When it comes to gaming, good hardware is what counts above all in order to be able to play modern and demanding games smoothly. However, if you like to play games online, you should also keep another factor in mind, because there are minimal delays between the PC and the server that manages the multiplayer game such as League of Legends where you can rank better with the help of a LOL Duo Site. This mini-data jam is called ping and it affects many different accesses to the Internet.
Especially with fast multiplayer online games, there are a large number of different actors in the action, which means that many servers have to link to each other. This can sometimes massively disturb the course of the game and slow down the flow of the game. In single-player games, the amount of data is correspondingly significantly lower, which means that the ping is generally lower. Players in Hunt Showdown, Call of Duty, or Overwatch wants the lowest possible latency, which in most cases is the responsibility of the servers of the gaming providers.
But even as a user yourself, you can do a lot to minimize the ping on your own. Here’s what exactly we want to show you in this article.
What exactly is a ping
The actual term is “latency”. This refers to the period of time that a small data packet needs from your own PC to a server and back to the computer. This ping time is measured in milliseconds and is an essential indicator of the reaction speed in online games or even when surfing the Internet normally. Thus, the connection – similar to driving a car – is perceived as “lively” or “sluggish”. Latency is significantly influenced by the technology of Internet access but also by the utilization of Internet access as such. Here it is important to know that the ping always refers to a two-way latency, i.e. the data path back and forth. Internet providers often pick up on one-way latencies that only affect access, but not transmission in the network. In general, the further away the server is, the longer the transfer takes and this affects the ping. Ping times at a glance:
- Fast Internet access has a ping time of fewer than two milliseconds. This is usually glass fiber.
- Slow Internet access can reach ping times of over 50 milliseconds. These are usually accessed via UMTS.
- Average ping times are in the range of 5-30 milliseconds
- For example, if you access a server in Japan (which is not uncommon in gaming), you have to calculate with ping times of up to 280 milliseconds.
By the way: When streaming or downloading, the ping does not interfere, because the data packet arrives at the user with a uniform delay. This creates a continuous data flow. In addition, there are always “buffers” for videos to avoid stagnation. Data is preloaded before it actually appears on the screen.
Relevant ping values for a perfect gaming
If you play online, a bad ping can be a disadvantage. A latency of 250, for example, means that you only see the action of an opponent two and a half tenths of a second later on the monitor. What exactly a good ping is, however, cannot be defined in general. In general, values below 100 are fine. If the ping is under 50, you can assume that this is a good ping. If you want to know exactly how high the latency is, you can also display it directly in most games. Very often there is a bar for the ping quality. So you can see directly in the game how it is about the speed of the data.
The delay also depends on who you are playing with and who is hosting the game. If no external server, but a player PC hosts the game, the ping can be significantly worse than the regular speed test. This only shows the general connection quality of the router to the Internet.
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The type of Internet access affects the ping
There is no ping value of 0. But you can reach a value between 10 and 30. Here, however, it is a misconception that the bandwidth optimizes the ping. Because it is not the amount of data that makes the delay, but the data flow. Therefore, it is important to have the right internet access. DSL with Fastpath, DSL2+, VDSL, cable or fiber in combination with good bandwidth make ping values of less than 20 possible.
Tips for improving latencies
Unfortunately, there are some factors that cannot be influenced, but there are still some things you can do for a better ping:
Gaming with LAN cable
WLAN (Wireless LAN) standards are fast these days, but the LAN cable is still ahead in terms of speed.
Close
any other software Before every gaming game, check whether there are still programs or tools active in the background that you don’t actually need. This is best done via the task manager.
Prevent parallel data traffic
Do not run downloads or streams on the side. Because these data volumes and the game itself then “argue” about who is allowed to receive his data packet first.
Virus program
The virus program can also influence the ping, as it goes online from time to time and can thus increase the latencies.
Prioritization of the software With modern LAN adapters
Or motherboard tools of the manufacturer you can give priority to certain applications on the PC.
Prioritize over the router Modern routers
Offer the possibility to give “priority” to certain devices in the network. Here you should classify the gaming PC, for example, with the highest priority.
Check
Nat-Type There are games that provide information about the so-called Nat-Type. Here you should make sure that it is “open”. If this is “medium” or “closed”, problems with multiplayer games are inevitable. Via the sharing menu on the PC, you can open certain “ports” in the router and prevent this. Which ports always depend on the game publisher. It is best to inquire directly or in a game forum.
So there is a lot that you can do yourself to optimize the ping. In any case, the focus should be on the router. It makes sense to exchange this from time to time for a newer one and in the course of this also to choose one that offers prioritization technology. So online gaming will certainly be even more fun!