Imagine that you are playing Call of Duty in Battle Royal Mode. All your teammates have died and you are 1v1 against your opponent. He is hiding somewhere in the bushes and you happen to find him using your 4x scope. You try to take a shot and as soon as you take a peek, something goes wrong. You cannot seem to move and that is when you realize that you are experiencing a lag. The second it gets better; the opponent has already spotted you and killed you with a headshot. The rage against the dying of light cannot be described.
You might be cursing your Internet service provider and believe me you have every right to do so. However, instead of wasting your time and energy on cursing, you can do something to reduce that latency and lag in your gaming. We understand the everyday frustration you go through and therefore, came up with a comprehensive guide to reduce lag in gaming. No matter if you have Spectrum internet, Mediacom, or Cox, here’s what you need to understand about ping, latency, and lag:
Latency in Gaming
Latency is a major factor that influences our gaming experience. It is the time interval taken by the traffic from your system to reach its destination, which is the gaming server, and back again to your system. Most of the time, we think that the only thing required for gaming is raw bandwidth. Latency is the key element especially when you are playing games that require a rapid and quick response from the server.
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What is the Cause of Latency in Gaming?
Latency does not only depend on our broadband connection rather it also depends on the network hardware, remote server location as well as router. The data packets mainly travel from source to destination through a route. The closer the router to your computer, the lesser is the expected delay.
Ping
In simple words, Ping is the test your network conducts on a regular basis to measure latency. To make this happen, the network sends a ping message and it measures the speed taken from the system to the gaming server and back again. The lower the ping, the better will be your gaming experience. Lower ping indicates that the ping message traveled as fast as possible. Many people consider ping and latency as the same thing, but they are actually different. That being said, they are directly proportional to one another.
Lag in Gaming
Lag, as we all know, is the delay in gaming that occurs as a consequence of high latency. So, when you are suffering from latency and ping issues, a visible lag is quite imminent.
How can we Reduce Gaming Lag and Latency?
1. Check your Internet Speed and Bandwidth
The solution to this problem is simple. Sign-up for high-tier packages that offer greater download speeds and bandwidth to meet the requirements of your household.
2. Checking Signal Strength
3. Use a Wired connection
4. Replace your router
The newly designed routers have special features that can enhance your gaming experience. They provide better speeds, ping rates, and latency. It is therefore important to use an up to date router. For the best gaming experience, it is recommended to use a router that is specifically designed for gaming. These come with excellent features to provide a better gaming experience. They assist you in high-quality gaming by directing maximum bandwidth to your gaming and console and thereby, providing an adequate network for a lag-free gaming experience.
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5. Avoid Satellite connections
6. Close any background websites and downloads
Moreover, you need to disconnect all the devices that are connected to WiFi. The more devices connected to the WiFi, the more bandwidth they require.
7. Play on your local server
8. Defragging the Hardware
9. Keeping your network Free
10. Keeping a Track
11. Disable Any Updates Temporarily
Also, try disabling your firewall or you can also set exceptions for your favorite games. This can help enhance your computer speed since the game scanning attempt will be skipped.
12. Try Upgrading Your Broadband Package
13. Checking the Requirements
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The Bottom Line
Latency should not affect the reputation of a champion. You can take these simple steps to prevent latency and maximize your score. You should surely avail the fastest internet connection to enjoy a seamless online gaming session. If you are sure about the reliability and speed of your internet service provider, then the lag and latency issue might not be completely caused by internet speed. You need to check the working and positioning of your router and modem. It is best to get a router that supports gaming.
This article is written by Will Jordan. Will has been a passionate writer for years. He has a keen interest in technology, the internet, and gaming. Amongst other platforms, he is a regular contributor at localcabledeals.com.