Packet Loss Meaning
Online gaming has taken the world by storm. Millions of gamers play online video games, including Call of Duty, CSGO, Dota 2, and Apex Legends. Not only that, but online gaming has made its way into spectator sports with the rise and popularity of esports. Hundreds of large-scale esports events are held each year for some of the most popular online games, and that number is only growing.
However, online gaming is not free of issues. One common issue that plagues online gamers quite often is packet loss. If you like to play online games, you must understand what packet loss means, how it affects your gaming experience, and what you can do to fix it. Here is our complete explanation of precisely that.
What is Packet Loss?
Packet loss is a common problem that gamers encounter often. In simple terms, packet loss occurs when some data packets transmitted between the player's device and the game server fail to arrive at their destination.
Let's look at an example to help you better visualize how packet loss works. Imagine that you ordered a package from an online store. The delivery guy picks up that package from the store and drives toward your home. Along the way, the delivery van hits a pothole, which flings the back door open, and your package gets dropped on the road. In this way, you lost that package.
In the same way, data constantly gets transmitted between your computer and the game server when you play an online game. Each time a player sends a command or input to the game server, the information gets broken down into data packets. They then get transmitted through the internet.
These packets contain crucial information that allows the game server to process the player's inputs and respond accordingly. However, these packets can get lost during transmission, which results in lag, delayed responses, and even disconnections from the game server.
Causes of Packet Loss
Packet loss can occur because of various reasons. The most common causes of packet loss include network congestion, hardware issues, and software bugs. Here is a brief explanation of all those issues.
Network congestion occurs when the network you are using becomes overloaded with traffic. One of the most common reasons this happens is because of peak-hour traffic. During peak hours of a particular internet connection, many devices start using the same network, which causes an overload on it. Think of it as a traffic jam during rush hour.
One of the most common reasons for packet loss is hardware failure. Gamers often play online games on outdated hardware like old routers or use faulty or damaged network cables. Think of these as the potholes we mentioned in the previous example. Because of these hardware issues, some data packets may get lost.
Software issues may also cause packet loss. However, it's less common than the first two reasons. Bugs or glitches can occur in software and cause the packets to be lost or delayed. You can think of this as an inexperienced or sick delivery driver who doesn't keep track of the packages and keeps losing them.
Effects of Packet Loss on Gaming
One of the most stressful issues in online gaming is Packet loss. It can have some detrimental effects on your online gaming experience. If you are playing a competitive online game like CSGO or Rainbow Six Siege, you do not want to experience packet loss because it can drastically decrease your in-game performance and make you lose more matches.
To explain how packet loss affects your gameplay, let's look at an example. Imagine you are in an intense fight in a match of Apex Legends. You decide to exit that situation because several teams are fighting, and you don't want to be in the middle of all that chaos.
To do that, you press the "W" key, and your computer sends a signal to the game server. However, the packet of data that contains the info of you pressing "W" gets lost and doesn't reach the game server because of one of the issues we mentioned in the previous section.
The server does not know that you moved a couple of steps forward. You move on your screen but get teleported back to your starting location because the game server thinks you never moved from there. You get teleported back into the gunfight and die from unsuspected enemy fire. If you have ever experienced something like this, it is referred to as rubberbanding and is one of the many issues you can experience while playing online games with packet loss.
Other issues gamers might experience while playing online games with packet loss include lag, stuttering, choppy gameplay, hit registration issues (enemies not taking damage despite clearly hitting them), and more. All of that can significantly impact the overall gaming experience. It can make a gaming session frustrating and annoying.
How to Fix Packet Loss
Fortunately, several methods can help you fix packet loss. Here are some solutions that you can try:
Reset Your Internet Router: Try resetting your internet router. It can help clear up any minor issues in the router that may be causing packet loss.
Restart Your PC: You can also try restarting your computer. Doing this resolves the issue most of the time.
Use Wired Connections: Consider switching to a wired connection. Wired connections are generally more stable. Wireless connections are much more prone to packet loss.
Check Your Network Cables: Damaged network cables can also cause packet loss. Check them for damage and replace them if necessary.
Contact Your Internet Service Provider (ISP): If none of the above solutions work, the issue may be between the connection from your router to the ISP. Only the ISP can fix that, so you should try contacting them.
Use WTFast: WTFast is a GPN or a Gamers' Private Network that can help reduce packet loss. It works by optimizing your internet connection for online gaming and finding the best and most stable path for your game data to travel.
Conclusion
Packet loss is a common issue gamers face while playing online games. There are various causes of packet loss, including network congestion, faulty equipment, and software bugs. Fortunately, you now know all about packet loss and how you can fix it. Try some of our fixes to see which one helps you the most.
