Did you know we are one of the best smaller fibre internet service providers for gamers? A few seasoned gamers are working here at RocketNet. They have fused their passion for gaming with the workings of the internet to provide some cool gamer setup ideas that help overcome lag.
Most notably is the understanding of internet connectivity and how it affects your gaming experience.
Gamer setup ideas to combat lag
What is ping?
Ping is the signal sent out to a network of computers and servers that may or may not be within your geographical location.
Computers setup for gaming and popular consoles work on sending out signals called pings to other computers and servers that respond with return pings.
The signals sent are measured in milliseconds and confirm the time it takes to send a ‘packet’ of data to another computer (or server) and back. Latency is the measurement of the time it takes a ping to travel from and back to your computer.
Submarines and sonars used to explain ping
Imagine yourself on a submarine looking at a sonar screen. The sonar screen monitors signals sent from the submarine, which detects other vessels nearby. One submarine sends a ping, and the receiving vessel sends a signal back that lights up the screen with a little dot to confirm the location. In gaming, the submarines are computers and gaming consoles.
Unpacking latency and lag
Latency is the round trip of a ping. It refers to the quality of a connection and not the connection’s speed. The latency between 50ms and 100ms is very good to average, while the latency of 150ms and above is poor. A good to average latency is called ‘low ping’, and a poor latency is known as ‘high ping’.
High ping is when you get that frustrating, pull-out-your-hair phenomenon called ‘lag’. Lag is the delay in the latency of a ping. In other words, the time it takes a ping to do a roundtrip is prolonged. It is lagging—kind of how amateurs lag on the golf course.
The causes of lag and gamer setup ideas to overcome it
1. Your fibre internet connection
The first cause of being kicked out of a game you are about to win is the quality of your fibre internet connection. Consider speed, availability, reliability, latency, data, and after-sales support when choosing an ISP. If the service provider practices shaping, capping, and throttling your fibre internet connection, stay away.
2. Fibre internet upload speed
For an online gamer setup, upload speeds are more important than download speeds. Not to say download speeds aren’t essential but low latency depends primarily on upload speeds.
Run an internet speed test to check the speed you are receiving. An upload speed of 5mbps is sufficient, but get as much speed as your budget allows.
3. Fixed line internet versus wireless internet
Wireless internet connections are susceptible to interference more so than wired internet connections. Wired internet connections provide a consistent speed over your line and are a preferable setup for an online gamer.
Tip: try using an ethernet cable to connect your devices directly to your WiFi router.
4. Type of internet connection
To get straight-to-the-point fibre internet is the preferred type of internet for an online gaming setup. If fibre internet is unavailable in your area, the best alternative options are broadband or a DSL connection. If you are not sure if you have fibre internet in your area, check our coverage map.
5. WiFi router and other equipment
The WiFi router and modem used are essential pieces of the puzzle for a great online gamer setup. The quality of these items can affect your network speed considerably. Speak to your ISP about the best router and modem options for maximum gaming pleasure.
6. How the equipment has been setup
Also affecting the speed of your internet is the number of devices you have connected to your router simultaneously. The more devices you have joined, the more bandwidth you need. More powerful routers provide more bandwidth and therefore offer a better gamer setup experience.
7. Data
We’ll cut to the chase here. Uncapped data is the best option for an online gamer setup, especially for significant updates.
8. Speed
The faster your internet connection, the quicker you can send those packets of data and the lower your ping – simple! Get the fastest internet speed you can afford.
9. Game server location
The location of gaming companies’ servers will influence the latency of ping. The further away the server is, the longer it takes for signals to reach their destination. If you a gamer setup in South Africa and the servers are in Europe, you may experience lag. Unfortunately, there aren’t many gamer setup ideas to overcome this.
