This article was co-authored by Luigi Oppido and by wikiHow staff writer, Luke Smith, MFA. Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.
There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
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When you’re playing online games, a low ping means that your button presses get turned into on-screen actions more quickly, which is key for making clutch plays and winning games. A good ping is anywhere from 30-60 ms or lower, and we’ll tell you why that is, explain what ping means, and show you the best ways to lower it.
Ideal Ping
Ideally, your ping, or internet latency, will be around 10-30 milliseconds (ms). That said, many games are perfectly playable at around 30-60 ms, and turn-based games are playable at about 150 ms or lower.
Steps
Reducing Ping
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Choose a game server closer to your geographic location. The farther the distance between yourself and the game servers, the longer it takes for your button inputs to register.[7] If the game has the option (usually found in the network settings), switch to a server that’s closer to home in order to reduce your ping.
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Move your computer or console closer to your router. Usually, the closer you are to your internet router, the stronger your connection, the higher your internet speeds, and the lower your ping. Either move your router closer to your computer or console, or move your computer or console closer to your router.[8]
- Also make sure your router is in an open, central part of your home, so that the signal can reach.
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Upgrade or troubleshoot your internet speeds or router. Slow internet leads to slow ping. Take steps to increase your internet speed, like upgrading an old router, reducing the number of devices on your network, or calling your ISP to make sure you’re getting the internet speeds you’re paying for.
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Switch to a faster internet connection, like ethernet. Using a wired ethernet connection is ideal for online games. If that’s not possible, IT expert Luigi Oppido says to check which internet band you’re connected to: 2.4 gigahertz connections are stronger but travel shorter distances through your home, while 5 gigahertz is weaker but can reach consoles and computers that are farther away.
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Disable your firewall while playing online games. Your system’s firewall stalls internet traffic as it travels out and in—like a security checkpoint. But if your game has to stop at the firewall while it communicates with the game server, your ping may become high. Turn off your firewall while you play, or at least turn it off for that specific game.[9]
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Close background applications that may be hogging bandwidth. When you’re gaming online, it’s always a good idea to close out of any apps you’re not using—across every device on your network.[10] These apps can run internet processes when you’re not looking, taking up bandwidth and increasing your ping.
- Also, stop any downloads. Downloads can slow an already weak connection to a crawl, making it impossible to play online games.
Expert Q&A
Tips
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Reducing your game’s graphics settings or upgrading your PC’s hardware may improve game performance, but doesn’t often influence network lag.Thanks
References
- ↑ https://www.esports.net/wiki/guides/what-is-ping-in-gaming/
- ↑ https://us.norton.com/blog/how-to/how-to-lower-ping
- ↑ https://support.xbox.com/en-US/help/hardware-network/connect-network/xbox-one-connection-speed
- ↑ https://www.epicgames.com/help/en-US/c-Category_RocketLeague/c-RocketLeague_TechnicalSupport/how-do-i-test-my-internet-connection-on-playstation-to-play-rocket-league-a000084378
- ↑ https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/22462/~/how-to-use-the-internet-connection-test
- ↑ https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-check-your-internet-speed
- ↑ https://cybernews.com/how-to-use-vpn/how-to-lower-ping/
- ↑ https://www.centurylink.com/home/help/internet/how-to-improve-gaming-latency.html
- ↑ https://cybernews.com/how-to-use-vpn/how-to-lower-ping/