Strategies to Resolve a High Ping Rate

As a gamer, having a fast internet connection is essential for seamless gameplay, especially in multiplayer online games where lag can ruin your experience. However, even with a lightning-fast connection, you might still experience a high ping rate, leading to delays, choppy gameplay, and frustration. While high download and upload speeds are necessary, they aren’t the only factors that determine the quality of your gaming connection. Ping, or latency, plays a critical role in how smooth and responsive your online gaming experience is. To help you figure out what’s going on with your system, we’ve compiled this explanation of what ping rate is, why you might experience a high ping rate with fast internet service, and what you can do to reduce it.

What is Ping Rate?

Ping is the time it takes for data to travel from your device to a gaming server and back. Essentially, it measures the delay between sending a signal (such as pressing a button or moving a character) and receiving a response from the game server. Ping is measured in milliseconds (ms), and a lower ping rate means faster response times and a smoother gaming experience.

• Low ping (under 20ms): Ideal for gaming, offering near-instantaneous responses.
• Medium ping (20ms to 50ms): Still very good, with minimal lag.
• High ping (over 100ms): This can cause noticeable delays and make games challenging to play, especially in competitive environments.
• Very high ping (over 200ms): Severe lag, making games almost unplayable in real-time.

Why Might You Have a High Ping Rate With Fast Internet?

There are several reasons why you might have a high ping rate even if your internet speed is fast. Internet speed and ping rate aren’t directly linked because they measure different aspects of connectivity. Here are some common factors that might cause a high ping:

1. Server Location

One of the most significant factors influencing ping rate is the physical distance between your device and the game server. The farther the server is from your location, the longer it takes for data to travel between your computer and the server, leading to a higher ping.

Solution: Choose game servers that are geographically closer to you whenever possible. Many games allow you to select which server you connect to, so try to choose a server in your region. For instance, if you’re based in the U.S., playing on a North American server instead of a European one will likely reduce your ping.

2. Network Congestion

If multiple devices are using your network simultaneously, they can cause congestion, increasing your ping rate. This is especially true if someone is streaming video, downloading large files, or video conferencing while you’re gaming.

Solution: Start by choosing an internet package that meets all the users on your network. Hunter’s 30-minute quiz can help you determine how much internet speed your household needs. Next, manage your network’s bandwidth by limiting the number of devices connected during your gaming session. Using your router’s Quality of Service (QoS) settings, you can prioritize gaming traffic over other data types, ensuring your gaming connection gets the bandwidth it needs.

3. Wi-Fi Interference

Wireless connections are more prone to interference from walls, other electronic devices, and even neighboring networks, which can slow down your connection and increase your ping.

Solution: If possible, switch to a wired Ethernet connection instead of relying on Wi-Fi. Ethernet cables provide a stable, direct link to your router, which can significantly reduce ping. If you must use Wi-Fi, try moving your device closer to the router or upgrading to a mesh Wi-Fi system to extend coverage.

4. Router or Modem Performance

Your router and modem are critical components of your home network. Older or lower-quality equipment can bottleneck your connection and increase ping, even if you have high-speed internet.

Solution: Make sure your modem and router are up to date and capable of handling high-speed internet connections. Routers with modern technology, such as Wi-Fi 6, can improve performance by reducing network congestion and offering faster, more reliable connections. Additionally, rebooting your router occasionally can clear out any temporary issues that might be affecting its performance.

5. Background Applications

Many applications running in the background can consume bandwidth, which might not be noticeable when browsing the web but can affect your gaming experience by increasing ping.

Solution: Before you start gaming, close any unnecessary applications or processes running on your device, such as web browsers, streaming services, or software updates. This can free up resources for your game and reduce latency.

6. Overloaded Game Servers

Sometimes, the issue isn’t on your end at all. Game servers can become overloaded with too many players, which causes them to slow down and results in high ping for everyone connected to them.

Solution: There’s not much you can do directly in this situation except wait for the server load to reduce or switch to a less crowded server. You can monitor game server status through in-game notifications or third-party websites to check if others are experiencing the same issue.

Does Fiber-optic Internet Have Lower Ping Rates?

Yes! Here’s why:

Fiber-optic internet generally provides lower ping rates than other internet services, such as DSL, cable, or satellite, because of its superior technology and infrastructure. Fiber-optic cables transmit data as light signals through strands of glass, allowing for near-instantaneous data transmission over long distances without significant loss of signal strength or speed. This results in a much faster and more direct connection between your device and the game server, reducing the delay (latency) contributing to high ping rates. Unlike copper-based connections, which are more susceptible to electrical interference and signal degradation, fiber-optic connections maintain consistent speeds and lower latency even during peak usage.

Additionally, fiber-optic internet has a higher capacity to handle multiple devices and heavy data loads without network congestion. Traditional internet services, like cable and DSL, rely on shared bandwidth or aging infrastructure, which can lead to slower speeds and increased ping when the network is congested. With fiber, you get a dedicated, high-bandwidth connection, ensuring that your gaming traffic is prioritized and experiences minimal delay. This makes fiber-optic internet the preferred choice for gamers who need the lowest possible ping rates and smooth, uninterrupted gameplay.

Gamers Can Rely on Hunter’s Fiber-optic Internet

Hunter Communications’ fiber-optic internet service supports even the most serious gamers. From GB+ packages designed for intense gameplay to local support professionals to answer all your questions, you won’t have to worry about issues like a high ping rate destroying your gameplay.