When it comes to surfing the Internet, there are factors that matter a lot so that everything goes correctly. We speak logically of speed. Also of the stability or quality of the signal. But there is another point that for certain activities is fundamental: latency. In this article we are going to explain why ping is so important to play online . In fact, having a very high ping could make it impossible to get to play online.
Ping, a vital factor to play online
Especially when playing online there is one factor that matters a lot: ping. This can go unnoticed by many users who only measure Internet speed. We can have a very high speed and yet have problems playing due to latency.
Unlike speed, the lower the ping, the better . Basically we can say that it is a value measured in milliseconds and it is the time that elapses since our device requests the information from the server, the latter sends it and we receive it. What happens if that latency is very high? It means that it takes a long time for the information we are requesting to reach us.
Let’s say we are playing on the Internet and we have a very high ping . We are with other users in real time. If we have problems in this sense, our movements, the time that passes for an action to be carried out, may take longer than necessary and be a real problem.
The time could come when the server reconnects with us to update the times again. This would happen if our ping is too high and the difference is already very high. We would have problems entering certain online games that require maximum latency.
Therefore we can say that yes, ping is a very important factor to play online. If it is too high, we may have problems enjoying the games or even the inability to access certain games or games.
How to improve the ping of connections to play online
Can we improve the latency of our connection? It is true that we depend a lot on external factors, on the connection that we have contracted, on the router or network card that we are using. This makes some aspects of the connection we cannot control in a way. However, yes, there are ways to improve that latency and try to keep it as low as possible.
Wired connection
One important tip is to opt for a wired connection over Wi-Fi. Generally the ping will be less and we will achieve greater stability of the connection. However, it is a reality that today most users use wireless networks to navigate. What can we do? A good solution is to use amplifiers or repeaters of the wireless signal. A way to improve coverage and thus achieve higher quality to decrease ping.
Close other apps
We can also close other applications that are in the background and that may affect us. We already know that each program or service that is consuming bandwidth, that is ultimately using the connection, can affect us in a negative way.
Especially if our connection is limited we must control this factor. If we are going to play over the Internet and we want the ping to be as low as possible, it would be a mistake to be downloading from another computer, playing streaming videos or making intensive use of the network.
Avoid VPNs to play
The VPN are very useful tools and increasingly used by users. They can improve privacy by encrypting connections and also allow us to connect to services that are restricted in a certain place. Now, they can be a problem to navigate correctly.
Using a VPN when we go to play can be a big mistake. The loss of speed is more than remarkable, especially if we use a free service or we are connected to a server that does not have a great quality. But it could also make the latency much higher.
Keep your computer free of malware
Of course another very important point to be able to lower the ping as much as possible is to have the computer free of malware . There are many attacks that we can suffer on the network and malicious software can damage our system, the available resources and affect the time we play online.
To avoid this we can always make use of security tools. A good antivirus can help protect us from the entry of malware.
Have the latest updates
Another very important point is to always have the latest updates available. Not only to improve security and correct potential vulnerabilities, but to make the most of resources.
Here different aspects come into play, such as the network card, the router or the programs that we use. It is important that everyone has the latest versions and thus improve the connection as much as possible.
Change router if necessary
A last solution can be to change the router . There are gaming routers that can improve latency and offer higher quality when playing online, thus achieving lower ping.
There are many options available to us when we talk about routers. If what we want is to play over the Internet and connect wirelessly, we need the characteristics focused on this field to be appropriate.
In short, ping is a very important factor to play online. By following the advice we have given, we can improve latency so that it affects us as little as possible.
