The Lag List – A Guide to Fixing Poor Online Gaming Speeds

The last thing you want when you’re at a crucial point in your game is for it to lag, especially when you’re playing against friends and your sudden lapse in connection costs you your life. Even worse is if you’re part of a team and all of a sudden you’re getting blamed and kicked out because your character stood there like an idiot in the line of fire while you shouted at your computer to reconnect. Luckily, there are some solutions to fixing poor online gaming speeds.

Upgrade Your Speed

This is an obvious one, but if you’re able to upgrade your connection speed than it is wise to do so. Speeds of 20Mps are sufficient for most online games, but the problem is that in most households there are several devices running simultaneously that are draining your internet connection. So, either move into your own apartment or seek a faster wireless internet connection.

Test Your Speed

Before you set about fixing any problem it’s always a good idea to identify the issue. Testing your connection speed will help you identify if it’s the connection that is the issue or your computer or gaming console. If you are a PC gamer then sometimes there can be congestion issues with your computer, or there might just be a need to upgrade an older model in order to meet modern gaming requirements. Whatever it is, you need to know where you’re at before you can move forward with solving the problem.

Ping It

Performing a Ping Test – the measure of how long it takes to get a signal to your nearest location and back will tell you what you are dealing with. There are also online tools available for testing your internet speed that will help give you a relatively accurate reading. The ping time can depend on a lot of factors, including your location and the infrastructure around you. 

Hit Reset

Another simple measure you can take is resetting your router. Although this is quite simple, there is a reason why routers come with easily identifiable quick reset buttons – because they work and they are often needed. So, if you haven’t yet hit reset, give it a go. It may just work wonders. It’s the modern equivalent of taking your Nintendo game cassette out and giving it a blow. People do it because it works. 

Find Solitude

Another quick solution is to close all unnecessary programs and stop other people in your household from using the internet if you can. If you are streamed music while gaming and your sibling or roommate are watching Netflix in the other room, then you are very likely to have a slow connection. Find some solitude to commence your gaming session and switch everything else off. That way all the connectivity you do have will be focused on your game and things should run a lot smoother.

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