PS3 + Linksys WRT54GS + Virgin Media = router drop outs

[MJ]

I've got VM's M package and a Linksys WRT54GS router and never get any problems with the net (wireless) or Xbox Live (wired), but as soon as I connect the PS3 to it by wireless, either with automatic settings or a manual IP, I get constant router drop outs. I've tried various channels and settings and am getting no where and the router is only in the room next door. I'm not going to update the firmware because the last time I did this Xbox Live would break the internet altogether and only a power cycle would fix it until I rolled the firmware back. Any suggestions?

[CMcK]

Buy a high gain antenna for the router or run an ethernet cable to the PS3.

My PS3 has loads of bother keeping a connection despite the router not being all that far away. I've tried it with a D-Link router (awful), an Apple Airport Base Station (fab with PS3 but my 360 doesn't even acknowledge it) and now have a Netgear router.

IIRC the PS3 Wifi antenna is a length of wire running diagonally across the top of the system. Have you tried standing the console on end so it faces the general direction of the signal from the router?

[MJ]

The signal is never below 94%, but the PS3 drops out every few seconds and when I have its internet connection enabled it causes the router itself to drop out every several seconds, which affects all devices connected to it. Disable the PS3's internet connection and it's stable again.

[CMcK]

Assign a fixed IP address to the PS3 in the console wireless settings and make sure your router knows to look for that address.

[Hohum]

What version number is your WRT54GS? Should be printed on a label somewhere.

[MJ]

Assign a fixed IP address to the PS3 in the console wireless settings and make sure your router knows to look for that address.

This makes no difference.

What version number is your WRT54GS? Should be printed on a label somewhere.

v5.1, so DD-WRT Micro Generic is the only real third party firmware option I've got.

[MJ]

After trying further things without success I thought I would try disabling UPnP on the router and to my surprise the PS3 now works fine, but as I suspected I can't get more than a moderate NAT on Xbox Live without UPnP on so this is no good. If I enable UPnP on the router and turn it off on the PS3, I still get the drop outs. Using a static IP and putting it in the DMZ made no difference either.

As I could connect I thought I would create a PSN account and now when I do a connection test it reports on PSN, UPnP and NAT Type and these three were not being tested before I disabled UPnP. The NAT Type is Type 2, which I assume is the equivalent to Moderate on Live, and I'm guessing I really want Type 1 for Open. I can't see a way round this due to the differences in set up to get Live Open and the PS3 to work at all without the router dropping out constantly.

[C']

Try disabling the Media Sharing option on the PS3. I have the same router and when that's enabled it keeps dropping out but I've been fine sincce I turned it off.