With the possibility of new exploits being found on your current firmware, you can disable automatic updates to prevent your console from automatically patching any existing exploits with firmware updates.
When going online on your low firmware console, be it while exploited or not, these things will help prevent firmware updates and game updates from downloading or installing.
Basic Settings
- Navigate to Settings → System → Automatic Downloads and Uploads, and uncheck "System Software Update Files" and "Install Automatically".
- You may also want to disable "Application Update Files", as it will only install retail update files. These are incompatible with FPKG copies of games, and can only be used with either disc copies of games or legitimate PSN copies of software.
- If you don't need the ability to wake the console over the internet while in standby mode, you can turn off this feature by navigating to Settings → Power Save Settings → Set Functions Available in Rest Mode and uncheck "Stay Connected to the Internet".
- This is mainly because the PS4's Rest Mode can still download and install software updates regardless of your Automatic Download settings. Using a HEN before enabling Rest Mode will still block updates in rest mode, but not in the unmoddified system software's rest mode.
Ways to avoid Game and Firmware updates
Using a DNS
Custom DNS servers blocks both firmware and game updates (all PS/Sony connections). Some ISPs (Interne Service Providers) will block all DNS and will not allow the user to use these DNS addresses
- Navigate to Settings > Network > Check Connect to the Internet, then
Set Up Internet Connectionand: - Connection: Wi-Fi or LAN cable
- Set Up: Custom
- IP Address: Automatic
- DHCP Host Name: Do Not Specify
- DNS Settings: Manual
- Primary DNS: 62.210.38.117 (Leave the secondary blank as it is)
- MTU Settings: Automatic
- Proxy Server: Do Not Use
- Test the internet connection if you get an IP address it's working. (The internet connection failing does not indicate that it actually cannot connect to the internet, it just means the PS4 cannot communicate with Sony servers which is the point of the DNS)
- A quick way to check is to go to Settings → User's Guide/Helpful Info → User Guide and see if it redirects you to the exploit page. Do use * the first point above if you are in that situation.
- Do note that for both NP value switch and Nomadic's DNS, some homebrew like Itemzflow which uses Sony/PS connection to download and install retail updates will stop functioning as a result (not many homebrew are like this however).
DIY Host Blocking
If you have your own method of manually blocking DNSes, such as through PiHole or OpenWRT, you can also add these addresses to your adblocker in order to block PlayStation services.
- *.playstation.com
- *.playstation.net
- *.playstation.org
- scea.com
- sonyentertainmentnetwork.com
- gs2.sonycoment.loris-e.llnwd.net
- sonygst.s.llnwi.net
- gs2.ww.prod.dl.playstation.net.edgesuite.net
HEN Payloads
GoldHEN and PS4HEN have software update blocking functionality built into themselves (even in rest mode), but only while they are running. When a jailbroken PS4 is restarted and is back in unmodified OFW, software updates will go back to being unblocked without using one of the other methods on this page.
Changing NP Environment
- First, enable debug settings by going to Goldhen>Debug Settings> Enable Debug Settings and choose Full Menu.
- Navigate to Settings → Scroll to the bottom and find Debug settings → PlayStation Network → NP Environment, and simply change it from np to anything else (do not set it to sp-int)
- This setting stays after reboot and is a alternative to DNS. In some cases of bad kernel panics, it may get switched back to "np", so be sure to check it after some time.
- Do note that for both NP value switch and Nomadic's DNS, some homebrew like Itemzflow which uses Sony/PS connection to download and install retail updates will stop functioning as a result (not many homebrew are like this however).
- Additionally, things like Remote Play will not work when the NP environment has been changed, and you will not be able to copy saves without using homebrew.
Update blocker payload
- Navigate to your exploit host and run "Update Blocker" payload. This payload will create 2 folders in /update/ called PS4UPDATE.PUP and PS4UPDATE.PUP.TEMP that prevents them being replaced with the real files.
- (folders cannot be replaced with files with the same name or vice versa - fundamental/technical limitation). The user can also create the same folders in the same directory via FTP or PS4Xplorer and replicate the payload manually. Note that this payload only blocks firmware updates, not game updates!