One thing that everyone needs to accept is that internet service has become quite expensive nowadays. Sometimes, even after paying a handsome amount of money to get a quality internet connection, we get disappointed, especially while playing online games. The reason behind this issue can be a high ping that indicates the latency or delay of the network, which is the reason for poor internet experience. Sometimes, updating the connection also brings no fruit. If you are facing the same issue with your internet connection, in this article, we will discuss some quick troubleshooting methods to fix high ping that can work for you.
Why does Ping get high?
It is a tricky question as there is no definite answer to it. There can be several reasons behind this issue, some of which are mentioned below:-
- It can indicate the poor game server. Due to its drastic popularity, in 2019, Pubg witnessed this issue.
- It can occur if you have an issue with your ISP or server location
- It can also be an issue with your gaming device.
There are some things that matter when you try to get a good internet connection. Some of the points are discussed below.
Things that affect internet connection
Let’s discuss the probable reasons that can be the issue for this problem
Quality of Internet Service Provider(ISP)
The first reason is obviously the quality of your internet service provider. If your provider is not delivering you the speed they promised or throttling your internet bandwidth, you can face this issue. The foremost responsibility of an internet service provider is to deliver a good quality internet network to the customers. A bad ISP can be caused by poor infrastructure at your service provider’s main office or even if you don’t have proper cabling to your home. As a result, you can experience high ping.
Internet speed
Another reason that can lead to this problem is your internet speed. This issue can occur when your internet is going through the peak hours when it has a huge load to handle.
Wireless connections
These connections rely on radio wave signals for sending data to or from your device. Radio waves often suffer packet loss over the air, which makes them less reliable. If two signals interfere, they can delay the signal transmission, which can end up providing you with high pings.
Distance between the router and the device
If your router is far from your device and you are not at the same place where you have your router, the transmission can delay. Walls between your device and the router can block the connectivity and lose the connection of your device with the router.
Distance from server
If you are not geographically near the server, it can lead you to a higher ping value. For instance, if you are in India and trying to reach a server located in the United States, your data needs to travel a large distance to exchange information. It will eventually result in a higher ping value.
Background services
One of the biggest reasons for this issue is the background network services that are maybe running on your device. It can be a software update, firmware update, backup service, cloud upload, big file downloads, TV streaming services, security camera streaming services, or any other monitoring tools. These services need an internet connection to continue, and that’s why the connection that is coming to your device gets divided, which may lead you to a high ping value. To solve this issue, check your device and see if you have any app running in the background consuming a huge amount of internet.
How to fix high ping?
If you are worried about how you can lower your ping value, here are some quick troubleshooting methods for you that you can try to fix high ping issue.
Use ethernet cable instead of WiFi
Ethernet cable network is more reliable when networking a huge area as this type of network can handle load more efficiently, eventually reducing the chances of encountering high pings. It is used as both a local area network and a wide area network.
Reboot your router
Sometimes a simple glitch can contribute to this issue that gets eliminated by a simple reboot. That’s why you can try to reboot your routers to lower the ping. Also, you can reboot your device alongside that.
Move closer to the router
If you are at a significant distance from your router, it is advised to move closer to your router to have a better internet connection. It may help you to lower your ping.
Pause software updates
Sometimes, when devices are connected to an internet connection, they automatically start some software updates. These updates need a strong and huge amount of internet connection. You can pause the update to lower the ping.
Kill unwanted background tasks
Check whether you have any unwanted background task that is consuming the internet connection your device is receiving. If yes, kill that task.
Check internet bandwidth usage
Using your router, you can figure out what activities are consuming your bandwidth.
- First, go to the router settings page
- On that page, you will find out each device that is correctly connected to your network.
- You may also access your network information, including the data each device uses or has used.
- If you find out that another device or another process is using a lot of data to work, you can cut off that device to avoid a higher ping.
Update Graphics Drivers
Many users have reported that updating the graphic drivers significantly reduced lag and could fix high ping issue on their network. If you are experiencing a higher ping while playing a game, it may be the result of your outdated drivers. To fix this issue, you have to update your graphic drivers. Follow the right process according to your device and install a suitable driver for updating your old graphic drivers.
Check the number of connected devices
If there are too many devices connected with your router, it can cause a higher ping. That’s why ensure that there are not more than 2 devices connected to your router.
Flush DNS cache to fix high ping
Flushing the DNS cache can also lower the ping significantly.
To flush DNS cache on Windows, you’ll have to
- Log in as an administrator and go into the command prompt through the start menu option
- Type ipconfig /flushdns when the prompt loads and hit Enter
- The process can take a few minutes, and you would need to wait during this time without doing anything else on your computer.
- You’ll receive a DNS Resolver Cache confirmation message when it’s done.
Note – The process is slightly different for Mac and LINUX. That’s why follow the right steps according to your device.
Turn off downloads from other PCs
In case more than one computer is connected to your router and you’re performing downloads in all of them, turn off the downloads from other computers to experience a lower ping.
Update Network Drivers
Updating network drivers can also help you to get over this issue. For updating network drivers on Windows, you can download the drivers from the official website of the manufacturer and then install them on your device, just like any other software.
Do an antivirus scan to fix high ping
Malware attacks or virus can also be a reason behind the lag or ping. Install a reliable antivirus on your device and do a quick scan to identify if your device is under attack.
Disable VPN services
Sometimes, activated VPN services can cause a lag or ping on the network. You should try to disable your VPN services and check whether your problem is solved or not.
Contact Internet Service Provider
If, after applying all the above-mentioned methods, you are still facing the same issue, it’s time to contact your internet service provider to report a complaint. If needed, you would need to change your router as it can be caused by a defective router as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ping related to the internet connection on mobile?
Not really! Though you have a nice internet connection on your mobile, it doesn’t mean you have a good ping. In that case, your speed would be decent, but your connection may not be able to deliver data efficiently. Your phone may not experience any significant change even if your ping is higher than usual. You can only notice that when your phone buffers a video or online game.
Why is the ping higher 24/7?
There are several reasons behind your higher ping, but if it is all the time, it can be caused by a poor service quality provided by your internet service provider or a poor router quality.
What to do if the ping gets high all of a sudden?
If you encounter a high ping suddenly, you can try the tips mentioned below to fix high ping:
- Conduct a speed test to check your connection
- Check if someone is using the connection to stream contain
- Check for any recently connected devices on your route
- Check if your device has started downloading software updates automatically
- Check if your device’s antivirus has started to do a routine computer scan
What are the reasons for high ping on ethernet?
There are also several reasons for a higher ping on the Ethernet connection such as
- Some issues with the internet
- A frozen router
- Background network services running on your PC, such as cloud backup or software update
- There is an issue with the destination server
How to fix high ping on Netflix?
It is really disturbing if you encounter a higher ping while streaming content on Netflix. Here are some quick fixes that you can try to solve this issue.
- If you are streaming Netflix on your smart TV or your personal computer, you can use Ethernet instead of wireless.
- If you are using wireless, you must move your device close to the router
- You can configure the QoS feature in the router for your devices
- You can try to lower the ping by clearing your browser cache and background data
- If you have a limited connection, you can stream Netflix on a lower video quality so that it consumes less bandwidth
- Close the unnecessary background programs
- Turn off your VPN service
- Update the applications to their latest version
Ending words
Hope you have successfully been able to fix high ping issue of your internet network to experience ping-free gaming and streaming. But if none of the above-mentioned methods works for you, you have to contact your internet service provider and change your router.
Experiencing difficulties with your Device, check out our “How To” page on how to resolve some of these issues.
