Sony's new cheaper, lighweight PS4 'Slim' model will support both 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless frequencies across 802.11ac/n/g thanks to its new Wi-Fi networking card. Users will be able to switch. When I use Bluetooth speakers the signal drops in and out. I've been told that it is due to conflict channels being used by WiFi and bluetooth and to change the WiFi channel to a different one? My response is eh? What is a channel? How do I change it?

Solve Strict NAT Issues; Change NAT Type on PS4 to Open or Moderate with Connectify Hotspot

Are you having NAT type issues with your PS4? No worries, we’ve got the solution!

Using your PlayStation 4 to play games online is one of the most popular ways to relax nowadays. Being faced to human opponents certainly beats playing against the computer.

Unfortunately, when it comes to being able to connect to the Internet on your console, things are not so simple. If you’re a student, you know this much too well – usually campus WiFi networks don’t allow connections from game consoles. Sometimes it’s the router or other networking equipment you’re using that’s causing the issue. It basically resumes down to network address translation (NAT) settings.

Read below to see how you can change NAT type on your PS4 using the Connectify Hotspot app.

What is NAT? How Does It Affect My PS4 Connectivity?

Network Address Translation (NAT) is a method used by routers to translate a public IP address (used on the Internet) into a private IP address (used on your home network) and vice versa. This is done for multiple purposes:

• to add security to the network by keeping the private IP addresses hidden from the Internet.
• to allow multiple devices to share a single IP address

In the world of gaming consoles, there are three NAT types that classify the connectivity they have to other players over the Internet:

• Open NAT (Type 1) – all is permitted – your gaming device can connect to anyone’s games and host games. Plus – other users will be able to find and connect to the games you are hosting. This is usually the case when your console is connected directly to the Internet with no router or firewall.
• Moderate NAT (Type 2) – your gaming console will be able to connect to other players, but some functions will be limited. When connecting to the Internet through a router that is configured properly, you’ll get this NAT type.
• Strict NAT (Type 3) – your gaming device has limited connectivity with other players. Other players on a moderate or strict NAT will not be able to join your hosted games. This is the case when the router doesn’t have any open ports.

So, you’ll have the best gaming experience if you’re on an open NAT or at least a moderate NAT.

Connectify Hotspot Helps You Change NAT Type on PS4

For the purpose of this article, we’ll assume that you’re connected through a router or firewall to the Internet, whether at home or through some public network.

Connectify Hotspot is the most popular software app for Windows PCs that allows you to turn your computer into a virtual router and share your Internet connection with other devices, such as gaming devices. You just have to connect the computer you have Connectify Hotspot installed to your network via WiFi or wired Ethernet, and create a WiFi hotspot. Then, connect your gaming devices to the WiFi network created with Connectify Hotspot in order to fix NAT type issues.

Below is a video that illustrates how to set up a WiFi hotspot with Connectify:

Here’s how Connectify Hotspot helps you change NAT type on your PS4:

• it will forward to TCP and UDP ports necessary for online play on your PS4
• your PS4 will automatically get NAT Type 2 (Moderate), which allows you to enjoy your gaming experience without any issues.

Still not working after taking the steps above? Read below!

Change NAT Type on PS4 Using Speedify Fast Bonding VPN with Connectify Hotspot

Sometimes your Internet connection restricts available ports to a strict NAT type 3. This usually is the case when connecting from campus WiFi, office networks, public WiFi networks etc. In this case, in order to get a moderate NAT type 2, you’ll have to bypass the port restrictions on these networks.

The simplest way to do this is by using a fast bonding VPN such as Speedify. A VPN makes it impossible for the Internet service provider to see what your traffic is about and impose port restrictions. All VPN traffic goes through predefined ports that are open.

So, getting back to changing NAT type on your PS4 – if you’re on a strict NAT type 3 network, here are the steps you should take:

1. Download and installConnectify HotspotandSpeedifyon your Windows laptop or PC
2. Open Speedify and connect to a server (usually the closest will be best). If you have multiple Internet connections from different networks, you cancombine and use them at the same timewith Speedify to create a super-connection with increased bandwidth and lower lag.
3. Run Connectify Hotspot. Under WiFi Hotspot mode, give your hotspot a custom name and password, and select the “Speedify Virtual Adapter” from the Internet to Share drop-down menu. Then click “Start Hotspot”.

4. Connect your PlayStation 4 to the hotspot you configured using Connectify. All the traffic going through this WiFi hotspot will be NAT type 2 (Moderate).

Now that you’re all set – forget about NAT type issues and enjoy your online gaming with Connectify Hotspot! And Speedify, if that’s the case. It’s that easy to change NAT type on your PS4!

Don't Have Connectify Hotspot Yet?

Turn your PC into a WiFi Hotspot and Share Internet with your Devices

5 minute read

Looking to boost your PS4’s internet speeds? 5GHz may be the solution you need.

Not to be confused with 5G, the hottest new networking infrastructure making waves, 5GHz is a wireless networking band that offers a higher bandwidth than 2.4GHz at the cost of range.

It’s another one of those PS4 features that’s sometimes confusing due to variance of support across models.

Does the regular PS4 support 5GHz? How can I start using 5GHz? Will it actually make a huge difference in speeds?

Read below for answers to these questions and more as I dive into the realities of 5GHz console gaming.

PS4 Models with Built in 5GHz Support

If you want to take advantage of the quicker cousin of 2.4GHz, you’re going to need to own either a PS4 Slim or PS4 Pro model.

The original PS4 models do not support 5GHz.

It doesn’t matter whether your Pro/Slim is a limited edition bundle, has 500gb storage, was purchased a year ago, or imported from some far away land. As long as it’s not an original model, you’re in the clear.

It’s unfortunate that Sony omitted the feature from the launch models (read below to learn how to increase speeds on the base PS4), but then there are other omissions that don’t make sense (lack of Bluetooth support, no UHD Blu-ray in PS4 Pro, and so on).

How to Set Up 5GHz on the PS4

Making sure your console offers a higher bandwidth band is only half the battle – you also need to make sure that your router supports it as well.

I personally own the Netgear Nighthawk router (awesome router for gaming/streaming) which offers simultaneous dual-band WiFi, meaning that it can output 2.4GHz and 5GHz at the same time.

You’ll want to make a quick Google search with something like “[Your Router Model] + 5GHz” in order to verify this for yourself.

If it supports it, your router will most likely output 5GHz from the get go whether or not it’s dual band (many routers are dual-band due to the dominance of 2.4GHz).

The only thing you will need to do after this pre-setup phase is go into the networking settings of your PS4 and select the 5GHz band SSID (service set identifier).

What is an SSID? In basic terms, it’s what you name your router. Think about all of the devices you have connected to your router. How was it displayed/broadcasted during setup?

This is what you’ll be looking for, only you’ll need to make sure it’s the 5GHz variant.

For me, the Nighthawk router displays the band as Netgear-5G. You should see something along the lines of [your router]-5G but if not, reference your router’s setup guide to see how it displays the band.

Simply press X when hovering over the correct SSID, enter your encryption key credentials, and test the connection.

Provided you haven’t accidentally entered the wrong password, you’ll be off to the races with 5GHz on your PS4.

Is 5GHz Better for Playing PS4 Online?

In theory, 5GHz is vastly superior to 2.4GHz when it comes to gaming online.

You’ll need to test it out on your home networking setup, but it generally offers:

• Wider bandwidth

Routers pushing this band offer more room for wireless devices to occupy by way of an increased number of channels and more bandwidth than 2.4GHz.

The end result is a much greater potential for speed and connection reliability (reduction of lag, packet loss, and dropped connections).

If, however, your house is on the larger side and your PS4 is set up far away from your router, you may not be be able to reap the benefits.

You might think of 5GHz as a sprinter – capable of immense speed at short distances. It, unfortunately, lacks the range of 2.4GHz.

I can personally attest to the increase in speed on PS4 and otherwise due to the switch. I’m using a PS4 Slim, Netgear Nighthawk router, and Verizon Fios.

The combination of the three has boosted the speeds of PS4 game and patch downloads (of which are notoriously horrible), and reduced lag and instability. A lot of my gaming is done online with games like Battlefield V, Overwatch, Black Ops 4, and Gran Turismo Sport.

Truthfully, I wasn’t experiencing a ton of lag before the Nighthawk, but the switch to 5GHz has made multiple simultaneous connections a non-issue (PSN downloads, gaming, streaming Netflix, internet etc.), and dropped internet connections are nearly non-existent.

Streaming games to Twitch and YouTube was also very spotty before the switch to 5GHz.

Using ethernet always reigns supreme, but if you need to go wireless due to your set up, definitely test 5GHz.

It’s becoming increasingly important to fully tap the potential of networking speed and reliability with the boon of streaming on Twitch and YouTube, sharing screenshots, uploading gameplay, and playing massive online games like Fortnite.

Boosting the Regular PS4’s Speed

Sticking with an original PS4? Completely sensible, especially with next generation consoles just over the horizon.

If you still want to try to boost your online gaming experience, there’s a couple things you can try.

Good ol’ Fashioned Hard Wired

The most obvious solution is going to be using an ethernet port. Going hard wired is superior to WiFi in every way except convenience, besting even 5GHz.

Connect Ps4 To Wifi

Obviously, you’ll need to be close to your router for this to work, but if you have the option, do it. At worst, you’ll find that your lackluster networking performance is due to something else like your ISP (internet service provider).

And if it all pans out, you could see a tremendous improvement in terms of lag, packet loss, download speeds, and network multitasking.

Powerline Adapter

A powerline adapter is essentially a more convenient way of going hard wired.

You plug one powerline adapter into your router and an electrical outlet, and the other into an electrical outlet nearest to your PS4. Finally, you connect the second adapter to your PS4 via ethernet.

A connection between your router and PS4 is transmitted through the electrical wiring in your house. This method has the potential to greatly increase your speeds over WiFi, but like 5GHz, the final result depends on your house.

The impact this will have on online gaming will ultimately depend on how the wiring is set up in your home, and reconfiguring indoor wiring isn’t exactly something you can just do on the fly.

Thankfully, powerline adapters are relatively inexpensive so testing it out for yourself shouldn’t hit the bank too hard.

Best Wifi Channel For Ps4 Deals

A few of the more popular powerline adapters on the market include:

• TP Link AV600
• TP Link AV2000
• Netgear PLW1010-100NAS

It’s a shame Sony limits core capabilities of some of its consoles (why no optical port on the Slim?), but thankfully, with some minor adjustments to your setup it’s rather painless to increase your networking performance.

What is your experience with 5GHz? Worth the hype? Let us know in the comments below.