PS3 system weird problem

Ok so i have my 60GB PS3 since pretty much exactly 1 year. I started having a weird problem with it about 3-4 months ago. It's quite troubling and i'd like advice opinions.

My PS3 is standing vertical...is that any worst than horizontal?

Anyway what happens is that when i shut down my PS3 (either by using the PS button on remote/controller or by holding the button 3 sec on the system...not complete power off with the back switch) it goes in what seems like a sleep mode. But as far as i know the PS3 is NOT suppossed to do this. The Green light (network one) stays 100% bright/lighted-up, not even flashing. Yet the orange HDD light is off and the power light is red as off. Very anormal as that green network light is not even always fully lighted like this when the system is running and online...yet it is when i shut down my PS3. And it's not because it do some background download either. Also my PS3 keeps doing a pretty loud noise...24/24 all day long. Like it's still running or at least the fan is still running. It's actually louder than my PC or any other hardware i have. When my PS3 is supposed to be OFF!!

To recap when i use my PS3 the HDD and Network lights flashes at whatever rate depending on use. The system makes regular noise.
When my PS3 is off, the Network green light goes into always fully lighted mode, and the system keeps making like 80% of the noise it does when running.

When i enter my room and nothing is playing, first thing i notice is that i quite clearly hear my PS3 like it's still running or at least a fan is running.

So i often have to completely power it off with the back switch. I know this is bad for the system to do this often. But i'm fearing having my PS3 in normal off/red light mode is almost as if it's always on, which is also obviously really bad for the system. I fear like this is strongly draining the life out of my PS3 and bumping up the electricity bill to add to the injury.

So what's wrong with my PS3, and what should i do about this? By the way i'm not using folding@home and never clicked on that option at all.

Thanks a lot for any help!

Also random like that, how do i choose an IP/DNS to set? I have all my PS3/360/Wii using my Wireless Network, but they are all set at Automatic. So often my PS3 don't wanna connect, or worse disconnect while i'm playing and freezes the system. This is bad AND annoying. So i'd like to shoot a fix IP/DNS and all that to my PS3 and 360 so that they are always connected online and all fine, whitout any danger of it disconnecting on me while i'm playing. Problem is that i'm clueless about this stuff, so some help is definitely need about this too.

First post in like a year...!

Turn off Remote Access for Remote Play under the PS3's settings. This lets the green light stay on incase you access it from your PSP somewhere else.

Holy crap. I'll try the remote control change. So i guess that is what the Network light is all about. What a relief. But i can never connect to my PS3 with my PSP when i'm not at home...it always fail, only manage to do it when i'm at home on my PSP close to my network. So my Wireless Network problems probably play in this too...Argh! Help me!

But i don't think this is what causes the loud fan-like noise. Well it would be great but i doubt it. I'll check this out later tonight.

Yes my PS3 is well ventilated. Well maybe not much ventilated at all, but it's not in a closed space, it's on the 4th/5th level of a 5 level component shelf that i use for all my gaming systems. Huge rack besides my tv, it's open from all sides. And i do sometimes let a disc in it but i try not too if possible mostly. When i know the next time i'll play the same disc i usually let it in there. This shouldn't be much of a problem though, especially with a 1 year old system...