What To Do If A DNS Server Cannot Be Used On Your PS4
Nothing is more annoying than being stopped from playing your PS4 because of an error message. Be it an issue with your PS4’s refresh rate or your connection to a DNS server, what can you do to get back to playing your PS4?
Playing your favorite game on your PS4 at the end of a long day can be a great way to relax. But sometimes a pesky error message may impede you from playing your PS4. One of the more annoying errors are DNS errors that can prevent your PS4 from being able to maintain a stable connection to the internet.
Table of Contents
- What should I do if a DNS server cannot be used on my PS4?
- What Exactly Is A DNS Server?
- Why Do DNS Errors Happen?
- What To Do If A DNS Server Cannot Be Used On PS4
- Contact Playstation Support
What should I do if a DNS server cannot be used on my PS4?
If a DNS server cannot be used on a PS4, it is most likely a problem with your network connection or network settings. To fix this issue simply make sure that your PS4 has a stable connection to your WiFi network by going into your PS4’s network settings.
Though the technology behind DNS is quite complicated, the ways that you can fix DNS errors are normally really quick and easy to carry out. With most DNS issues, even if on the first try you don’t succeed, there are still plenty of other things that you can do to fix this pesky issue in no time at all.
Through my many years owning multiple different PS4 models, I’ve come across pretty much every error message that you can receive. I’ve spent hours of my life learning to fix these issues in the quickest and most simple way possible, so I’m sure these solutions will help you fix your PS4’s DNS problems.
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What Exactly Is A DNS Server?
First, it may be useful just to get a bit of a basic understanding of what a DNS server is to help us better understand the problem. DNS, meaning Domain Name System, is how your PS4 gains access to different information on the internet.
Essentially acting as a phone book for the internet, DNS servers are the machines that allow your device to connect domain names to IP addresses. If a DNS server cannot be used on your PS4, it means that your PS4 does not have access to the information that it needs to run properly.
Why Do DNS Errors Happen?
There are a few different reasons that DNS errors occur. In the majority of cases, DNS errors occur because your PS4 is having trouble connecting to your wireless network.
Whether it’s simply a case of slow or unstable connection or your PS4 isn’t able to connect at all, this is the most likely cause of your PS4 not being able to use a DNS server. Error codes PS4 DNS error NW-31251-2 or PS4 DNS error CE-33986-9 will be triggered if this is the issue.
The other way that a DNS server error occurs is because of incorrect DNS settings.
Mismatched DNS settings can prevent you from accessing the DNS server. Normally DNS settings are handled automatically by your PS4 but sometimes there is a mistake and incorrect settings are used.
You will receive the error code PS4 DNS error NW-33986-9 if this is the issue.
What To Do If A DNS Server Cannot Be Used On PS4
Your next course of action in fixing your DNS error will depend on which error message you receive. As stated above, each error message corresponds with a different problem so you will need to check exactly which error code you received in order to choose the correct solution.
What Can You Do If Error Codes PS4 DNS error NW-31251-2 or PS4 DNS error CE-33986-9 Are Triggered?
If your PS4 shows one of these errors it means that your PS4 is experiencing network connection issues. There are a few things that you can do in order to fix this.
First, you will want to go to your PS4’s network settings menu. From here you are able to see if the PS4 is connected to your wireless network and test the connection if need be.
If you find that your PS4 is not connected to your network, you will want to click set up the connection, find your network, and type in the network password in order to connect.
If for some reason your PS4 cannot find your network or the connection is still too slow, you may want to try moving your router closer to your console or rebooting the router altogether.
Closer proximity to your console will make it easier for your router to provide adequate signal and rebooting will help get rid of any random glitch that may have occurred in your router.
You can also always use a wired connection if you have a spare ethernet cable lying around. Wired connections are usually faster and more stable so you shouldn’t experience any more connection issues if you go this route.
What Can You Do If Error Code PS4 DNS error NW-33986-9 Is Triggered?
If you receive this error code, it means that your PS4’s DNS server settings are not correct.
Incorrect settings will cause your PS4 to be unable to access the IP addresses that it needs to, preventing your PS4 from running properly online.
DNS servers are handled automatically by default by the PS4, however, if you are experiencing issues and the DNS server settings are incorrect you can easily switch it to manual and input the correct settings yourself. You can do this by going to the network settings of your PS4 and looking for the set-up internet connection option.
From here you will choose your wireless network and continue to custom setup. You’ll want to go to DNS settings and select manual instead of automatic.
You will then be asked to input the correct primary and secondary DNS information. Google DNS servers are great for this, so simply search Google Public DNS and use the DNS Addresses there. This should fix the issue immediately, however, if you are still experiencing issues there is one last thing to try.
You can always restore your console to default settings to set the settings back to exactly the way they were configured when you bought it. Unlike a hard reset, this only affects the settings on your console so no game data or anything else will be deleted.
In order to do this, you will want to first turn off your PS4 and reboot it back up in safe mode. Safe mode can be accessed by simply holding down your PS4’s power button for approximately 10 seconds.
Once booted up, choose the restore default settings option to fix any and all errors that have occurred.
Contact Playstation Support
If you still haven’t had any luck fixing the DNS errors on your PS4, your next best bet is to contact PlayStation support.
The Playstation support website is easy to use and full of all sorts of information that you can use to troubleshoot the issue.
You can also call PlayStation support at 1-800-345-7669 to talk to a real person that will be able to help you solve any problem you’re having with your PS4. No matter how you plan to go about it, Playstation Support offers all the information you’ll need to solve your problem and is a great last resort when it comes to fixing your DNS issues.