This only works when you use a router, but I assume just about everyone goes through one of these. This works for both Wired or Wireless, though I will always prefer Wired if the possibility is there.

Consequences:

    * Moderately improve connection/download/upload speed
    * Drastically improve connection/download/upload speed
    * Improve connection stability
    * Improve connection performance
    * Improve co-op connectivity (Mercenaries 2 cure)
    * Decrease disconnection during games such as CoD4
    * Better Headset performance/quality, and better ability to hear others
    * Improve your PING during online gaming
    * Cause some games to crash while being signed in.

Note that this method will force your PS3 to bypass your firewall. Don't be alarmed, because not only is your PS3 absolutely of nobody's interest, it's still practically impossible to hack into it. Someone would need the skills to rob a bank online to get into your PS3, and if you're that important, perhaps you should just stay behind a firewall. Other than that, you are virtually at no risk.

What's basically going to happen is that you're putting your PS3's IP address in the DMZ of your router. This is the Demilitarized Zone, and means nothing will stand in the way of you and the selected IP address. This also requires your PS3 to adopt a static IP address. Fear not, here comes the step by step guide.

Preparation

    * First of all, you will need to know what your Default Gateway address is. To do this, follow this quick step-by-step tutorial. This will be on your PC/laptop:
         1. Start
         2. Run
         3. Type "cmd", then Enter. This will open Command Prompt. Some Vista users that prefer the classic menu might have to go through Accessories and then find Command Prompt.
         4. In Command Prompt, type: ipconfig, and hit Enter. This will come with a large list of crap and bullshit. However, what you want is the IP address listed as "Default Gateway".
         5. Write this down.
    * Now you want to make sure you can access your Router Configuration Page via your browser. Open your internet browser, and type your Default Gateway IP address you just found in the address bar. Hit Enter.
    * It will ask you for a username and password. Most of the time, this will be unchanged. Linksys uses a blank username, and the password admin. Either way, if you somehow lost this, your ISP will have to be contacted in order for you to retrieve it.

This will be all your homework. On to the PS3 herself.

The PS3 Phase

First of all, you're going to give your PS3 a static IP address. This will ensure that your PS3 connects to the same IP, every single time, which causes more stability and consistency. This way, we can also allocate the PS3 to a specific zone on your Router; the DMZ.

Normally, if all your settings are set to 'Automatic', your PS3 will take the first IP available on your LAN. This is most likely 192.168.1.2, 192.168.1.3, etc. The last digit indicates the device number, so we're going to up that to a number we know will never be used by anything else.

   1. On the PS3 XMB, go to: Settings > Network Settings > Internet Connection Settings. Click this, and it will take you to the setup. This will disconnect your connection, accept.
   2. The next page will ask you to select a method. Either Custom or Easy. We'll be doing Custom today.
   3. Select either Wired or Wireless. Method works for both, but preferably Wired. Always.
   4. Select the operation mode. You can just let your PS3 do this automatically, so select "Auto-Detect".
   5. Now we get to the IP Address Setting. Here you will need to select "Manual". Now you fill in the following:
          * IP Address - This will have the Static IP address we'll use. Input 192.168.1.80, because it is highly unlikely that 80 other devices will be connected at the same time.
          * Subnet Mask - This should always be, and stay on, 255.255.255.0
          * Default Router - This is the Default Gateway you looked up earlier. Refer to your homework sheet, and input the IP address you wrote down.
          * Primary DNS - The same IP address as the Default Router.
          * Secondary DNS - The same IP address as the Default Router.
          * -Click the Right Arrow on the Direction Pad to go to the next menu.-
          * MTU - Automatic
          * Proxy Server - Do Not Use
          * UPnP - Enable if your Router supports it. It's extra port forwarding security. Can be seen/checked in the Router Configuration Page.
   6. Press X to save the settings, and the PS3 part is done. :]

The PC Phase

   1. Go to your Router Configuration Page using your Internet Browser. Earlier on I explained how to get here, so read back up in case you forgot.
   2. Look for a tab that says something along the lines of DMZ. There is always a DMZ section, but this differs per Router. Just keep searching, though it should be wide in the open.
   3. Upon finding it, it will ask you to insert a Static IP of the DMZ host. This is simply the PS3 IP that we picked earlier, which is 192.168.1.80.
   4. Save all your settings.

The Result

For best performance, this is the time where you disconnect your Modem and Router, and turn both devices off. Turn your PS3 off, and your PC. Wait for about a minute to power flush all involved parties, and then hook everything back up/turn everything back on.

You are now ready, set and flying. If nothing changes, then it's stability and integrity that has just been improved, and you might not notice it directly, but will indirectly over the weeks to come. To some, this will drastically improve all performance, of both PSN and the PS3's connection - period.