If you’ve played a multiplayer game online, there’s a good chance you’ve experienced lag in some way, shape or form. Rubberbanding, laggy inputs, and framerate drops are all consequences of broader connection issues and can make gaming a miserable and frustrating experience.
In most cases, lag negates a player’s success in a competitive environment as there are only microsecond delays that result in missed shots or inability to react in time. These moments can feel inevitable and lead to paranoia, giving the impression that interruptions are constantly looming on the horizon, just waiting to strike. However, it turns out that lag is a solvable problem that ExitLag CEO Lucas Stolze can help gamers worldwide overcome.
If you’re looking for practical ways to reduce lag and find out whether a wired or wireless connection is the best option, read on.
Wired vs. wireless: which one really performs better?
There has long been debate about whether there is any real difference between wired and wireless connections when it comes to maintaining connectivity while gaming. As technology advances, it becomes increasingly clear that this debate is rather one-sided when you take a closer look at some of the technical details.
Let’s start with wireless (Wi-Fi) connections, as they are usually more convenient. When players use Wi-Fi to play, “a device (such as your PC) must connect to a modem, often through a separate router. The modem converts the signal from your Internet service provider (ISP) and modifies it so it can be used in your home.” A router then communicates with the modem and creates the network that the device uses.
In particular, due to the number of steps involved in this process, it takes longer for data to transfer from a router to a gaming device, sometimes leading to instability such as inconsistent pings and unexpected latency spikes.
There are other important limitations with wireless connections. By default, wireless connections distribute bandwidth evenly across connected devices. So the more devices there are on a given network, the more they compete for bandwidth, slowing down overall connectivity. There are also interference factors to consider, such as walls, microwaves, smart devices, and even neighboring ports, which can interrupt your connection and cause delays.
In comparison, Ethernet avoids or mitigates many of these problems because it creates a direct connection between a router and your gaming console. This direct connection bypasses most of the problems associated with a wireless connection, resulting in lower latency, less jitter, and more stable overall throughput.
Therefore, in the context of competitive gaming, Ethernet is often considered the easiest, cheapest, and most effective solution to lag. In other words, wired connections can be superior to wireless connections in terms of consistent and reliable performance.
However, not everyone can use Ethernet. So those who rely on wireless connections should consider the following tips to reduce the likelihood and severity of lags.
Clean up hidden bandwidth leaks
Bandwidth is a valuable and finite resource for wireless connections. Therefore, it is imperative for gamers to do everything they can to reduce bandwidth usage while gaming.
First, consider closing all background apps that are not in use while gaming. Streaming devices, phone syncing, and open browser tabs all use bandwidth, so it’s worth shutting them down if possible. Closing unnecessary programs and connections can do a surprising amount to reduce gaming lag, but there are other methods worth considering.
For example, ExitLag’s RAM Cleaner conveniently deletes background processes with a single click, eliminating the need to search for apps you didn’t know were running. To summarize this advice in one statement: Lighter systems mean more performance headroom, and with more performance headroom comes a better gaming experience.
Prioritize gaming traffic with QoS
In addition to reducing overall bandwidth usage, there are other ways to provide more bandwidth for your gaming platform of choice. With the right Quality of Service (QoS) settings, gamers can prioritize their networks over bandwidth-intensive activities like gaming and streaming.
Experts explain that “Networks with a quality of service model, as you put it, prioritize certain applications, services and/or users over others, so that the important things have the most bandwidth and the best ping time.” In other words, QoS allows network users to ensure that gaming traffic is given priority.
These settings are most useful when multiple users are competing for connectivity at the same time. Households with multiple users/devices, streaming facilities, and shared apartments can benefit from intentional prioritization. However, it should be noted that not all routers handle QoS equally well. However, basic prioritization can still significantly reduce delay.
Keep hardware up to date and error-free
It can be tempting to constantly put off hardware updates because they rarely provide any obvious benefits. But as it turns out, these benefits are even more apparent as your devices run slower and slower. Many of these delays are due to often ignored factors such as outdated network drivers and outdated router firmware. Modems can also be a concern in this regard if they have not been restarted for a long period of time (e.g. months or years).
Fortunately, these problems are relatively easy to fix. Start by regularly rebooting your devices and updating all network software, as these steps are usually straightforward and require little effort other than finding the correct prompt to interact with. Replacing outdated routers can help, especially if they are not compatible with modern technologies like Wi-Fi 6.
Choosing the right game server region
Most online games make it a point to show you where your server region is set. If you see options like “US Chicago” or “US East,” know that these are probably server region settings. Many games automatically select the server closest to your location. In cases where this is not the case, you should still go for the same option.
Simply put, shorter physical distances tend to result in lower overall latency. There are times when some servers simply don’t work or are not optimal for other reasons. Therefore, using tools like ExitLag can be helpful in these circumstances. ExitLag can be useful because it is designed to route data along the fastest path, even if that path is physically far away. By optimizing routing, players can reduce ping and overall packet loss.
ExitLag and advanced delay reduction tools
The delay reduction strategies above are useful in their own right, but they may not always provide the edge you need to ensure your network can keep up with your performance. This is where ExitLag’s services can be most helpful.
ExitLag excels at providing multi-path routing to avoid congestion and stabilize latency with built-in algorithms. These services are particularly useful for players who are tied to poor server connections, such as when ping is erratic despite an otherwise fast internet connection. ExitLag is also useful in cases where games do not have server selectors available that would improve a player’s connectivity.
All of these improvements are critical for competitive scenarios where millisecond response times can make the difference between victory and defeat.
This means that frustration-free gaming is within reach
Although it is not always possible to prevent delays 100%, there are many ways to significantly reduce their likelihood and severity. By combining wired connections, QoS settings, updated hardware, reduced background load, appropriate servers and optimized tools like those from ExitLag, gamers can achieve a stable, responsive gaming experience.
Daily Sparkz works with external contributors. All contributor content is reviewed by the Daily Sparkz editorial team.
