Below are Seven Ways for Gamers to Lower Their Ping
When gaming online, your “ping” refers to the time it takes for any input from your mouse, keyboard, or controller to register with the server that is hosting your game. Ping rate is measured in milliseconds and anything below or around 20ms is ideal, however, even slight increases above this can result in noticeable differences. Even with a ping rate of around 100ms, games are still playable, but where you will start seeing significant delays is around 150ms. Having a high ping can lead to lagging, stuttering, and freezing. Having a high ping can absolutely ruin your gaming experience. If you are suffering with a high ping on your online console or PC game, listed below are seven tips to help you lower it and get back into the game.
*For Minecraft gamers, see our post: How to Run a Minecraft Server Ping Test
1. Reset Your Modem and Router
Routers and modems cause hiccups with Internet connections all the time. Before you do anything on this list, try resetting your equipment. Unplug the power cables from the router and modem and wait at least thirty seconds before reconnecting them.
2. Connect Directly by Ethernet Cable
Connecting to Internet via Wi-Fi almost always give you slower speeds than connecting your PC or console directly into your router. If it is possible for your gaming setup, use an Ethernet cable to connect your device to the router to see if this solves your ping issues.
3. Choose the Nearest Server
Many online games on PC, and even on consoles, let you choose what server you can play on. Connecting to a server that is closer to your location will drastically help reduce your ping. Not all games will tell you where exactly the server is located, but most will at least tell you the country.
4. Limit the Amount of Devices
The more devices you have connected to your Internet, the more bandwidth will be used, and subsequently, the more likely you will encounter latency issues. . Try disconnecting any tablets, cell phones, computers, printers, smart TVs, or other gaming devices that are not in use and see if that helps speed things up.
5. Move Your Device Closer to the Access Point
If you connect your PC or console via Wi-Fi and it is away from the router, try moving your device closer to the access point. The farther away your PC or console is, the weaker your connection will be.
6. Call Your Internet Service Provider
Before you purchase any new equipment to try to solve the problem, call your Internet service provider (ISP) first. The issue may not be on your end. If your ISP is having any service outages or issues, they should be able to tell you or tell you what you need to do to resolve them.
7. Replace Your Router
If you have done everything on this list and still experiencing problems, you may want to think about replacing your router. Replacing your aging unit could resolve your issues. If gaming is what you spend a lot of your time online doing, you may also want to look into a gaming-specific router.
Having a high ping during your gaming session can be annoying and a pain to diagnose. Thankfully, there are things you can do to resolve the issue. If you believe you are having issues with your ping, use an online tool to check your ping before trying any of the above tips to get you back online.
