Why is my ping so high?
21st November, 2023 | Home / Blog / Gaming broadband / Why is my ping so high?Reading time: < 1 minute
Why Is My Ping So High?
- Quality of ISP
- Poor internet Speeds
- You’re on a wireless connection
- You’re too far away from the router
- Your distance from the server
- You’ve got too many connected devices
- Background Network Services
- VPN Services
What is a good ping for online games?
| Ping | Ping quality | Good for which games? |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 20ms | Exceptional ping | Ideal for competitive gaming |
| 20-50ms | Very good ping | Suitable for most online games |
| 50-100ms | Good ping | Still playable for most games |
| 100-150ms | Fair ping | May experience some lag in some games |
| 150ms or more | High ping | May get significant lag and some games be unplayable |
How to reduce your ping for a better gaming experience
- Use an ethernet cable
- Reboot your router
- Move closer to the router
- Pause software updates
- Kill unwanted background tasks
- Checking internet bandwidth usage
- Updating drivers
- Remove some of the devices connected
- Flush DNS cache
- Turn off downloads from other PCs
- Disable VPN services
- Contact your broadband provider
How to check your ping
| Device | Method | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | Command prompt | Open the Command Prompt and type the following command: ping [website address] |
| Mac | Network Utility | Open the Network Utility application and click on the Traceroute tab. Type the website address you want to ping in the Destination field and click on the Trace button. |
| Android | Third-party app | Search for "ping checker" in the Google Play Store. Many ping checker apps are available, such as PingTools. Open the app and enter the website address you want to ping. |
| iOS | Third-party app | Search for "ping test" in the App Store. Many ping checker apps are available, such as Ping Test. Open the app and enter the website address you want to ping. |
| Router | Built-in ping checker | Check the documentation for your router to see if it has a built-in ping checker. |
| Gaming console | Built-in ping checker | Check the documentation for your gaming console to see if it has a built-in ping checker. |
Does high Ping cause lag?
Yes, high ping can cause lag, which refers to the delay or decreased speed in online activities, particularly noticeable in online gaming.
Does faster internet help reduce high ping?
Faster internet can help lower ping as information moves faster, reducing delay. However, other factors like distance, routing, and network congestion also play a role. Fibre broadband is far more reliable than wireless because it’s made from fibre optic cable.
If you’ve tried all the above and you’re having no luck, it might be time to see if you can get better broadband. Head to our broadband coverage checker.
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