[Silver Wolf]

After searching the net for a few tedious days, I decided to finally seek help. However, judging by the replies I've found elsewhere on the net, I'm sure my question will be either ignored or replied to with an obvious answer... however, I've tried all that "obvious" stuff already. lol

I've had a lot of trouble logging in to PlayOnline (playing on a PS3). I get stuck with a "Initializing Via Ethernet", which tends to be met with a "PlayOnline error 1040". --

I searched and found the obvious answers, "it's your connection settings", "check your firewall", "try reinstalling" and "are you even plugged in?". Well, after reforming my connection setting and manually entering an IP address and DNS host, I was happy to see my connection process get past the "Initializing" status. But to my dismay, I had come upon a new connection error, "checking playonline version". Now this error basically freezes the system. I'm left in a stalemate since the "cancel" button is rendered un-clikable. I always have to restart my system.

What's even stranger to me, is that I can actually log on from time to time. It just takes me four hours of trying to connect. I keep pressing "retry" until it finally works. What's stopping it from always working? And why is it that I can play any other PS3 and PS2 game online, just not Final Fantasy?

The most annoying thing is, I need to reset playOnline to render any internet setting changes. My controller shuts off, then I need to turn it on, then it loads the PS2 software and turns back off, then I have to turn it back on! lol, all this just to repeat the cycle again once my new internet settings fail me.

Thank you guys for any help & suggestions, I'm down to the final strand of hair here on my head! ^_^

- Dchan. (sorry if this has been posted in the wrong section, I'm sure the moderators will moderate my post elsewhere.)