-and-disconnects-on-xp/

Further evidence indicates that there is significant cause to believe that a station can be disassociated from its access point entirely at random by a probe request sequence initiated from the WZC client.

While the issue has persisted with considerable evidence to warrant a closer look, Microsoft maddeningly denies any issue. As early as 2004, Microsoft?s lead product manager in Microsoft?s Windows division remarked that ?[They] don?t have data that suggests Windows XP drops wireless connections more than any other system.?

So just because MS disclaim any problem with WZC you can't ignore the numerous amount of people who have solved wireless network problems by simply disabling WZC.

I am one of the of those people and not just on one but two totally different machines.

Gaming Machine contains an Asus Realtek Wireless adaptor
Work PC is connected via an el cheapo Belkin USB adaptor bought from PC World

The gaming machine suffered high latency issues during BF2 gaming sessions, random ping spikes of up to 500+ms. Random disconnects whilst surfing

Work PC suffered from random disconnects whilst surfing

Ended up dropping WZC and using the software for each device to set up their network connections. The software for them were both different but they were both easy to set up and both are far far more reliable than WZC ever was. The gaming PC now runs BF2 TV2 servers with a constant ping of no more than 30ms and neither computer disconnects unless I tell them too.

 

[songnar]

Heh. I found the setup for the PS3 network to be painfully easy.
step 1 - hook up PS3 to TV/Plug outlet.
step 2 - enter WEP
step 3 - enjoy

 

[GloatingSwine]

Uh that's actually wrong on two counts

First it WILL drop a network if it has a hidden SSID in favour of a network that has a broadcast SSID. Irrespective of weather the hidden network SSID is the preferred one or not. Even Microsoft say that http://support.microsoft.com/kb/811427

First, that wasn't what you were originally claiming, and second, you're still wrong. Read what you posted again, this only happens when WZC first starts and looks for networks to connect to. If there are two networks in range, and both are in the preferred networks list, WZC will use the one that broadcasts it's SSID in preference to the one that doesn't. Nothing to do with it disconnecting from one network to connect to another with a stronger signal, and not something which is going to be relevant in a great many cases.

Second I didn't say it was connecting to another network or even trying to connect I was saying that WZC roams for stronger AP signals and it is well documented that this roaming function is a cause of headache for an awful lot of people. Resulting in; lag, high latency and unexplained disconnects (although I did say that when it goes roaming it disconnects and the way I described it it could be read that it does this by design rather than because it's a massive cock up that MS won't own up too.)

It will only roam between multiple access points on the same network. It will not automatically disconnect from one network and connect to a different network because it has a stronger signal.

The only other thing you have is your anecdotal evidence which is worthless to prove a problem with WZC as a whole. I have anecdotal evidence as well, which is that it's much easier to configure and more stable than any manufacturer provided software.

 

[SinisterDeath]

- Ditch the cable company, they sound shite
- Get a better router, it sounds shite
- Disable WZC on any wireless PCs (services.msc right click the WZC and select not to start at boot) You will however have to use the software provided with your wireless receiver to set up your PCs network connection (unless you're happy doing it through Windows)

1. Would ditch the cable company, if they weren't the best one in my area...
2. I replaced the router wtih a wireless modem, with a built in router, none of the same issues.
3. I'll look into that.

However, I have talked to people, and worked with other people who haved had similar problems as I have had. And chacnes are if they have a problem like we are talking about, it involves a shitty router, or a shitty modem. (And if you don't believe a cable modem can be shitty I have news for you)
Shutting the power off to the router/modem, will escentailly get rid of any 'bugs' in the router thats preventing it from giving out 4 ips to 4 computers. (Like my example of, its only handing out 3 between 4 computers). And if the dudes connecting to his router, and his routers not giving him the IP, sometimes YOU do need to shut them both off...

And Unfortunately, my shitty cable company does 'know' exacxtly how many computers, are on your network, and I wouldn't be suprised if they knew our mac address.

Hell, my cable company even knows what your downloading!
/uggh
Is it bad if I almost wish I could go with comcast?

 

[Jalhalla]

Wow. It took me all of 30 seconds to set up wireless for my PS3.

Same dude.

If it's disconnecting all the time, just change your router or try to find the problem.

WLAN in the PS3 is really stable and gets updated with firmware anyway.

 

[Woe Is You]

The only other thing you have is your anecdotal evidence which is worthless to prove a problem with WZC as a whole. I have anecdotal evidence as well, which is that it's much easier to configure and more stable than any manufacturer provided software.

My experience with manufacturer provided software has been horrible. Used plenty of sticks with different brands. Always went back to WZC.

The worst case had software that was half-translated from Chinese, had logic reminiscent of nothing I've ever used before and did disconnect randomly. It was a stick by a company called A-Link, but I got it mainly because it had a chipset that was supported just about everywhere.

 

[Nimbus]

Wow. It took me all of 30 seconds to set up wireless for my PS3.

Same dude.

If it's disconnecting all the time, just change your router or try to find the problem.

WLAN in the PS3 is really stable and gets updated with firmware anyway.

Pfft, routers are for suckers.