What do high pings mean

If this is the case, there's not much you can do about it. Just be patient and wait for the site to be fixed. If you are experiencing high ping while gaming online, there are a number of ways to alleviate this problem. Try to find a server that is local, if you can. The closer the server is to your location, the faster your connection will be. Overly crowded servers can also cause high ping, so keep an eye out for servers with a lower population -- but not so low that you can't play the game.

Reducing the amount of programs you have running alongside your game can also speed things up. This is particularly true for laptop users, as most laptops have less processing power than desktop computers. If you're going to use your laptop for gaming, multitasking while gaming is generally not recommended. If all else fails, it may be time to upgrade your Internet connection.

No matter how well your computer is configured, it just isn't going to function properly online without a speedy connection. If your ping issues just won't go away, contact your ISP to learn more about the upgrade options available in your area. Running through a computer maintenance checklist can go a long way in speeding up your device and how clearly it can communicate with a gaming router. Another consideration: Are your ethernet cables up to date? Ethernet cables are available in categories ranging from 3 to 8, or Cat 3 to Cat 8.

The higher the category, the better your internet bandwidth and transmission speed. Most households have a Cat 5 or greater ethernet cable, which suffices for gaming because it can handle internet speeds of 1, Mbps or higher. Outdated cables, however, might not even be able to handle speeds higher than Mbps. Our routers are the mainframe of our internet connectivity and they too deserve a little TLC.

Consider the following router maintenance tips:. If your speed score is low — below Mbps — this could be an indication that the internet may be the problem. Keep in mind that internet speeds vary depending on the number of users that are on your network at the same time.

For this reason, consider doing a few internet speed tests throughout the day to determine if your bandwidth is overwhelmed. You might also want to plug your computer directly into an ethernet cable to see how the numbers change. An unfortunate truth is we sometimes have to make sacrifices to improve our gameplay, including ditching Wi-Fi altogether, disconnecting other devices from your network, and even lowering the visual quality of games. Instead, consider the following pointers to reduce ping, listed from the least to more painstaking sacrifices.

Enabling automatic updates for software and applications is a great way to stay on top of your cybersecurity and ensure your devices are running optimally. Just be sure to enable them once you push pause for the day. Think of an ethernet cord like an IV. Still, using an ethernet cord most often provides a more stable internet connection versus Wi-Fi, which is being tugged and pulled by many users and devices. And when you consider the rise of IoT , our routers have to juggle a lot.

Then, multiply that by how many people live under one roof and your internet connection might simply be overwhelmed.

Another thing to consider is how close a game server is to your device, physically. The farther apart you are, the longer it takes for the two to communicate, so the higher your ping will be. Just think of how fast you can communicate with someone sitting beside you versus someone in another country. Good news is some games allow you to choose which game servers your device communicates with.

If this is the case for your game, always pick the gamer server closest to your physical location. Nowadays, gaming visuals are downright impressive. But the better the visuals — consider HD quality versus standard — the more energy it takes for your device to compute them.

The fact is equipment deteriorates over time, including the router that supports our internet connection and, in turn, affects lag in video games. A newer device should give you the latest and greatest range and strongest signal for your wireless connection. Avid gamers might even want to consider springing for a gaming router that, as the name alludes, is optimized for gaming.

Some include a Quality of Service feature that means the router will prioritize gaming traffic above other internet traffic. In case you have recently started facing high ping or it happens occasionally , then it might be a problem with your network or PC configurations.

Below are some fixes:. Recently, I faced ping spikes up to ms due to a background service from the popular Sandboxie tool. Thankfully, a clean boot disabled the service and the issue was resolved. A similar thing might be happening to you. A clean boot disables all third-party startup apps and services that may be messing with your ping. You can check this Microsoft support article to learn how to clean boot Windows 7, 8 and If the router is continuously turned on, then it is common for it to heat up.

Simply turn it off for mins and turn it back on. If it again heats up quickly, then it must be a hardware problem. Either get the router checked or replaced. There are many ways to cool down a heating PC.

I have written a complete guide on how to stop a PC from overheating , you can refer to it to cool down your PC. Hardware drivers play an important role in PC gaming, especially the graphics and network adaptor drivers. You need to make sure all your PC drivers are up-to-date.

The tool will automatically look for corrupted or old drivers and replace them with updated ones. With time, your PC gets cluttered with junk data that could affect the performance of your PC, and the games running on it. Check out this excellent list of 25 tips to clean up your Windows PC and get the best performance. Call your ISP and ask them if there is a problem at their end, or maybe they could help with the issue.

This step is especially helpful if you are receiving slower internet speed check internet speed than usual. You may also ask your ISP to send an agent to check your PC configuration and network configuration to find the problem. Both PC and router are involved in keeping your ping normal, resetting both of them should fix any type of software related issue.

However, do keep in mind that resetting PC and router will lead to deleting all the data in your PC and resetting your configurations in your router. Most routers have a reset button at the back or bottom. It should be inside a hole, so you will have to use a paperclip or a similar object to push it.