My Speed Test is Good But my Internet is Slow. Why?

Hey there, fellow gamer! So, you’ve just run a speed test, and the results are impressive.

Yet, when you dive into your favorite online game, you’re met with lag, stuttering, and maybe even a few rage-inducing disconnects.

What’s going on? Let’s break it down and get to the bottom of this frustrating conundrum.

First, the Difference Between Bandwidth and Latency

When people talk about their internet speed, they’re usually referring to bandwidth—the amount of data their connection can transfer per second, measured in Mbps (megabits per second).

While bandwidth is important, it doesn’t tell the whole story. Another crucial factor for online gaming is latency, which is often overlooked but can make or break your experience.

Source: Total Phase

What is Bandwidth?

Bandwidth is like the width of a highway—it determines how much traffic (data) can flow at once. If you have a high-bandwidth connection, you can download large files faster, stream high-quality videos without buffering, and handle multiple devices on your network more efficiently.

However, just because you have a fast internet package (e.g., 500 Mbps download speed) doesn’t mean your connection will feel fast, especially in real-time applications like gaming, video calls, or live streaming.

What is Latency?

Latency, often called ping, is the time it takes for data to travel from your device to a server and back. It’s measured in milliseconds (ms). The lower your latency, the more responsive your connection feels.

In gaming, low latency is far more important than high bandwidth. A 1 Gbps connection with 100ms latency will feel much worse than a 50 Mbps connection with 10ms latency.

Why Only Measuring Speed Isn’t Enough

Speed tests primarily measure bandwidth, not latency or connection quality. So, even if you see “500 Mbps download speed”, you could still experience:

• Lag in online games due to high latency.
  
• Slow response times when clicking in a game, despite a fast download rate.
  
• Packet loss (when some data never reaches its destination).
  
• Jitter (inconsistent latency, leading to stuttering and unstable gameplay).

Some Problems With Speed Tests

Knowing that, speed tests can be deceptive. They might show blazing-fast speeds, but that doesn’t always translate to a smooth online gaming experience. Here’s why:

Running Tests on Wi-Fi

Most of us run speed tests over Wi-Fi because, let’s face it, who wants to be tethered by cables? However, Wi-Fi introduces a slew of variables that can increase latency and affect your connection:

• Router Quality: Not all routers are created equal. An outdated or low-quality router can bottleneck your speeds.​
  
• Distance and Obstacles: The farther you are from the router, especially with walls and furniture in between, the weaker the signal.​
  
• Interference: Other electronic devices, neighboring Wi-Fi networks, and even microwaves can interfere with your Wi-Fi signal.​

In short, Wi-Fi is convenient but can be unreliable for consistent, high-speed connections.​

Location of the Speed Test Servers vs. Your Location

Speed test services often connect you to the nearest server to measure your internet speed. These servers are typically close to major internet backbones, ensuring minimal latency and maximum speeds during the test. 

However, this doesn’t reflect the actual path your data takes when connecting to a game server, which might be located halfway across the globe. Think of it like testing your car’s top speed on an empty highway (no latency) versus navigating through a congested city (high latency); the experiences are vastly distinct.​ In other words, it’s the same highway (bandwidth) but with very different conditions (latency).

Distance From the Game Servers or Where You’re Downloading From

Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) manages only a portion of the network path between you and the game server. Even if your ISP provides a fast connection, the overall speed can be hampered by congestion or issues in other parts of the network chain.

If the game server is located far away, the data has to traverse multiple networks, each introducing potential delays. It’s like having a fast car but being stuck in traffic; your vehicle’s capabilities don’t matter if the road is congested.​

FFXIV Server Status page

Other Potential Issues

Beyond the factors above, several other elements can impact your online gaming experience:

• Network Congestion: High traffic on your ISP’s network, especially during peak hours, can slow down your connection.​
  
• Background Applications: Other devices or applications on your network might be consuming bandwidth, affecting your gaming performance.​
  
• Hardware Limitations: Older hardware, such as modems, routers, or even your gaming device, can limit your connection speed.​
  
• ISP Throttling: Some ISPs may throttle certain types of traffic, like gaming or streaming, reducing your effective speed.​

How to Fix Each One of The Problems Above?

Now that we’ve identified the main culprits behind the “good speed test but slow internet” issue, let’s go over how to fix them.

1. Running Tests on Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi is convenient, but it’s also unreliable. Here’s how to improve your connection:

• Use a Wired Connection: The best way to eliminate Wi-Fi issues is to connect your gaming device directly to the router using an Ethernet cable. This ensures a stable, low-latency connection.
  
• Upgrade Your Router: If a wired connection isn’t possible, invest in a modern router with Wi-Fi 6 support and quality-of-service (QoS) settings to prioritize gaming traffic.
  
• Optimize Router Placement: Place your router in a central, open location, away from walls, metal objects, and electronic devices that can cause interference.
  
• Reduce Interference: If you live in an apartment or densely populated area, switch your Wi-Fi channel to one with less congestion. You can use apps like WiFi Analyzer to find the best option.
  

2. Location of the Speed Test Servers vs. Your Location

Speed test services connect to the nearest, most optimized servers, which doesn’t reflect real-world performance. To get a better measurement of your actual connection:

• Test Multiple Servers: Instead of relying on one speed test, try multiple services like Fast.com, Speedtest.net, and Cloudflare’s speed test to see how speeds vary.
  
• Test to the Game Server: Some games provide built-in tools to measure ping to their servers. If not, use ping or tracert commands to check response times manually.
  
• Use a Ping Reducer Tool: Sometimes, ISPs route traffic inefficiently. Tools like NoPing can find better paths to the game server, reducing lag.
  

3. Distance From the Game Servers or Where You’re Downloading From

The further the game server is, the longer data takes to travel. Since your ISP only controls a few “hops” in the network chain, here’s what you can do:

• Pick Servers Closer to You: Many online games allow you to select a region. Choosing one near your location will reduce travel distance and improve latency.
  
• Check Your ISP’s Peering Agreements: Some ISPs have poor routing to specific game servers. You can ask your ISP about their peering agreements or try using an alternative DNS service.
  
• Use a Route-Optimization Tool: Services like NoPing can reroute your traffic through less congested paths, improving stability and reducing ping.

Here’s how to use NoPing to fix high ping in online games:

• Sign-up through the website and download NoPing (you can test it for free).
• Open NoPing and search for your game inside the software

• Once you find it, click on it and, on the next screen, select “Choose automatic” or “Choose manual” and click “Continue”. We recommend choosing automatic, as NoPing’s technology analyzes all routes on a global scale and automatically selects the best option for you.

• On the next screen, click on “Optimize Game”.

• And that’s it, you can start playing with optimized ping!

You can test different servers within NoPing to see which gives you the lowest latency.

4. Network Congestion (Especially During Peak Hours)

If your internet slows down in the evening when everyone’s online, you’re likely experiencing congestion. To fix this:

• Schedule Downloads and Updates for Off-Peak Hours: Avoid heavy internet usage during peak times (6 PM – 11 PM).
  
• Check If Your ISP Throttles Certain Traffic: Some ISPs throttle gaming, streaming, or torrenting traffic.
  
• Consider a Higher-Tier Plan: Some ISPs offer plans with lower contention ratios (fewer users sharing the same bandwidth).
  

5. Background Applications Eating Bandwidth

If someone in your house is streaming 4K videos while you’re gaming, it could be hurting your connection. Here’s how to manage network usage:

• Check for Bandwidth-Hungry Apps: Use tools like GlassWire or your router’s traffic monitoring feature to see what’s using bandwidth.
  
• Enable QoS on Your Router: Quality of Service (QoS) settings let you prioritize gaming traffic over other types of internet use.
  
• Limit Background Processes: Disable automatic updates on gaming platforms like Steam and Epic Games during playtime.

6. Old or Poor-Quality Hardware

If your modem or router is outdated, it might not handle high-speed connections efficiently. To upgrade your setup:

• Use a Modern Router: Look for a router with Wi-Fi 6 support and good traffic management features.
  
• Upgrade Your Network Card: If you’re on an older PC or laptop, your Wi-Fi card might be slowing you down. Consider upgrading to a better one.
  
• Ensure Your Ethernet Cables Are High Quality: Cheap or old Ethernet cables can limit speeds. Use Cat 6 or Cat 7 cables for the best performance.
  

7. ISP Throttling or Poor Routing

Some ISPs slow down gaming traffic to reduce strain on their network. Here’s how to check and work around it:

• Run a Speed Test Over a VPN: If your speeds improve when using a VPN, your ISP is likely throttling certain types of traffic.
  
• Switch DNS Servers: Using a faster DNS service like Google DNS (8.8.8.8) or Cloudflare DNS (1.1.1.1) can sometimes bypass slow ISP routing.
  
• Complain to Your ISP or Switch Providers: If your ISP is known for throttling gaming traffic, consider switching to one with a better reputation for gaming performance.
  

The Role and Importance of DNS in Your Connection Speed

Most people never think about DNS (Domain Name System) when troubleshooting a slow internet connection. But DNS plays a crucial role in how quickly websites load, how fast your game connects to a server, and even how smooth your online gaming experience feels. If your speed test results look great, but your internet still feels sluggish, a slow or overloaded DNS server could be the hidden culprit.

What is DNS and Why Does It Matter?

DNS works like the phonebook of the internet. When you type a website address (e.g., www.google.com) or connect to a game server, your device doesn’t understand those words. Instead, DNS translates the domain name into an IP address (e.g., 142.250.190.14 for Google), which allows your device to locate and communicate with the correct server.

A slow DNS server can delay the initial connection to websites and game servers, making it feel like your internet is lagging—even if your bandwidth is fine.

Source: Zenarmor

How DNS Affects Online Gaming

For gamers, DNS can have a bigger impact than most realize. Here’s how:

1. Faster Server Resolution: When you start an online match, your game needs to find and connect to the appropriate game server. A slow DNS can increase the time it takes to establish this connection, leading to longer wait times or even failed connections.
   
2. Lower Latency (in Some Cases): While DNS itself doesn’t directly affect your ping during gameplay, a slow DNS can introduce extra delays when connecting to a server or loading game content. Some optimized DNS providers offer better routing to game servers, leading to slightly lower latency.
   
3. Better Stability: If your ISP’s DNS servers are overloaded, they may fail to resolve connections properly, causing random disconnections or network errors. Using a more stable DNS can help prevent these issues.

Tools to Better Measure Your Connection Quality

Beyond standard speed tests, tools like tracert and pathping can provide deeper insights into your network’s performance:​

Tracert (Trace Route)

This tool maps the path data takes from your device to the destination server, showing each hop along the way. By analyzing the results, you can identify where delays or packet losses occur, helping pinpoint network issues.

How to Use Tracert (Traceroute)

Tracert (on Windows) or Traceroute (on macOS/Linux) shows the path your connection takes to a destination and how long each step (hop) takes.

Steps to Run Tracert on Windows

1. Press Win + R, type cmd, and hit Enter to open the Command Prompt.
   
2. Type the following command and hit Enter: tracert [server_address]

Replace [server_address] with the game server’s IP address or website. Example: tracert google.com

The output will show a list of network hops, each with a response time (in milliseconds).

Look for high latency spikes or * * * (timeouts), which indicate potential connection issues.

Source: N4L

Pathping

Combining the functionalities of ping and tracert, pathping provides detailed information about network latency and packet loss at each hop between your device and the target server. It’s especially useful for diagnosing intermittent connectivity problems. 

How to Use Pathping

Pathping is like a combination of Tracert and Ping. It traces the route and checks for packet loss at each hop.

Steps to Run Pathping on Windows

1. Open Command Prompt (Win + R → type cmd → hit Enter).
   
2. Run the following command: pathping [server_address]

Example: pathping google.com

The tool will take a few minutes to analyze packet loss and latency at each hop.

Look for high packet loss percentages—these indicate network congestion or problematic routing.

Source: Wikipedia

By utilizing these tools, you can gain a comprehensive understanding of your network’s health and take informed steps to enhance your online gaming experience.​

In conclusion, while speed tests offer a snapshot of your internet’s potential, they don’t always reflect the complexities of real-world usage, especially in online gaming.

By understanding the factors at play and taking proactive measures, you can bridge the gap between impressive speed test results and a truly seamless gaming experience.

NoPing optimizes your network route, sending your data through multiple paths and using AI to calculate the less congested routes. The result is a stable and actually fast connection to your games. Download it now and test it for free!