How to improve your ping in multiplayer games

Ping in multiplayer games refers to the amount of time it takes for your device to communciate with the game server.

This can be influenced by a number of factors, from player saturation to issues with your Internet setup at home.

It is also important to keep in mind that while ping is relatively low to other local servers, it is high to servers further away.

This means that South Africans playing on European servers will not have the low ping they experience locally, and this cannot be changed.

If you’ve been experiencing fluctuating or high pings compared to what you usually get, here are a few things you can do to try and fix the problem:

Programs and Updates

Automatic updates

Check if your operating system and other programs such as graphics drivers have automatic updates enabled, these can hog bandwidth and increase latency dramatically.

Bandwidth-intensive programs

Opening Task Manager in Windows allows you to see which processes are using the most bandwidth.

If you have unecessary processes using a large amount of bandwidth, disable them for an improvement.

Router settings

Navigate and log in to your router page to see if there are any restrictions imposed on your connection.

You can use QoS settings to prioritise gaming traffic, although the effectiveness of this option varies according to firmware.

Connection

Go wired

If you are using a wireless connection, you may be experiencing lag spikes due to weak signal strength.

Try moving closer to your Wi-Fi router or connecting via an Ethernet cable.

Turn off your proxy or VPN

If you are experiencing high pings while connected to a VPN, try connecting to the server without a proxy or VPN enabled.

While it keeps you invisible online, this software can also slow down your internet connection and limit bandwidth.

Hardware

Try turning it off and back on again

While simple, sometimes restarting the router could fix latency problems.

Router overheating

Routers can overheat when placed in environments where it is difficult to remain cool.

Refrain from placing your router in a hot or enclosed space.

Upgrade router

If no other option is available, consider upgrading your router to something more suitable for your network, especially if you have a lot of devices connecting through the device.

ISP

Contact your ISP

If everything on your side seems fine and you cannot improve your latency, call your Internet Service Provider.

Explain that you have tried everything on your side, and they should check to see if there are any problems with your line or account.

Improve line speed

Games are requiring more and more bandwidth, and some older ADSL products can’t keep up.

If you are trying to host a LAN party on a 1Mbps ADSL connection, consider upgrading your line speed to allow everyone enough bandwith.

Now read: Overwatch’s multiplayer netcode is now better than Counter-Strike’s