help please: computer, ps3, router IP issues

[Sweed]

My home has a WRT54GS lynksys router with two wired computers (one not turned on), my wifes laptop(wireless), and our ps3 wired into it. The ps3 is a launch 20 gig so no built in wifi. I had been using a lynksys wireless adapter since we got the ps3 at launch 3-4? years ago. Connection for ps3 was always somewhat unstable(The Show patch was virtually impossible to d'load) so last weekend I ran a cat cable to it which did allow me to patch The Show.

My issue is (both now hard wired and in the past with the wireless adapter) turning on the ps3 almost always brings up an IP error with my wife's laptop and sometimes conflicts with my desktop (hardwired). Says something like "another computer on the network is using the same IP". My router is set up with "automatic DHCP".

Why is my router handing out the same IP to different computers? Am I missing something in the settings?

One more thing happened tonight. We signed up for netflix and my wife was streaming something to her laptop. I started the ps3 to see if she would get an IP conflict, it was fine no problems. Put in "The Show"(not playing online) and she got a message on netflix screen that net had slowed down and they were making adjustments and her program would continue. She stayed connected but nothing happened. Quit Show and disabled internet to ps3 and her program came back up in about a minute. She's now off her computer and I finished with The Show and enabled internet to ps3 and then put it to sleep. Came to my desktop and woke it to get online and had the "IP address conflict message" though windows didn't find an issue when it checked, I suppose, because the ps3 was now asleep. But evidently when I enabled ps3 internet the router gave it the same IP as my desktop.

Sorry a bit long winded but wanted to give enough info for anyone that might be able to help. Anyway any suggestions on router settings or what might be causing this would be greatly appreciated.

[finkenst]

can you statically assign your wired connections?

[Sweed]

There's a static IP option on the "basic setup" screen for the router, so I would guess yes?

Amateur at this stuff but assumed DHCP was the more secure way to go?

[Big Fo]

My PS3 hates my router, I can only get it online like one time out of ten. That doesn't help you though.

I notice that one of the "currently active users viewing this thread" has the username Router Help. He/she probably knows more.

[Sweed]

Originally Posted by Big Fo

My PS3 hates my router, I can only get it online like one time out of ten. That doesn't help you though.

I notice that one of the "currently active users viewing this thread" has the username Router Help. He/she probably knows more.

Yeah, it's kind of weird. My son and I both have media com internet (he lives in a different area of Iowa. I'm NW corner, he's just west of Des Moines) and his wifi ps3 never has any issues getting online. When I try to d'load patches it will usually take many tries before I get it and it's somewhat slow. He gets 'em first time and he says the d'load bar just slides across at about the same speed his computer d'loads files. Go figure.

[Router Help]

It sounds like the Ps3 comes out of sleep with its old IP instead of requesting a new one. I would just statically assign it an IP outside of the DHCP range. Not any less secure, DHCP just makes it easier to setup and manage.

[Sweed]

Originally Posted by Router Help

It sounds like the Ps3 comes out of sleep with its old IP instead of requesting a new one. I would just statically assign it an IP outside of the DHCP range. Not any less secure, DHCP just makes it easier to setup and manage.

Thanks for the advice. Keep in mind I'm extremely unfamiliar with tinkering with my router so here are my elementary questions.

I set the static address on the ps3, correct? Found the place in the ps3 menus, just want to be sure

Outside the dhcp range would be done on the router setup by using a number higher than the "maximum number of dhcp users"? The default number of users on my setup is 50. So I do this by ending the address anywhere over 50?

Also while I'm tinkering should I lower that max user 50? Seems a bit extreme.

Thanks.

[Router Help]

Yes, on the PS3 There should be a screen that shows the range of IPs it gives out. Check that out because .51 or whatever may not be out of the range. If you can't find that you would be safe setting it at .200 or something. I'm sure the range doesn't go that high.

You can adjust the number of users if you want. I wouldn't really worry about it.

[Sweed]

Originally Posted by Router Help

Yes, on the PS3 There should be a screen that shows the range of IPs it gives out. Check that out because .51 or whatever may not be out of the range. If you can't find that you would be safe setting it at .200 or something. I'm sure the range doesn't go that high.

You can adjust the number of users if you want. I wouldn't really worry about it.

Thanks a lot, really appreciate your help.

FOFC comes through again.

[stevew]

Mine was all fucked up last night too.