Go to Settings > Network > Settings > Set Up Internet Connection, highlight your network, press the Options button (the small rectangular button on the right side of the DualSense), then choose Advanced Settings > IP Address Settings > Manual. Enter your chosen IP address, a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0, your router's address as the default gateway, and your preferred DNS servers. Save, reconnect, and run the built-in connection test. Everything below explains how to pick the right numbers and avoid the mistakes that leave you stuck at NAT Type 3.
Why a static IP matters for PS5 gaming
Every time your PS5 reconnects to the router it requests an address via DHCP. The router usually hands back the same one — but not always. When the address shifts, port forwarding rules you created in the router become orphaned: they point at an IP address no device is using. The result is NAT Type 3, failed party chats, game invites that time out, and remote-play sessions that drop. A fixed address guarantees forwarding rules always hit the right target, every reboot.
Before you touch the PS5: gather your network details
You need three pieces of information before opening any PS5 menu: your router's IP address, a safe address to assign to the PS5, and your DNS servers. Getting these wrong is the leading cause of the "Cannot connect to the internet" error that appears immediately after saving manual settings.
Find your router's IP address
Do not assume the gateway is 192.168.1.1. Router defaults vary by ISP and model — common values include 192.168.0.1, 192.168.1.1, 10.0.0.1, and 192.168.2.1, but your network may use something entirely different. Confirm your actual gateway before entering anything on the PS5.
On Windows, open Command Prompt and run:
Find the line labelled Default Gateway under your active adapter. That is your router's IP. On macOS, open Terminal and run either of these:
On Linux:
The address after via is your gateway. On iOS, go to Settings > Wi-Fi > tap your network name > Router. On Android, the path varies by manufacturer but is typically found under Wi-Fi > your network > Advanced or Network Details.
Write down the gateway IP and note the first three octets. If your gateway is 192.168.1.1, every device on that subnet — including the PS5 — must use an address in the 192.168.1.x range.
Choose an address outside the DHCP pool
The DHCP pool is the range your router automatically assigns to devices. A typical home router uses something like 192.168.1.100 to 192.168.1.200. Any address outside that range — for example, 192.168.1.201 through 192.168.1.254 — is safe to assign manually without risk of a conflict with another device. Log into your router's admin panel and find the DHCP server settings (labelled DHCP Server, LAN Setup, or Address Reservation depending on firmware) to confirm the exact pool boundaries. The admin panel URL is usually printed on a sticker on the router itself.
Step-by-step: set a manual IP on the PS5
These steps match current PS5 system software. Sony periodically renames menu items in system software updates — if a label does not match exactly, look for the nearest equivalent option.
- From the PS5 home screen, open Settings (the gear icon, top-right).
- Select Network, then Settings.
- Select Set Up Internet Connection. Your saved networks appear as a list.
- Highlight the network you currently use — your Wi-Fi SSID or the Wired LAN option. Do not press X to reconnect yet.
- Press the Options button on your DualSense — the small rectangular button on the right side of the controller. A context menu appears. On some firmware versions this shows as a gear icon next to the network name.
- Select Advanced Settings.
- Select IP Address Settings and change it from Automatic to Manual.
- Fill in the four required fields:
- IP Address: the fixed address you chose (for example, 192.168.1.250)
- Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0 for most home networks — confirm this matches what your PS5 currently shows in Connection Status while still on DHCP before switching
- Default Gateway: your router's IP address (the gateway you found above)
- Primary DNS / Secondary DNS: see the next section
- Select OK to save. The PS5 reconnects using the new manual settings.
Which DNS servers to enter
The simplest and usually fastest choice is your router's own IP as the primary DNS. The router forwards queries to your ISP or to whatever upstream resolver you have configured, and latency is low because the query stays on the LAN for the first hop. If you have experienced DNS slowness or filtering issues, a public resolver works well as a replacement or fallback.
- Google Public DNS: primary 8.8.8.8, secondary 8.8.4.4 — documented at developers.google.com/speed/public-dns
- Cloudflare DNS: primary 1.1.1.1, secondary 1.0.0.1
- Router as DNS: primary = your gateway IP, secondary = 8.8.8.8 as a fallback
Never leave the DNS fields blank or enter 0.0.0.0. The PS5 will pass the IP address step of the connection test but fail at the DNS lookup step and report that it cannot reach PlayStation Network — even though the IP settings are otherwise correct. This is the single most common misdiagnosis after switching to manual IP: the IP entry is fine, but the empty DNS field is causing the failure.
Test the connection after saving
Go to Settings > Network > Connection Status > Test Internet Connection. The test runs five checks — network adapter, IP address, internet connectivity, PlayStation Network sign-in, and NAT type — and all five should pass.
NAT type results on PlayStation:
- NAT Type 1: PS5 is connected directly to the internet with no router. Rare on home setups.
- NAT Type 2: PS5 is behind a router with ports open or forwarded. This is the target for most setups.
- NAT Type 3: Strict — ports are blocked. Port forwarding rules are missing or targeting the wrong IP address.
If you set the static IP specifically to support port forwarding and NAT Type 3 persists, open your router's port forwarding section and update every PS5-related rule to reference the new static IP. Rules pointing at the old DHCP-assigned address will keep failing even though the PS5 now has the correct static IP.
Verify from another device on the network
Once the PS5 reports the correct IP in Connection Status, confirm from another machine that the address is reachable and not conflicting with another device. On Windows, macOS, or Linux:
Replace the address with the one you assigned. Replies confirm the PS5 is live on the network. If ping returns nothing and the PS5 connection test also fails, the address may conflict with another device or the subnet mask may be wrong.
On Linux, arping gives a more definitive conflict check:
If two different MAC addresses respond to the same IP, you have a conflict. Resolve it by moving one device outside the DHCP pool and ensuring no other manual assignment uses the same address.
To confirm the DNS path to PlayStation Network is open from your computer:
A successful response with IP addresses confirms DNS resolution is working from your network segment.
DHCP reservation: a cleaner alternative
DHCP reservation — also called a static DHCP lease or address reservation — achieves the same result as a manual PS5 IP without entering any numbers on the console. You configure the router to always assign a specific IP to the PS5's MAC address whenever it requests a DHCP lease. The PS5 stays set to Automatic; the router enforces consistency.
Advantages over manual IP entry on the PS5:
- No risk of typos, wrong subnet mask, or empty DNS fields on the console side
- The assignment is managed centrally in the router and easy to audit or change
- If you replace the PS5, update one router entry instead of reconfiguring the new console
- Subnet mask and gateway are always correct because the router provides them via DHCP
To set this up, find the PS5's MAC address at Settings > Network > Connection Status — it is listed separately for Wi-Fi and LAN. Log into your router admin panel, navigate to the DHCP reservation or address reservation section (the exact label varies by firmware and brand), and create an entry binding that MAC address to your chosen IP. Save, then reboot the PS5 or reconnect its network interface. It should receive the reserved address on the next DHCP request.
Common misdiagnoses
Port forwarding rules not updated after the IP change
This is the most common reason a static IP setup still results in NAT Type 3. The static IP only prevents future address drift — rules created before the change still target the old address. Open your router's port forwarding page, find every PS5-related rule, change the destination IP to the new static address, and save. Then rerun the PS5 connection test.
Choosing an address inside the DHCP pool
If the pool runs from 192.168.1.100 to 192.168.1.200 and you manually assign 192.168.1.150, the router may hand that same address to a laptop or phone on a future lease cycle. Both devices end up with the same IP, causing intermittent and difficult-to-diagnose failures on both. Move the PS5 address above the pool ceiling or use a DHCP reservation so the router tracks the assignment.
Wrong subnet mask
Most home networks use 255.255.255.0, but some ISP-provided routers configure a different mask. Entering the wrong value causes the PS5 to misidentify which addresses are local versus remote, breaking routing silently. Check the subnet mask shown in Settings > Network > Connection Status while the PS5 is still on DHCP before switching to manual, and copy exactly what is shown there.
Treating a 169.254.x.x address as a partial success
A 169.254.x.x address means the PS5 assigned itself an APIPA address because it could not reach a DHCP server and no valid manual settings were saved. There is no network connectivity from this state — all traffic fails. The fix is always to return to Advanced Settings and re-enter the four manual fields carefully. Rebooting the router or checking the ISP connection will not help until the PS5 settings are corrected.
2026 notes: CGNAT, IPv6, and encrypted DNS
If your router's WAN IP falls in the 100.64.0.0/10 range, your connection is behind carrier-grade NAT. The ISP's own NAT layer sits upstream of your router and blocks inbound connections before they ever reach your equipment. Even a perfectly configured static LAN IP and correct port forwarding on your router will not change the NAT type seen by PlayStation Network in this situation. Contact your ISP and ask whether they offer a dedicated public IP address — some provide one free of charge, others offer it as a small monthly add-on.
IPv6 is worth checking. If your ISP provides native IPv6 and your router is configured to pass it through, the PS5 may already have a globally routable IPv6 address. PlayStation Network supports IPv6 natively, and on an IPv6 path the traditional NAT type limitations largely disappear because the console has a direct routable address without any NAT translation. Check Settings > Network > Connection Status for an IPv6 address alongside the IPv4 one. The static IPv4 setup described above remains valid on dual-stack networks for local consistency and for any port forwarding rules that target the IPv4 address specifically.
Many routers now enable DNS over HTTPS or DNS over TLS by default. On these devices, DNS queries from all client devices — including the PS5 — are intercepted and re-encrypted to the router's chosen upstream resolver regardless of what DNS IP you enter on the console. This does not affect connectivity, but if you need a specific resolver for privacy or content filtering, configure DoH or DoT at the router level rather than relying on the DNS fields in the PS5 settings.
Preventing the issue from returning
- Prefer DHCP reservation over manual IP entry where your router supports it — it centralizes the assignment and survives console replacements and system software updates.
- Record the PS5 MAC address, assigned IP, and router gateway somewhere accessible. You will need all three when you change ISPs, reset the router to factory defaults, or move to a new home network.
- After any PS5 system software update, recheck Settings > Network > Connection Status and run the connection test. Updates rarely reset network settings, but it has been reported and takes seconds to confirm.
- When you get a new router or change ISPs, your subnet and gateway will almost certainly change. Manual IP settings on the PS5 will then be on the wrong subnet and all connectivity fails immediately. Update the PS5 settings or recreate the DHCP reservation before assuming the router or ISP is at fault.