How to Prioritize Internet Connection for Gaming? Guide for Pro Gamers

You are playing League of Legends, and your ping suddenly spikes up. That's your housemate who is downloading an enormous game over the internet! How to avoid that from happening again? How to prioritize internet connection for gaming?

Lagging is not a pleasant experience

Best internet connection for gaming

The most optimized internet connection for gaming is Ethernet. I'm not saying that the Wireless network is terrible, but the cable one gives you a much more stable connection. For gaming, stability is vital, not speed.

You do not need a gigabit connection to play online games like LoL. As a matter of fact, a 5 Mbps internet can still handle the job well if that network is for one device.

For online gaming, ping is the most crucial factor. Your ping determines the time it takes to transfer a data package to the server and back. You should keep your ping low and keep it low all the time. If your ping spikes up during combat, you and your teammates will not be happy.

Different ping ranges

• Lower than 20ms: The most optimal ping for gaming. You will not experience any lag or delay during the game. If the game is running slowly, it would be your computer's fault.

• 20ms to 50ms: It is the popular range for gaming. The game can run smoothly with noticeable delays.

• 50ms to 100ms: You may experience lag, but playable for strategy games. You can not perform a proper combo with that ping in fighting games.

• 100ms to 300ms: The game is still playable, but lagging will show up more often. You will also experience a 1-or-2-seconds delay during the game.

• Higher than 300ms: You should turn off your device and go to sleep.

Invest into your router

Find a way to prioritize your device or gaming traffic

There is a way to do that, but you have to invest a little bit of money. Some routers offer a quality of Service (QoS) feature, which lets you prioritize your gaming device and traffic. By doing so, you will be the first person who can access to high-speed connection whenever the bandwidth becomes limited.

Each manufacturer gives QoS a different name, so it will be tricky. You should do some research on the internet to find the most suitable QoS router for you. That will take time, but you will have a better gaming experience in return.

See also: Xfinity no internet connection

How to improve internet connection for gaming

Besides purchasing a QoS router, you can try those simple methods to make your internet faster. Some require money, some don't, but you can finish the job in just a few minutes.

Have You Tried Turning It Off and On Again?

Turn it off and on again

If you are a technical assistant, this question will always pop out of your mouth when someone is asking for advice. If your internet is slow, try to restart your game, then your computer, then your router… Those simple things can boost gaming performance a lot.

Try to conduct an internet connection speed check before and after resetting your devices. You will see a significant change in speed.

Play in your region

If you have a crappy computer and internet connection, you should stay on your local server. Playing in an EU server while you live in the USA will make your ping high all the time. It's not worth it!

Change DNS server

If you are not a tech guy, you're likely using your ISP's DNS servers. They are rarely top quality, and changing the DNS server can speed up your connection dramatically. 

Changing DNS server can boost your internet speed

To know how to change the DNS server, you can type the question on Youtube. There are several videos with step-by-step instructions, just follow them, and you will be able to do it.

Sometimes, changing the DNS server can make you see the no internet connection dinosaur. In that case, just switch back to the default setting.

For gaming consoles, the setting is a little bit different. You can check out this article for more guidance: "Xbox One internet connection problem".