How to lower the ping?
Playing online is an experience that every gamer wants to have, however, a very high ping can interfere with this possibility, making it impossible to maintain an online game without an excessive amount of lag. Although on certain occasions it is quite difficult to control this, there are tricks to lower the ping that work in milder cases.
Since its appearance on the market, video games have become the preferred choice of entertainment for many people of all ages. Like everything, video games and the systems available to run them have advanced to offer users new ways to have fun and more options to play. Several milestones in gaming, since the creation of the first console, have been the manufacture of portable consoles, the possibility of accessing local multiplayer and, finally, online multiplayer functions .
Currently, the most famous games are online experiences, as they allow millions of people around the world to play simultaneously. In addition, they have the quality of being free, for the most part. This is the case of League of Legends, Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone or the well-known Among Us.
Online playability is so important that even many games that are made to be played offline have added extra modes to enjoy online. Therefore, it is understandable that many people want to improve their home internet ping to enjoy all the qualities of their favorite games.
What is ping?
PING is an acronym that stands for “Packet Internet Groper.” This basically translates to a network packet sniffer. This system works when it sends a small packet of data to devices connected to an internet network to calculate the time in which the request is received and responded to.
The result is expressed in milliseconds and it shows what the internet latency is at that moment, which determines the quality of the data transmission. Milliseconds talk about the time it takes for the device to register the action performed and reflect it.
Having a ping that stays between 20 ms and 40 ms is optimal for online games, as this is the time that the network will need to execute the action of your character, be it running or jumping, for example. It is even possible to play if you have a ping between 40 and 100 ms, in case the game is not a shooter or requires very fast actions.
However, any result greater than this will make it impossible to have fun, since you will always be at a disadvantage. You will notice the LAG in all games, making your actions slow or simply non-existent.
How to improve ping?
If you’re a casual gamer you might be able to forgive the occasional lag and you might even get used to considerably high ping if you stick to a few specific games. However, gamers by profession require a stable and fast connection, as this could seriously affect them.
Improving the ping in LOL is necessary to be able to have fun, because if you are disconnected or inactive due to this, you can lose and have a terrible performance. This can result in multiple reports to your account which, as a consequence, bring temporary suspensions and even permanent bans. Also, it is impossible to level up if you only accumulate losses.
On the other hand, some users need to know how to lower the ping in Fortnite, especially if they are professionals, since there are usually millions of dollars at stake . Although this can be difficult if there are a lot of people connected simultaneously, as was the case with the Travis Scott event for the game that amassed almost 13 million connections, there are ways to improve latency and ping in normal situations.
- Disconnect from the VPN
To keep a private connection or access content not available in certain countries, some users use VPNs. However, this slows down internet connections, so it’s best to disable this feature when gaming.
- Use a wired connection
Wireless networks are not as reliable as wired connections, so connect the router directly to your console or computer if possible.
This is usually what is needed to improve the PS4 connection, so try this method and do the speed test to measure the ping.
- Minimize bandwidth consumption
Many times the problem is usually having a shared network or using a large amount of broadband at the same time. That is, if you are playing, but at the same time, someone is watching Netflix, both computers will “compete” for internet consumption, which will make it difficult for them to run correctly.
- Use a higher speed internet plan
If you live with many people and it is impossible to limit your internet consumption, or if the connection you have is simply not enough to support the requirements of the games, then you should change your internet plan.
The companies offer various options and, on certain occasions, they also have plans made specifically for playing online.
In the same way, there are companies that simply do not offer a good service for certain areas. In this case, change your provider to have a better connection.
- Get closer to the router
Many times the solution can be as simple as moving the devices closer to the ADSL router to have a better connection, since the walls and the distance can make the connection difficult and offer an excessively high ping.
- change the server
Online games often have servers made specifically for a geographical area and if you want to get the best ping, it is advisable to choose the one closest to your area.
- Get a new router
Old routers can sometimes cause connection problems, necessitating the purchase of new equipment. If you have tried all the options to improve ping and the problem persists, this may be the problem.
With these tricks it is possible to improve the internet connection when playing. Try each one of them and you will probably be able to solve your problem and enjoy online video games to the fullest, with friends from all over the world.
