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The phrase “The online ID you entered cannot be used” is very common when you are trying to sign up for a Playstation Network account. It may be because the ID you want does not meet the rules or simply that it is already taken by someone else.
You will need to choose another ID. Suggestions:
- Try adding numbers e.g. billy888
- Try adding hyphens (-) or underscores (_) e.g. billy_the-kid
- Does your ID contain words? Some words/terms are not allowed e.g. “PS3″
Accept the terms/agreement/policy using the Master Account
Sometimes the Playstation Network terms of service/conditions/user agreement/privacy policy will change and you will be required to accept the changes. On a Master Account (see differences between master and sub accounts), when you next log in, you automatically get prompted to read and accept the new terms.
However on a Sub Account it’s different because it is supervised by a Master Account. Before a Sub Account can go online it will be told to accept the new terms using the associated Master Account. You will need to first log in to the Master Account and accept the terms, which then allows the Sub Account to log in.
All Sub Accounts have an associated Master Account. If you no longer know the Master details, you will need to contact Playstation support and ask for help tracking down the Master details. If you do know the Master details but the account is no longer on your PS3, you can try logging in to the Playstation Store using your computer’s browser.
Profile name
The online ID (profile name) that you choose when signing up for a Playstation Network account gets locked in. There is no facility to edit/change the ID. So pick one you are not going to regret 
Profile avatar
It’s possible to change your PSN avatar, but the images are restricted to those provided by Sony. It’s not currently possible to use your own image; we assume this is to prevent “improper” avatars.
Parental control restrictions
We’re putting together information about this. Check the below for comments from users with this problem.
Country not available when signing up
If your country is not available as an option when signing up to Playstation Network (see list of supported countries) then you are out of luck. However, if you are willing to go against the terms and conditions–which tell you not to provide incorrect details–then it is possible to sign up using details that are valid for another country (e.g. United States). Search online to find more information.
Communication with the server
In April 2011 Sony disabled PSN services to investigate an attack. During the outage you may not be able to sign into PSN, play online, or create accounts. The most common error codes were:
80710A06
80023121
Sometimes you may get these errors:
An error occurred during communication with the server.
This is a DNS error.
(8002AE1D)
An error occurred during communication with the server.
This is a DNS error.
(8002AF02)
(Signing into PSN account)
An error occurred during communication with the server.
This is a DNS error.
(80710102)
An error occurred during the download operation.
(80710102)
(Downloading from PS Store)
It seems to only happen occasionally and most likely due to the PSN servers having some temporary glitches. Try again, but if the problem persists you may need to come back later.
