How to Reduce Ping in Online Gaming

A smooth online gaming experience goes hand in hand with a lower ping. If you are getting a low ping, you are most likely playing it in the best way possible.

The problem arises when the connection with the game server is not optimum, and as a result, you are getting ping and latency issues in the game. Don't worry, as we are here to solve this problem for you and provide you a list of all the best possible things you can do to reduce your ping. While the ultimate thing you can do in this regard would be to try WTFast, we would also advise you also implement the things mentioned below for a much better experience.

What Is Good Ping For Gaming?

Firstly, it is important to know the role of ping/ latency in online gaming and its impact on a smoother gaming experience. A general rule of thumb to follow is "the lesser the ping, the better." In case you are new to the online gaming experience and don't know much about ping, here is a little description of the term.

Ping, measured in ms (milliseconds), is the amount of time data packets take to go from your PC to the server. In online gaming, Ping is this time towards the game server you are connected to. Therefore, the closer you are to the game server would mean a lower ping time.

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The number of hops data packets takes from the computer to the server also plays a very important role in having a higher or lower ping. The greater number of hops data packets take from one point to the other; the ping times would also increase and vice versa.

So, coming back to the question of what is a good ping for gaming? The answer is simple. Anything that is below 100ms would be acceptable. If you are getting lower ping than 100ms while playing online games, then that's perfect. However, if your ping times are higher than the said value, then that is an issue that needs to be addressed.

Checking The Basics

Now that we know what ping is and its importance, it's time to move on to find effective methods to reduce it. In this regard, doing the basics first is really important.

Closing All Background Applications And Downloads

Whenever you are playing an online game, it is very important that you turn off all your background applications and downloads. This includes just about anything and everything that might be leeching your bandwidth. And yes, this also includes Windows updates that constantly keep downloading something from the internet without you knowing it. You will have to turn off Windows updates manually and schedule a time for updates so that they don't start while you are busy taking those headshots.

Making Sure You Are The Only One Using The Internet

If you are living alone, then maybe this isn't for you. Unless you have shared your WiFi password with others, you don't have to worry about someone else leeching your internet speed. However, if this is the case, you might want to ask them to stop using the internet while you are gaming temporarily. If not, the least you could as for would be to stop streaming video content such as YouTube, Netflix, etc.

 Checking For Other Ssers

If you are facing ping problems in a game, you might also want to confirm whether you are the only one facing the issue. This will give you a better idea if you have it in your hands to solve it. If the friends in your network are also facing the same problem, then it is most likely due to the game server location or your ISP. Something that cannot be directly addressed. 

Going Advanced

This is where things can get a bit tricky and might need a few more bucks from your wallet. But the results for it are far better than the tips mentioned above and worth a shot.

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Switching to a wired network

Next up, you might want to move to a wired connection, as in many cases, your router might be the reason you are getting high ping in your game. With a wired connection, you are directly connected to the gateway server of your ISP, and there is no other thing in between.

Upgrading network hardware

If getting a wired connection isn't an option for you, then maybe it's time for you to upgrade your router/ internet device. These devices also need to be upgraded after a year or so as they are running 24x7.  While a simple reset might help in some cases. Without going much into the technical aspect of this, do note that the network congestion can start from your router as all data is being sent through the router's gateway while a log is also being maintained for all this traffic. However, sometimes these routers are just too old to compete, and a reset won't do you any good. Thus, you might need an immediate replacement for your router/ network device.

Upgrading Internet plan

Alongside the problem mentioned above, your internet plan might also be the reason for your high ping. Sometimes, your package is not good enough to withstand a huge amount of data upload and download, which happens in online gaming. Especially if you are playing MOBA or MMORPG games, a huge chunk of bandwidth is also being utilized in uploading. While the options you have in upgrading your internet plan depend on how much you are willing to pay, we recommend you have at least a 5MBPS internet connection, provided it is dedicated to online gaming.

Limiting Network Usage

If you are not living alone and, for some reason, cannot forbid others to limit their internet usage, then you might have to do this yourself. For this, you would have to go into your router settings and restrict other users' bandwidth so that you have enough for yourself while gaming. For example, if you have a 10MBPS connection, you would want to keep at least 5MBPS for yourself while the entire household can use the remaining. Go to your router settings and see the list of attached devices.

From there, assign a download and upload speed to each device while leaving your own computer without any limit. This will make sure that you get the maximum bandwidth if no one is using the internet. The user interface of doing this is different for different routing devices. So, you might want to access your router's user guide in case you are new to this.  

Letting A Pro Do It - Meet WTFast

If by this time you have tried the things mentioned above and still couldn't get what you expected in terms of low ping, then maybe you need some help from an external/ heavenly force. Maybe, this is the time where you should take a leap of faith and let WTFast do the work for you.

We won't brag about how good we are in solving your network problems and reducing your ping, but we would tell you that we are really good at doing so. With a software dedicated to getting you the best ping when playing online games, we are positive you wouldn't want to go back to playing without it.

There are a lot of technical aspects that can be told over here, but it might get a bit hard for you to understand. Keeping things simple, do note that WTFast has a great number of servers across the globe that provide its users their very own route to the game server, like how a VIP is treated.

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And that's just one thing that helps you achieve lower ping in online games. WTFast also has a constant learning algorithm that lets you stay on the shortest route to the game server. As soon as our application finds a better route, the gamer is switched to it without any interruption. This decreases the number of hops, which are a contributing factor for high or low ping, and you get a much smoother connection to the game server.

So, what are you waiting for? If you have tried the tips and tricks and still are hoping to reduce your ping, then think no more and give WTFast a try. By signing up, you get a 14-day trial access to WTFast, which is more than enough to see if this is the right thing for you. Start your free trial now and see how WTFast works its magic.

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