AEBS Settings for PS3 Gaming - Help!

[iBrody]

I mostly play Max Payne 3 and Red Dead Redemption, and there always seems to be lag and denied access to join teams (Max Payne).

This is becoming extremely frustrating, and I am not sure where the actual problem lies, is it PSN? Virgin Media? AEBS settings? Or a combination?

Equipment/Services:

PS3
AEBS (+ 2nd AEBS as an extender)
Virgin Media SuperHub (cable 50mbps DL, 4.5mbps upload, ping rate avg. 17-34)
MacBook Pro 15" - early 2011
Cat 6a cable (PS3 to AEBS)

My PS3 is connected as 'wired' to my AEBS and I haven't touched any of the settings in Airport Utility. I don't seem to notice any difference in the speed or the issues from when I connected the PS3 via a wireless set-up (issues detailed in the opening paragraph); but I have read on various sites that it is possible to change the settings in Airport Utility to help overcome these issues.

Has anybody changed their AEBS settings for gaming? I am not even sure what changes are required, the main references I can find whilst searching the web include DMZ, locating the default gateway (can only see instructions how to locate this using a cmd command for pc), and manually add ports...

If anyone can help me with a step-by-step 'dummy guide' and easy to follow process flow for setting up the PS3 and AEBS via the Cat 6a cable to ensure I get the best possible connection for the PSN I will be eternally grateful!

Ps, I wish to continue using the wireless connection for all other appliances at the same time.

Thanks in advance

 

[Weaselboy]

You should not need to do anything to make the AE work with a PS3. I used a PS3 with a Time Capsule (same thing as a Ae just with a hard drive inside) and just ran the default router setup and it worked fine.

Are you getting any errors related to NAT that make you think there is a problem?

If you really want to put the PS3 in the DMZ, you can, but the AE calls it "Enable default host." Just setup DHCP reservations to assign a specific IP to the PS3 all the time then add that IP to the "enable default host" section. This has the same effect as DMZ.

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1482

You will need the older and more full featured Airport Utility 5.6 to do this. Get it at the above link. It can co-exist with the new Airport Utility app.

 

[iBrody]

Thanks for this, the PSN works fine most of the time, just sometimes denies me access to games I have been invited to on Max Payne 3, and I seem to have lag issues on Red Dead.

I am sure it's a combination of a lot of things, but I read that the DMZ enabling can solve a lot of gaming problems.

I have found the following step by step guide from another forum (I have mix and matched instructions from 2 different users as one user wasn't using Airport Utility). Do you think this will work once I have installed the earlier version of Airport Utility?

PS3:

To do this, first you'll need to go to the Settings and Connection Status List and make a note of 2 numbers:

1. The 'IP Address'
2. The 'Default Router'

Once you've got these, back out of this menu and go to the Internet Connection Settings menu. From here, follow these steps:

1. Select 'Custom'
2. Select the type of connection your using (If your PS3 is plugged in to the router, select 'Wired', if not you're using a wireless connection, select that intead.)
3. If you selected wireless, set up your connection as normal untill you get to the IP Address menu.
4. If you selected wired, select 'Auto-Detect' at the next screen and continue to the IP Address menu.
5. At the IP Address menu, select 'Manual'.

Remember those numbers you marked down earlier? Here's why you noted them!

You'll now see a screen with 5 options:

IP Address
Here, you need to input the number you noted down earlier. However, you should change the last group of 3 digits to something else. Your safest bet is to increase this number by 50 and use that. So, if the IP address you noted earlier was 192.168.0.50 then your new IP address would be 192.168.0.100

Note that the numbers here only go up to 255, so use that as a maximum if you need to. Be sure to ONLY change the last group of numbers! Make a note of the number you decided to go with.

Subnet Mask
This is almost always 255.255.255.0, don't change this unless you have a specific reason to do so.

Default Router
The second of the numbers you wrote down, all you need to do here is input the IP address of your router.

Primary DNS
This bit is super easy. Remember the number you placed in 'Default Router'? Whack it in here again!

Secondary DNS
You don't need anything at all here, unless you have a specific reason to input a Secondary DNS.

Once you're done here, make sure to make a note of the IP address you entered at this menu and hit right on the d-pad to advance.

6. For MTU - select Automatic
7. Do not use a proxy server, unless you have a specific reason to use one!
8. UPnP - it's usually a good idea to enable this, but if you have voice comms trouble after using this guide, try disabling it.
9. Review the settings and test the connection!

Now, don't panic. Your PS3 may scream at you that it cant connect to PSN. In the words of Revolver Ocelot, "We're not finished yet!"


Airport Utility:

1. Open Airport Utility via Applications>Utilities
2. Open up your Airport router's settings by clicking on the picture
3. Click the "Network" menu within the router's settings
4. For "Router Mode," choose "DHCP and NAT"
5. For "DHCP Range," set the first part however you fancy, and leave the rest as xxx.xxx.1.2 - 200 (If one of the settings settings for the first part gives you trouble, just try another. 192.168 wouldn't work for me, so I chose 10.0. As a result, for the rest of this guide, let's assume you chose 10.0 as well). Leave the "DHCP Lease" and "DHCP Reservations" settings as they are unless you have a specific reason to do otherwise
6. Check the "Enable default host at" setting. The address should come up as 10.0.1.253. Unless you have a specific reason to do otherwise, leave this as it is
7. Update your settings and apply them. Your router will reboot
8. Follow the guide on the first page of this thread for instructions on how to set up your PS3. Make sure that you assign the same address you used for the "Enable default host at" setting as your PS3's IP address (In my case, 10.0.1.253). Use 10.0.1.1 as your router's IP and your Primary DNS
9. If you continue to have issues, assign all of your devices a static IP address (Use 10.0.1.x, where x must be more than 1 and be different from each other device. I use 10.0.1.2 and 10.0.1.3). Just to be clear, this is referring to devices OTHER THAN your PS3. Leave your PS3's IP as 10.0.1.253


Test

Troop over to your PS3 and go back into Network Settings. From here, select Internet Connection Test. If all has gone swimmingly, your test will be successful and your NAT Type will read '2'. Hurrah! Your console is demilitarised and has nothing to fear from aerial bombings* or multiplayer connection troubles.

 

[Weaselboy]

That should work, but here is a little easier method using DHCP reservations. This will have the router give your PS3 the same IP every time and we will put that IP in the DMZ (or Enable default host as Apple calls it).

Get the older more full featured Airport Utility installed and go to this screen to see the IP and MAC address of all clients. You should see the PS3 here if it is on. Note the IP address and MAC address of the PS3.

Now go to this second screen and click the plus at the bottom to add the PS3 to the DHCP reservations list. You will get a popup asking to name the entry. Just call it PS3 and check the box for reserve by MAC address, then go to the next screen and enter the PS3 MAC address and IP you noted from step one above. Then click done.

So now at this point we have the router setup to give the PS3 that same IP address all the time. This is the same end result as all the clicking around to add a static IP on the PS3 itself.

One last step. In the below screen check the box "Enable default host" and enter the same IP we used in the previous two steps.

Now update the settings to make the changes to the router. It will reboot and assign that same IP to the PS3 and that IP will be in the DMZ.

Go to network settings on the PS3 and you should see NAT type 2. Done.

If you are still getting lag and issues after this, it is something other than the router.

 

[iBrody]

Thanks for this Weazelboy. That work around seems a lot more simple than the one I found!

Once I have enabled DMZ (assuming this solves the problem), will I be able to then update Airport Utility back to v.6.1 and for the AEBS to remember the static IP settings?

 

[Weaselboy]

Thanks for this Weazelboy. That work around seems a lot more simple than the one I found!

Once I have enabled DMZ (assuming this solves the problem), will I be able to then update Airport Utility back to v.6.1 and for the AEBS to remember the static IP settings?

No need to do anything afterward. 5.6 will coexist in the /Applications/Utilities folder. See my screen grab with 6.1 at the top and 5.6 below it.

The AEBS will retain those settings with either or both clients. 6.1 is just a stripped down version of 5.6. I would leave them both installed in case you want to make changes to your DMZ settings. 5.6 also has some logging capabilities not present in 6.1.

 

[iBrody]

I see, thanks again for your help

 

[iBrody]

Ok, done what you said and I genuinely think that the login process on the PS3 is now quicker and takes less time to show my friends statuses.

Are the other steps that I included for the PS3 negligible?

6. For MTU - select Automatic
7. Do not use a proxy server, unless you have a specific reason to use one!
8. UPnP - it's usually a good idea to enable this, but if you have voice comms trouble after using this guide, try disabling it.

I assume that the settings on the PS3 are currently set to 'Automatic' as I haven't changed any settings on the PS3.

Not yet checked the actual gaming, as it's a tad late now!

But thanks again, and if you have any further comments re steps 6-8 above then I look forward to your response.

Cheers

 

[Weaselboy]

Ok, done what you said and I genuinely think that the login process on the PS3 is now quicker and takes less time to show my friends statuses.

Are the other steps that I included for the PS3 negligible?

6. For MTU - select Automatic
7. Do not use a proxy server, unless you have a specific reason to use one!
8. UPnP - it's usually a good idea to enable this, but if you have voice comms trouble after using this guide, try disabling it.

I assume that the settings on the PS3 are currently set to 'Automatic' as I haven't changed any settings on the PS3.

Not yet checked the actual gaming, as it's a tad late now!

But thanks again, and if you have any further comments re steps 6-8 above then I look forward to your response.

Cheers

I would leave those items at their default, which should be as noted. You should be all set.