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Shoot! You just got busted! Your opponent’s bullet reached you before your bullet could reach him. Was his bullet fast? Or your weapon was slow? None of them actually. The reason you got busted was that your ping was high. How to Lower Ping?
Ping basically measures the lag or responding time between your input and the reaction time (output) of your computer. It is measured in milliseconds. So, let’s say if you have a ping of 100ms, it means your computer will take 100 milliseconds to respond to your request during an online game or even web browsing.
The common misconception is that gamers usually think that their routers are faulty or they are not fast enough in playing. The reason usually is the ping. The lower the ping, the greater the chance to have an edge over your opponents.
Fortunately, there are some simple methods to lower the ping rate for online gaming and for improving the overall web browsing experience.
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Closing Background Apps and Programs
Background apps and programs use a lot of bandwidth. It causes excess load or traffic on the network and affects the game’s performance, resulting in lagging and high ping. So, force close background apps like video streaming, torrenting, web browser tabs, Spotify, Netflix to improve the ping rate. Go to task manager to force close background apps. Background apps that don’t use the internet can also result in the slow performance of the game.
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Disconnect Other Devices
The more the devices are connected to a single network, the more it impacts the stability and latency. It will put a strain on the internet network. And also, bandwidth allocation to other connected devices may be higher. Another factor that will create a lag is the video streaming or using torrents on other devices. However, it may be impossible to disconnect all devices; you may reduce the number of connected devices or ask the network sharing members to stop torrent or video streaming for a while.
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Pause Updates
Before starting your favorite game, go to the settings to pause updates for a while as these updates, no matter how necessary they are, can use a lot of bandwidth. But resume the updates after finishing your game for your digital safety and security.
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Disable Firewall
Your computer’s firewall running in the background keep tabs on all the data sent from your computer or received by it. It will cause the data sent by the game server to be checked by a firewall or antivirus. It may cause a delay of a few milliseconds, resulting in high latency or ping rate. Disable your firewall or antivirus temporarily or add your game to the allowed list to freely send and receive data without affecting ping.
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Move Your System Close to the Router
The low signal strength delays any web browsing or gaming performance due to high ping. Thick concrete walls and obstructions absorb wifi signals, and your system becomes out of the range of the router. So, moving close to the router can boost the wifi signals and improve your browsing and gaming experience.
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Get Wired to the Internet
Wireless connections or wifi fluctuate, and the physical obstruction also causes jitters in gaming which have high ping or latency. Connect to ethernet for better ping timing. Ethernet also reduces interference from physical obstructions, and the data moves along the wires faster without causing any fluctuation on the internet network.
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Game Settings
Make sure your PC supports the game requirements and has a better graphics card, processor, and RAM to run the game smoothly. It’s better to play the game on recommended or automatic setting where the game settings are optimized according to your PC’s configuration. If it still lags then, manually optimizes the setting and lower the resolution to experience a smooth game. It may impact the viewing experience, but at least you won’t lose the game because of the high ping and low responsiveness of the system.
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Connect to the Closest Server
If the server is nearest to your location, it will help in lower ping timing. Many games let you choose the server according to the location. The nearest server means the data transfer will be faster. So, don’t play games on the servers that are farther away from your location.
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Restart or Reset Your Router
Restarting or resetting your router or modem solves network issues, removes cache, restores default settings, and stabilizes the network. It will instantly show improvement by lowering the ping and overall browsing experience.
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Invest in a New Router
If nothing else works, you can contact your internet supplier to upgrade your internet connection or splurge on the new router that supports various devices to connect without affecting the performance and connectivity.
Final Words
Ping timings, being measured in milliseconds, may not have that much impact on overall browsing. However, a slight high ping may feel like a big hurdle to an avid gamer. So, follow the above-mentioned methods to improve your ping timing and have a smooth and more responsive experience during gaming.
