When playing video games, especially online games, you must have a good internet connection to guarantee the best experience. The comfort of your gameplay may be impacted by various factors, from the internet connection speed to the game server where you are playing. One of the worst things that can happen when playing online games is having a high ping. This will impact the entire experience of your online game, sometimes making it practically impossible to play. As a gamer, you will always want to reduce ping and optimize your internet speed for a better experience. In this article, we will help you achieve a low ping and optimize your online gaming experience. Follow each step carefully to guarantee a positive result in your game’s server and a stable internet connection.

What Is Ping?

 

Also known as gamers’ worst nightmare, the ping is the latency or how quickly a signal that is sent from your computer takes to come back. In a simpler way, it is the speed at which your game registers the commands you send them. The ping usually interferes with online games because these titles require a constant network connection and are based on internet speeds. Offline gameplay won’t be affected because it doesn’t need an internet service provider connected to register the movements. A high ping means more time to register the commands, directly affecting all aspects of your gaming experience when playing online titles. This is why a lower ping is indispensable for a better quality of life when playing online games.

What Can Make Your Ping So High

 

Many reasons can cause a high ping, from the game settings to the internet router and the type of connection you use. Here are some of the most common issues that can make your ping spikes:

Router

If you use a wireless connection, one of the most common reasons people experience higher pings is their router. It can go from problems related to the router itself to problems with the connection established. When playing games, it’s always better to use an ethernet cable than a Wi-FI connection. It provides greater stability as physical obstructions or network sharing may impair the Wi-Fi signal. If you run a ping test and you notice that your internet connection presents a high ping, there are chances that your router is the problem. It is common when the router’s firmware is not updated or when it is far from your computer or gaming console.

Game’s Settings

Sometimes, the problem is in the game we are playing. Having the wrong gaming setup can make your ping so high that it becomes unplayable sometimes. One of the most common mistakes is selecting the wrong gaming servers located too far from your home. This will drastically affect your internet package loss and many other aspects of the gameplay. Thus, if you live in Europe, choose European servers instead of American or Australian ones.

Computer

The lack of maintenance also affects the internet connection speed and the details of it. You must ensure that your machine’s software is up to date and that the components inside of it are clean. This can not only reduce ping but also optimize all operations, like opening apps, for example. Be sure to take care of your hardware.

How to Identify If Your Ping is High

 

If you are experiencing problems when playing games but don’t know if your problem is the ping, there are two ways of identifying it. The first one is by turning on the average ping display in the game settings. This way, you can easily visualize the ping in your game’s server and identify if it is high or not. The other way is by running an internet speed test. You can do this to make a ping test and determine if this is the problem or if the issue lies in another aspect of your connection, like internet traffic.

How to Fix High Ping

 

Now that you know what ping is and the main causes of high ping, we will show you some tricks that can solve the problem and improve the experience for online gamers. Be sure to check every tip to identify what is causing the problem and the best solution for it.

Update Your Router

 

Having firmware up to date and the router close to your PC or gaming console can reduce ping and improve your experience. Moreover, you can also find a gaming router to buy, designed specifically to prioritize gaming traffic and consequently deliver a lower ping to the users. It is also essential to know that the type of connection is also directly related to the ping and the gaming experience. A wired connection is more stable and provides a lower ping than a wireless one. If you are using a wired connection, choose a quality ethernet cable for it, and also make sure to set it up in your PC or console correctly.

Update Your Computer or Console

 

Along with your router, you also need to update your computer to guarantee a stable connection, whether through wi-fi or ethernet cable. Look for programs, games, and features that can be updated and do it. Keeping things updated is important not just in terms of the performance of your ethernet connection but also in terms of security. Updated machines can prevent problems like viruses and malware from infecting your system. The same works for the game console. Keep your system constantly updated to avoid ping spikes and prevent system vulnerability. You can easily do this by accessing the settings tab in the menu.

Background Applications

 

Another common mistake that can drastically affect your ping is keeping tons of apps running in the background. They entirely affect the performance of your computer and, consequently, increase the ping when gaming. You can fix it by searching for “background apps” in the windows search bar and disabling all the apps you are not using. Doing this will immediately increase the performance of your computer and fix high ping if it is a performance issue.

Game Settings

 

One of the most common mistakes that lead to high ping and poor internet connection is the settings used in the game. To fix this, you must check out your game's settings and ensure you selected the correct options. The first thing you need to check out is the selected server. Select the right region for a better and more stable connection. Choosing the right server will guarantee that you use the server with the lowest ping possible and play with other users from your region. Along with this option, there are other details that you can set up to establish a better connection. These options may vary depending on the game and chosen platform.

Check Your Internet Plan

 

Your internet speed and stability also has a big responsibility for the high ping and everything that happens when trying to play online games. If you are experiencing ping spikes and slow wi-fi connections, you might need to get in touch with your internet provider and check if everything is alright on their side. It is also recommended to be careful when sharing the same connection with multiple persons. Having numerous connected devices simultaneously will drastically affect your ping and gaming performance.

The Best Solution for Ping Problems

 

If you are experiencing high ping problems and the hardware is not the problem, there is a program that will solve the problem once and for all. You can say goodbye to pink spikes and slow connections with NoPing. NoPing is a VPN solution created especially for gamers struggling with high ping and other problems when playing online titles. Our software is based on network resources created especially for the most popular games, guaranteeing an immediate increase in the quality of your gameplay. With the click of a button, you will be directly redirected to the best server available, presenting the lowest ping and command response available. It is the perfect solution for having an optimized experience that will allow you to play like a pro. The app has over 1500 servers that deliver fast and optimized connections that enhance your gaming session without messing up your internet speed. You can easily subscribe for a free trial and see the difference without spending a single penny.  

Conclusion on Fixing High Ping

Although high ping is a deadly enemy for gamers, it is a problem that can be easily solved. After running speed tests and identifying that your ping is higher than it should be, the next step is to understand what is causing the problem. As mentioned before, there are two leading causes for this problem: Hardware and Software. If your problem is hardware, be sure to update all your equipment for the recommended version, whether it is your router or PC. On the other hand, if your problem is software, you can quickly solve any speed or ping performance by using NoPing. Just activate the program and let it do the rest for you. Now that you know everything you need about high ping, it is time to start identifying what is causing it. After discovering this, you just need to follow the recommended steps to solve it and ensure you will perform best in your games. Make sure only to do the process if you know what you are doing. Otherwise, you may damage the machine or wrongly configure your internet connection.