How I Optimized My Internet Connection For Gaming

Imagine it’s the final round of a search-and-destroy match in Call of Duty: Mobile. 

Your gaming buddies are spectating you, and it’s on your shoulders now to win the match for them. You fight bravely and eliminate your opponents, and all that is left is to diffuse the bomb in 20 seconds. Piece of cake, right?

You make a run for it, but as soon as you start diffusing the bomb, the game disconnects from the server. And, the next thing you know is that you lost the match, not because you didn’t play well, but because your internet betrayed you when you needed it the most.

Well, it happened to me recently, and a hardcore gamer will surely understand how frustrated and helpless I would’ve felt at that time. Honestly, I’ve never been so embarrassed in front of my friends, and for that reason, I decided to find a fix for my internet once and for all.

Below, I’ll share a few tips that helped me optimize my internet connection. And if your internet has ever embarrassed you in an online game, read on, as you’re going to find some really helpful tips.

Internet Connection Type

I was hoping to get a fiber internet connection, as it’s the fastest internet connection type available. With symmetrical internet, i.e., similar upload and download speeds, a fiber connection would’ve really enhanced my online gaming experience.

But, since fiber internet has limited availability and no ISP offered it in my zip code, I had to stick with a cable connection. Having said that, I researched some of the best cable ISPs and found Spectrum to be the most reliable and, at the same time, affordable for online gaming.

Even though it’s a cable connection, my experience with Spectrum Internet has been pretty good so far. Even with multiple smart devices connected to the same network, I haven’t experienced any lag whatsoever.

In short, choosing and subscribing to the right type of internet connection is crucial, yet one of the simplest steps to optimize your online gaming experience.

Ideal Router Placement

Routers are an important piece of equipment that are responsible for delivering internet signals to the connected devices. But I never really thought that router placement could affect internet performance. 

I didn’t know that signals emitted from the router can be affected by several factors such as heavy furniture, thick walls, or even electronic devices emitting radio waves. It’s because internet signals can collide with these objects and lose their strength or change direction.

As a result, our internet speeds can drop, and to ensure it doesn’t happen, place your routers away from such objects.

Choose a Wired Connection

A wired connection can offer a better gaming experience than Wi-Fi. Yes, you may have to compromise your mobility, but if you game on a PC, Xbox, or PlayStation, connect them to the internet via an Ethernet cable.

As I mentioned above, signals emitted from the router can collide with objects and lose strength, which results in slower speeds. However, with wired connections, signals don’t collide with objects like heavy furniture, thick walls, or electronic objects.

The internet signals can travel without losing their strength and directly to your gaming consoles, which ensures the best possible internet speeds.

Update or Upgrade Your Router

Like other smart devices, routers also receive frequent software and firmware updates. These updates can contain vital bug fixes and security patches, and optimize our router’s performance. In short, updates ensure that our routers keep working efficiently without malfunctioning.

Also, playing bandwidth-heavy online games on an outdated router can be a major problem. According to experts, it’s best to replace your router every five years. Additionally, outdated routers may not receive updates that keep them efficient.

So, ensure your router is updated, and if it’s older than five years, replace it with a modern one, specifically one that offers a Quality of Service (QoS) feature. 

This feature is quite helpful for internet users like me who can afford sluggish social media browsing or a drop in video quality, but cannot compromise on online games. It’s because, with QoS, you can prioritize your network bandwidth for important tasks.

Manage Network Bandwidth

Every internet connection has limited bandwidth, and it keeps decreasing when we add new devices or perform bandwidth-heavy tasks like streaming and downloading. This way, our connection’s bandwidth keeps decreasing, and there’s a time when no bandwidth is left for new devices or online tasks.

Here, it’s important to understand that depleting bandwidth can significantly impact your online gaming experience. And to prevent this from happening, it’s best to limit your online activities, especially when you’re playing games.

I’ve noticed that most people don’t disconnect their idle devices from the internet. Well, they also consume bandwidth, and it’s best to disconnect them when you’re not using them. 

For instance, you probably receive notifications from Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook, even when your smartphone is idle. The same goes for background applications, as they also consume and decrease your network’s bandwidth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a game’s server affect internet speed?

Yes, game servers that are farther, or have more traffic require higher internet speeds to work seamlessly.

Can I game on satellite internet?

Yes, you can game on satellite internet, but the latency may be much higher as satellite internet speeds are usually low.