When it comes to online gaming, speed is everything. After all, lag or spotty wireless service can mean the difference between winning and losing. Whether you play in your spare time, or you're a competitive gamer, use the tips below to optimize your gameplay.

3 Ways to Improve Your Online Gaming

1. Upgrade Your Internet Connection

While you might not require business speed for online gaming, most streaming games require at least 15 to 20 megabits per second (Mbps) to provide a seamless experience. Likewise, sharing your wireless service with others can also strain your bandwidth, slowing down your connection speeds. Setting up a wired connection to your router using an ethernet cable can improve your speed dramatically.

2. Aim for Low Latency

Network latency is the time it takes for data to travel between the source and its destination. In gaming, lower latency equals a faster response time, while high latency causes lag. For instance, high latency might cause a character to walk forward several seconds after pressing the control to move. 

Determine your latency by running a speed test. A good latency rating is a ping rate below 150 milliseconds, while 20ms is considered excellent.

3. Close Background Websites & Programs

In a digital age, many individuals multitask by running numerous applications at once. Unfortunately, music, video, and movie streaming services require heavy bandwidth, affecting your ping rate and latency speed. 

For optimal speeds, consider reducing the number of devices you have connected to your Wi-Fi while gaming. Exit streaming services and consider turning off applications that auto-refresh in the background, such as social media feeds and photo syncing services.

Upgrade your wireless service with Union Springs Telephone Co in Union Springs, AL. Back by over 60 years of experience, their knowledgeable team specializes in high-speed internet services for residents and businesses throughout Bullock County. Contact them today at (334) 738-4400 to request a quote or visit them online to learn more about their services.