How to Optimize Your Internet for Gaming to Reduce Lag
Want to reduce lag when you’re playing games online? Gaming that is seamless and enjoyable without lag requires the right internet configuration. Internet speed is key to the prevention of lag, but so are upload and download speeds. There are a few important things you can do to remove lag and optimize your upload and download speeds.
First, you should make sure that you have the right internet connection. The faster your internet connection is, the less lag you’ll have and the smoother your gaming experience will be. EPB Fi Speed Internet is the world’s fastest internet and is 10x faster than the competition with no data caps, throttling, or lag. Plus, it has equal upload and download speeds which means it’s perfect for gaming.
If you’ve got a decent internet connection then read on for ways you can optimize it for gaming use to reduce lag.
Tips to Reduce Lag And Optimize Your Internet For Gaming
These tips and tricks will help you to identify potential reasons for your internet’s lack of performance. Sometimes there are simple fixes that you can use to make your gaming performance much smoother and more enjoyable. These steps are a great place to start with your diagnosis process.
1. Run A Speed Test To Optimize Your Internet & Reduce Gaming Lag
The best thing to do first is to run a free speed test. This tool will help you to find out what the baseline is for your internet performance. Remember that many providers use throttling to control use during peak times. You will want to check your speeds at various times of the day to get a good idea of the performance of your internet.
As a rule of thumb, you will need anything above 20 Mbps for an ideal gaming experience. When your internet speeds fall below this threshold, lagging and other performance issues are common. This is particularly true with competitive or multi-player gaming. Running a speed test can help you to know if your base internet speeds are fast enough to support your gaming plans.
Speed testing peak times can also tell you why you have been having issues during some times of the day. In some cases, there is nothing that can be done about this performance issue other than avoiding these peak times for some activities that you want to enjoy.
One reason EPB is a top-rated internet provider is that they never throttle or limit your internet connection. However, not all internet providers are the same so contact your provider to find out if they can promise the same.
2. Restart Your Modem to Speed Up Your Internet and Eliminate Gaming Lag
Cycling your modem and your router can help with performance in many cases. This is because this process will reset the connection to your internet provider. This can help a lot with lag, but if you have to do this almost every day, you might need to think about getting a new modem or router. The need to reset these devices frequently can be a sign of an issue with the actual hardware itself.
You should also make sure that you speed test before and after completing this process so that you can see what kind of benefit you are getting from your efforts. If you do not see a significant improvement, you might need to look at what your download and upload speeds are with your internet package. You might just not have access to high enough speeds for your intended use of your internet connection.
3. Upgrade your Internet Modem and Check Settings to Reduce Gaming Lag
There are many reasons that you might need to upgrade your modem, from age to demand that you are placing on it. It is a common story for people to have an old modem that they are trying to use for their gaming internet connection without luck. These older devices are not likely to be able to pull down the speeds that you need for your gaming hours.
If you are having issues with your internet performance while gaming despite paying for high internet speeds, your modem is almost always going to be the reason for your issues. Having a new modem that is able to deliver the internet speeds you are looking for is critical. Why bother paying for faster internet speeds if you cannot utilize them due to your modem?
Related article: How Long Do Modems Last? Should You Replace Yours?
Keep in mind, not all internet providers have modems. Fiber internet, like EPB’s Fi Speed Internet, does not use a modem so this is not an issue if your internet provider doesn’t use modems.
4. Relocate Your Router to Reduce Lag When Gaming
In some cases, the reason for your lag and buffering issues might be due to the location of your router. If your router is too far away from your computer, you will want to make sure that you move it closer. You should also check the connection. Router location can have a lot to do with internet performance in both business and home settings, and this is one of the most overlooked reasons for issues with internet speeds.
Routers that are placed in locations that are not adjacent to the computer you are using for gaming will often cause problems in your speeds and issues with lag. This is one of the things that impacts new gamers frequently. They tend to be unaware of the degradation of connection quality and speed when the router is not placed correctly in relation to the computer that you are gaming on. When setting up your gaming computer be sure to consider the placement of your router to ensure that you will get an optimal connection.
Related article: The Best Place to Put Your Router For Strong Wi-Fi
5. Update Your Router’s Software and Firmware
One of the reasons that your router might not be performing correctly is because it has not been doing updates as it should be. You can ask your router to update itself, and then you should make sure that you set up automated updates for the device. It is very easy for a router to miss doing updates if it is not set up to take care of them automatically on a schedule.
Having your router set up to handle its updates as needed will make a big difference in its performance for your needs. If your router cannot accept an upgrade, it might be aging or there might be a mismatch between current updates and the capabilities of your router due to its age. Sometimes routers also need to be provided to you by your internet provider to ensure access to the best download speeds. This is not always disclosed by providers, so you might need to inquire if the issue with your speed is related to the router that you own.
6. Using A Wired Set-Up Will Reduce Gaming Lag
Sometimes gaming runs much more smoothly when you are using a wired connection instead of a wireless connection. Wi-Fi can be hard to set up in an ideal way for your gaming use, and there can be issues with speed due to the Wi-Fi connection. If you are a serious gamer, using a wired connection is almost always your best bet.
This is one of the things that most gamers do not think about, and they spend a lot of time troubleshooting issues that are really just Wi-Fi connection issues. Getting around this potential weak spot in your gaming set-up is easy with a wired connection.
Wired connections are the preferred means of gaming for many gamers, and those who have access to fiber internet will tell you that this is always the best combination to access for your gaming needs. Even if you do not have the ability to use fiber for your internet delivery method, a wired connection with regular internet might still be your best bet for reliable and stable internet that can be used for gaming.
7. Playing Games Outside of Peak Times Can Reduce Lag
Playing games during peak hours can cause issues due to high congestion of the network (i.e. lots of people online) or because your internet provider may throttle your connections during peak hours. Many providers throttle their speeds during peak hours, which can play havoc on your gaming hours. EPB is one of the few providers that never throttles your connection, but if you have another provider they could be throttling your connection. You will not be able to control this part of your internet usage, so you might want to just avoid these times of the day for your playing hours.
In most cases, gamers like to play with people that are not necessarily in the same time zone as themselves, so this might even be an issue for your gaming time. If you like to play in the middle of the night or very early in the morning, you might never run into this problem with throttling. Do not be surprised if you have issues with throttling even when you are paying for high-speed internet from your provider.
8. Optimize Internet By Changing Your Wi-Fi to Get Rid of Lag in Gaming
Sometimes the reason for your issues with Wi-Fi speeds is related to interference with another person’s Wi-Fi channel. This can happen to people who live in apartments or condos quite often. Thankfully, there is an easy fix for this, and changing the frequency that your router is using to communicate can make this problem go away.
You will be able to use this tip on all routers that use 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz Wi-Fi. If you have been experiencing intermittent issues with speeds, this can be a great place to troubleshoot early in your process to solve the problem. Living in a close-knit community of apartments or condos is a red flag for this kind of problem, so you should start here if you are having issues with slow-downs and lag in your internet connection if you live in this kind of place.
9. Contact Your Internet Provider to Speed Up your Internet
If your internet connection is not delivering speeds that match what you are paying for, or if you are interested in upgrading your internet package to improve your available internet speeds, you need to reach out to your internet provider. They can send a technician to look at your issue, or they can upgrade your internet package to make it easier for you to have fun gaming.
There are typically many levels of packages that you can pick from, and sometimes you will get an upgraded set of devices to support your Wi-Fi along with your improved package. These might be rentals from the internet provider, but that can resolve the need to go looking for a different router or modem for your speed issue.
EPB Smart Net Plus is one such solution which includes having their team of experts setup and maintain a network that’s optimized for maximized performance in every corner of your home. Best of all, it’s extremely affordable and has unlimited support.
