How to Optimize Your Internet Connection for Gaming

You can have a super fast gaming PC with an RTX 3080 graphics menu onboard and other speedy components. And however, if you have a slow connection, your online gaming capabilities volition exist severely express. Then much so that a person using a slower PC, but a faster connection, volition exist able to react amend to your movements, and will beat y'all almost every fourth dimension. This also applies to game consoles. Your opponent can employ the aforementioned equipment, but your gameplay volition be based on – well – frustration and salty comments if y'all have an insufficient connexion.

Of form, nosotros could betoken out the obvious and advice you to get a faster cyberspace connexion or cull the best Internet access provider bachelor in your area, however, assuming you've already maximized what yous can afford or can arrive your household, at that place are a few things y'all tin can try that tin can improve your existing connection. Let'south brainstorm!

Ping & bandwidth: How fast is your net?

Earlier making any changes, let'southward start by checking the quality of your connexion and observe out what ping you lot can expect in games. Ping is a simple mode to measure how fast your internet connexion can transport data packets to a given IP address and receive a response.

This has a direct impact on online games, which yous may interpret as latency. For instance, if your ping is 350 ms, it means you tin can see in-game events 350 ms subsequently the time they actually happened. To play online games comfortably, you lot demand the lowest ping possible. Nevertheless this will also depend on the blazon of game you lot're playing.

Some titles volition be unplayable with a ping over 200 ms, and some with over 50. As for gameplay itself, each additional 50 ms is noticeable and worsens the comfort of playing. Also, bear in mind that ping is non universal.

You accept to ping a specific location and that measure will exist expert for a particular server response. You can use GameServerPing to test your connexion against a given server for a specific game. A fast ping means a more responsive connection, specially in video games, where timing is everything.

As y'all can come across on the image to a higher place, my cyberspace connection tin probably play with low latency on European servers and fifty-fifty try to play on U.s. servers equally well. Japan and Australia are out of the question, though. But this is why AAA online games accept multiple server locations and you should play on the closest possible geos.

Unlike and recommended ping ranges:

Less than 20ms - Nifty: Optimal value for gaming. Y'all will not experience any lag during the game. If something is running slowly, it certainly won't be your connection fault.

20ms - 50ms - Good: Popular range for gaming. Nevertheless a sufficient value, although the about demanding players definitely adopt not to exceed 20 ms.

50ms - 100ms - Fair: This range can exist considered every bit "average." You may experience lag, and in some games y'all may find that your opponent has a clear advantage over you.

100ms - 300ms - Poor: Gameplay is still possible, just in that location volition be lag. It is annoying (and potentially deadly) for you and perchance for your opponents.

More than 300ms - Unplayable: This kind of connection is unsuitable for smooth online gaming.

In add-on to ping, the speed of your internet connection is a key factor. Super fast broadband is non required for online gaming, only y'all should have at to the lowest degree thirty Mbps at your disposal (download). Now, suppose several people are sharing the aforementioned connection when you are playing games: your sister has a video telephone call, and your parents are watching a film on Netflix. These activities will significantly strain the bandwidth available. If this sounds familiar, you should probably opt for a 100 Mbps or faster connection. Of course, the more, the better.

To bank check how fast your connection is, take a simple test. Nosotros recommend using SpeedTest or Fast.com. Those are among the most popular tools of its kind, though you might as well endeavour SpeedOf.me and SpeedSmart.internet.

SpeedTest.net automatically suggests connecting to a nearby server, meaning your ping should exist very depression in that scenario. But what if yous are playing confronting someone from a dissimilar continent? Personally, I like to play Dark Souls iii on PS4 Pro and connect with players from Nihon practically every day (and I'one thousand from Poland!). With such distances, a higher ping is a given.

Here are some of my tests results from SpeedTest.cyberspace:

SpeedTest.net	Wi-Fi	Ethernet
Recommended server (same city)	Ping: 8 ms Download: 260 Mbps Upload: 101 Mbps	Ping: 7 ms Download: 945 Mbps Upload: 104 Mbps
Berlin, Federal republic of germany	Ping: 32 ms Download: 174 Mbps Upload: 75 Mbps	Ping: 27 ms Download: 400 Mbps Upload: fourscore Mbps
St. John's, Canada	Ping: 148 ms Download: 89 Mbps Upload: 74 Mbps	Ping: 146 ms Download: 130 Mbps Upload: 76 Mbps
Hokkaido, Japan	Ping: 281 ms Download: 75 Mbps Upload: 68 Mbps	Ping: 277 ms Download: 84 Mbps Upload: 69 Mbps

#1: Apply an Ethernet cable

Information technology's always a skillful thought to choose an Ethernet connection over Wi-Fi if available. No matter how skilful your connection and router are, a wired connection will always provide more consistent speeds and lower latency. However, you will need to connect your PC or panel with an Ethernet cable to the router or local network, sacrificing the convenience of a wireless connection.

Make sure you're using gigabit Ethernet ports that can handle speeds of upwards to 1,000 Mbps and upwards-to-date cables that back up high speeds (True cat 5e or Cat 6).

If your router is also far from your computer or panel and you lot can't connect with an Ethernet cable, at that place are various ways yous can extend your network. Powerline adapters tin exist hit or miss, only are non inherently bad. Wi-Fi extenders are a big no. Mesh networking is a more modernistic solution and mesh networking equipment has gotten better and more than affordable in the last couple of years. The thought is that you tin but connect wirelessly to your router, make certain your Wi-Fi signal is as stiff every bit possible.

#2 Reposition your router (Wi-Fi only)

One of the reasons for slow wireless connection speeds are physical barriers such as walls and floors. The distance between your device and the router, besides equally the number of devices using the Wi-Fi network, will affect the connectedness.

Effort to identify the router in an open up spot. Since this is a wireless connection, altitude, any obstacles (walls, floors, ceilings, big furniture), electronic interference, and the number of users on the network are all factors to consider.

If you're using a single router, identify it in a heart location of your dwelling house and in an open expanse. To get the best signal possible, ideally it should too be positioned above most furniture and away from other electronic devices that may cause interference, such as microwave ovens and baby monitors.

Another valid advice is to position the antennas perpendicularly: i horizontal and the other vertically. A Wi-Fi device works best when its antenna is parallel to the router'due south antenna - if you take two antennas, one should be pointing upwardly and the other pointing sideways.

Once you are settled on your router's location, you can use a mobile app such equally Wi-Fi SweetSpots (for iOS) or WiFi Signal Strength Meter (for Android). These can help y'all recognize wireless blind spots in your dwelling house and determine where indicate strength is best and adjust accordingly as needed.

#3 Use the correct channel (Wi-Fi just)

Adjusting a few settings into the router's configuration can be useful. For this article, we're using a adequately typical Asus RT-AC68U AC1900 router to illustrate the recommended changes. Behave in mind that the functions may be available in a different location, depending on the router.

Tip: If you haven't inverse your router'due south settings, the default login and password will probably be default admin/admin. If that doesn't piece of work, cheque out your router'southward manual or visit routerpasswords.com, which contains a database of common credentials for dissimilar router manufacturers.

The 2.4 GHz band is function of the wireless spectrum that was used by the outset Wi-Fi standards. It uses overlapping sets of frequencies that we phone call channels. Still, the two.4 GHz band is used by many wireless devices, so it tends to be more crowded, particularly when you alive in a densely populated area (lots of neighbors!) or homes with lots of wireless devices.

Nosotros also have the 5 GHz band, which has no overlapping channels, is less crowded, and tin can provide more bandwidth. Even so, it does this at the expense of range -- y'all'll get a better and faster signal at 5 GHz, merely it has a shorter range than the 2.4 GHz ring. Running a test using both is a good idea.

Interference tin occur mainly in the two.four GHz band because it can transmit on 11 channels in the United states, of which simply 3 will not overlap (aqueduct one, 6, and xi). The 5 GHz band, on the other hand, has 23 not-overlapping channels. This makes it so much easier to go a good connection in crowded places.

To select the proper channel, analyze your network with Wi-Fi Analyzer or inSSIDer.

Check which aqueduct is used the to the lowest degree and set it in the router settings. If something seems disruptive, the creator of Wi-Fi Analyzer provides relevant tutorials and advice.

Your router may also be able to modify the frequency automatically. If possible, you tin can choose motorcar-switching between channels and frequencies for the optimal setting.

#4 Enable Quality of Service (QoS)

Another feature found in nearly routers is Quality of Service (QoS), which allows yous to prioritize certain types of online traffic. In the router settings, detect the QoS tab and select the games that should have priority, or the connected devices.

Our router offers Adaptive QoS with pre-defined, drag-and-drop presets such as gaming, media streaming, web surfing, etc., and Traditional QoS for prioritized applications and tasks via manual user-defined parameters. We can likewise utilise Bandwidth Limiter to set limits on download and upload speeds for devices.

1. In our Asus router, to enable QoS function all you lot demand to do is click the QoS switch.

2. Next, you lot can select which manner should be active. We recommend Adaptive QoS.

3. After selecting Adaptive QoS you lot can prioritize traffic by arranging categories in the preferred guild.

four. Click Save. Now your QoS function is activated.

Once this is established, your Wi-Fi network volition manage traffic queues to prioritize what you have called to exist most of import. It will improve your in-game connectedness, especially when other people or devices connect to Wi-Fi simultaneously.

#5 Plough off other devices and limit background applications

Needless to say, if y'all desire to maximize your connection speed for playing games online, groundwork processes and programs in your PC that consume bandwidth, including your web browser, should exist close down. And certainly, do not download whatsoever files while playing online.

Taking things to a certain extreme, you may also want to turn off network connectivity on devices that utilize the aforementioned connection. While it may be impractical, this will maximize your connectedness speed for online gaming. This is where QoS comes in handy. If you have information technology enabled, you tin worry less almost other devices in your network.

#half-dozen Play in your region

Going back to our explanation most server location and ping, this volition ultimately depend on the game, and your preferences. If it'due south possible, select a game server that is closest to you, eastward.1000. in your land or continent.

It volition have a highly positive effect on ping and latency, ensuring faster communication. For example, in Night Souls 3 there's a cantankerous-region option called "Matchmaking." When it's turned on, you lot tin connect to players from all over the world. When off, players from Europe can't play with players from the The states or Asia.

#vii Enable MU-MIMO (Wi-Fi only)

Multi-user MIMO (multiple-input, multiple-output), better known as MU-MIMO, decreases the time each device has to wait for a signal and tin dramatically speed up your network.

You lot volition observe this feature on more than modern routers (and devices), which allows them to communicate with multiple devices simultaneously. Without MU-MIMO, the router has to handle each device individually and this is how Wi-Fi has worked for the past couple of decades.

Both the router and your device demand to be compatible with MU-MIMO to take reward of the feature, and then multiple devices/users can admission router functions without the congestion, meaning MU-MIMO increases your router's capacity and efficiency, allowing it to handle more Wi-Fi-intensive activities, such as streaming and gaming.

To be clear, MU-MIMO does not increase the maximum speed of the Wi-Fi network, rather it makes sure y'all don't lose speed when multiple devices are connected to the network.

#8 Modify DNS servers and reboot your router

If y'all've never tweaked your network settings, y'all're likely using your ISP'southward DNS servers which are rarely top quality. Changing DNS servers can noticeably speed up your connectedness and fifty-fifty secure you from sure attacks. Switching to a third-political party DNS is quite easy, besides, just follow these steps:

1. Become to Settings / Control Console > Network and Cyberspace > Network and Sharing Centre and choose your network.

2. Then go to Backdrop and select the TCP / IPv4 internet protocol.

In the "Use the following DNS server addresses" field, enter eight.8.eight.8 for the Preferred DNS server and 8.8.four.4 for Alternate DNS server. Those are Google'southward DNS servers. If yous desire to apply others, below you can detect recommended and free DNS:

Provider	Preferred DNS	Alternate DNS
Google	viii.8.viii.viii	8.8.4.4
Quad9	9.9.nine.9	149.112.112.112
Cloudflare	ane.one.ane.i	1.0.0.one
OpenDNS Dwelling	208.67.222.222	208.67.220.220
CleanBrowsing	185.228.168.9	185.228.169.9
Verisign	64.6.64.vi	64.6.65.six
Alternate DNS	198.101.242.72	23.253.163.53
AdGuard DNS	94.140.14.xiv	94.140.15.15

You may also accommodate the default DNS servers at the router level, meaning it will encompass all your devices in your network. Although every router maker uses a different user interface for configuring DNS server settings, await for an selection where DNS server settings are specified and you volition be entering the same IP addresses as above for preferred and alternating DNS.

When all else fails... upgrade?

These days, virtually every household is packed with phones, computers, smart TVs, and many other devices, all fighting for bandwidth. The need for a quality router has never been greater and if you're using one provided by your Internet access provider, it's quite possible that device will underperform for gaming.

You volition observe gaming routers on the market that have congenital-in functions to optimize your connectedness, but don't buy a "gaming router" only because it says then in the box. Gaming routers are a tricky category and they aren't the all-time solution for everyone. As explained above, games are almost e'er dependent on latency instead of bandwidth.

However, high-end routers tin offer useful features that amend performance and make the system easier to apply. For example, OFDMA increases spectral efficiency and network capacity, 4x4 MU-MIMO which we covered earlier, multiple LAN ports, or link aggregation for those of you with gigabit cyberspace connections.

One of the best ways to speed up your wireless network is to utilise the latest hardware. Wi-Fi six (802.11ax) enables faster speeds, lower latency, and greater chapters.

Once over again, using a directly wired connection if at all possible is i of the best and more obvious optimizations tips you tin effectively use for improving your online gaming feel, simply if yous're shopping for a new router that offers better throughput, range, and features, check out TechSpot's top picks. You may also want to consider picking a new Wi-Fi 6 model, for further reference check out our commodity Wi-Fi 6 vs. Wi-Fi 5 Benchmarked.