Hi there, in games I get ping spikes from 30 to 250 on a regular basis. I have 10mb Broadband with virgin media. I'm downstairs from my wirelss router and use a Tenda USB wireless network adapter. Are there any tweaks that I can do to boost my ping in games and get it running at a steady rate?
Best way to boost Wireless in games
- Thread starter sanderse
- Start date
The best way would be to run a wire.
The major problem with gaming with wireless is that data packets can go missing. The fact that you have ping spikes to 250ms suggest this is what your problem is. It's just not wholly reliable. Interference from other radio sources such as other APs, a microwave, your PC or other devices can also affect how reliable your connection is.
If you can't run a wire then go for homeplugs. If you can't go homeplugs then move your wireless card/device closer to the AP and away from sources of interference. If you have captive or rear mounted antenna try using a pigtail extension to move antenna away from your PC as much as possible, without being too long to suffer drops in power.
The major problem with gaming with wireless is that data packets can go missing. The fact that you have ping spikes to 250ms suggest this is what your problem is. It's just not wholly reliable. Interference from other radio sources such as other APs, a microwave, your PC or other devices can also affect how reliable your connection is.
If you can't run a wire then go for homeplugs. If you can't go homeplugs then move your wireless card/device closer to the AP and away from sources of interference. If you have captive or rear mounted antenna try using a pigtail extension to move antenna away from your PC as much as possible, without being too long to suffer drops in power.
Thanks for the reply Tealc. By homeplugs do you mean try a different plug in the home? If so, it's not possible for me as my router only connects to a socket upstairs. Do you mean a captive or rear mounted antenna on the router? Also, what's a pigtail extension? Sorry for my ignorance. I'm a rookie when it comes to networking etc
Homeplugs basically uses the electrical mains as a network. The upside to this means you can reach distances as far as wireless but retain the reliablilty of ethernet. There's also no wire mess involved. It's really good if you're in a room with poor wireless signals.
It depends a lot on how much you've spent on your wireless setup unfortunately. I've been gaming on 5GHz wireless for over a year now with pings always staying below 30 on good servers, but I've shelled out nearly £200 on router + adapter for me and my girlfriend.
The router should be ok even if it has internal antenna.
What I meant was how are the antenna arranged on your PC.
If it's like this...
...then you might benefit in using an wifi extension cable to move those antenna away from the electrically noisy back of your PC into more of a quiet location.
If you are using one of these...
...then you really should look into a more permanent solution such as that above. USB network adapters are great for laptops or a quick network fix but are not really gaming suitable in my opinion.
Grabbing yourself two homeplugs for £30-£40 would potentially fix your problem, assuming of course that your home power wiring is half decent.
Running some Cat5e to the back of your PC, or a switch, would be the best solution, the most reliable, the fastest and the cheapest too. 30 Metres of OcUK value Cat5e cable is less than £10.
Poppycock!
I've been gaming on Wireless for years without any problems. 'slow' stuff like MMO's work flawlessly and I haven't had a single bit of bother with stuff like BF3 or MW2 when i was playing either.
How far are you from your router?