Whether you're a casual or serious gamer, having a stable and fast internet connection can make all the difference in your gaming experience. Nothing is more frustrating than having your game lag or disconnect in the middle of an intense match. While choosing the right internet service is essential for the best experience, there are a few things you can do to optimize your connection.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Internet Connection

1. Use a Wired Connection

While Wi-Fi is convenient and works well for general internet usage, it may not be fast or reliable enough for gaming. Wi-Fi signals can be affected by distance, interference, and obstacles, which can lead to slow and unstable connections.

A wired connection eliminates most of these issues by connecting your gaming device directly to your modem or router. Plugging your device directly into the router with an ethernet cable provides a more stable and consistent internet connection, which can help reduce lag and improve your gaming experience. It also reduces the risk of interference from other devices that are connected to your Wi-Fi network.

2. Prioritize Your Gaming Traffic

Your gaming data is always in competition with other traffic going through your internet connection. Prioritizing your gaming traffic ensures that your game is receiving the necessary bandwidth to function properly while other applications on your device, such as downloads or streaming services, are throttled back.

Most routers have Quality of Service (QoS) settings that allow you to prioritize certain types of traffic over others. If you’re not sure how to access these functions, contact your internet service provider.

3. Close Unnecessary Applications

Not all lags or annoying slowdowns are caused by your internet connection. Other applications can take up valuable processing power, and memory, causing your game to lag and skip. If those programs use your internet, this effect can be even more noticeable.

To avoid these issues, close any applications that you're not using while gaming. Closing your web browsers, streaming services, and any other programs will free up bandwidth for your game, which can help reduce lag and improve your gaming experience.

As Ashtabula County’s preferred internet service provider, GreatWave Communications delivers reliable, high-speed service to homes and businesses throughout the area. They’ve been serving the area for over a century, and pride themselves on delivering cutting-edge connections at affordable rates. Visit their website for more on their high-speed internet services, follow their Facebook for updates and news, or call (440) 593-7140 to learn more about their packages.