Gaming online should be a fun experience, especially when doing so with your friends; you end up having hours of fun. However, all gamers have a mortal enemy that comes in the form of lagging at a crucial point in the game. Perhaps you were about to make an essential kill in a shooter, or play an important card in a live casino, but now you have lost connection. Although common, this is still a very frustrating experience as a split-second delay can completely change the game’s tide. As such, we are here to provide you with some actionable tips on optimising your setup to avoid lagging, whether it be internet or hardware-related.
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The High-Stakes World of Online Poker
While a connection cut or device freeze can be frustrating in a video game, it’s even worse when actual money is on the line, such as with online casino games. Live poker is a good example of this happening, as missing a critical raise or fold can lead to a significant financial loss.
One way to combat this is by selecting only the best sites to play on, as some live casinos (usually illegal or suspicious ones) are not correctly optimised. Some telltale signs of a good online poker site (or casino, in general) are two-factor authentication with account sign-ups and user-friendly interfaces.
In combination with this, operators will offer players soft games, plenty of tournaments, and lots of bonuses and freebies to help them build a bankroll. Ultimately, the goal of this is to ensure you are preventing any issues from the get-go and eliminating any potential contributors to lagging.
The First Line of Defence: Your Network Connection
While WiFi is excellent if you are just scrolling on TikTok or live-streaming a movie, it might not be the most reliable internet option when gaming. This is especially true with online multiplayer titles or live casino gaming, which is why an Ethernet connection should be your number one priority. Simply purchase an Ethernet cable from a hardware store, connect it to your WiFi router and plug it into your laptop or computer, and you are ready to go. Naturally, this will maintain a stable internet connection that will only cut or cause lag if your router loses power or the cable is disconnected.
If an Ethernet cable does not appeal to you, you can also try playing around with your router’s Quality of Service (QoS) settings. In essence, you can configure your QoS settings so that it prioritises game traffic, which means it will reserve bandwidth for a specific application or website. This is a more convenient alternative (as opposed to having your device plugged with cables), and can significantly reduce any lag you were previously experiencing. Even more, this setup will work even when someone else in your household is streaming a movie or downloading large files, giving you uninterrupted internet access.
Although this may be an obvious suggestion, ensuring other devices are disconnected from the WiFi can also mitigate potential lag. Let’s say you have more than one router in the house, or you are using a hotspot, but multiple devices are connected to capacity. Someone in your home may decide it is a good opportunity to stream, which will (unfortunately) lead to a high-ping spike. In this instance, lagging and other disruptions are almost guaranteed, which can lead to freezing mid-gameplay or an automatic fold from the table. As these are things you want to avoid, ensuring no one else (family member, friend, or sneaky neighbour) is connected to your WiFi is crucial.
Optimising Your System: The Software and Hardware Tune-up
If your internet issues are resolved, but your games are still lagging, the problem might just lie in your cellphone or laptop. As such, you want to ensure your device is not running multiple apps (especially more demanding ones) as this can significantly slow you down. The same is true if you have multiple browser tabs open, as this will take up a large amount of RAM and CPU power, which helps regulate your device’s performance. Of course, this can also be applied to your cellphone, as it will ensure you do not freeze in the middle of a game or gambling session ever again.
A common mistake many casual gamers tend to make is to set up a new device and forget about software maintenance and upkeep. However, keeping your graphics card and network drivers updated is vital for reducing any potential lag, especially with graphics-heavy titles. Network drivers not being updated can also cause lag that may seem like it is an internet issue when, in reality, it’s not related at all. If you are playing directly from a website or app, make sure you are keeping the client you are using updated, as it might also contribute to interrupted gameplay.
While these recommendations can help combat lag, they are also a great way to keep your device happy and healthy so that no further issues arise. Naturally, focusing on ways you can further optimise your device makes sense, and a starting point might be upgrading your hardware. Most modern laptops and all PCs allow for customisation, meaning you can regularly and easily replace your graphics card and RAM with newer components. In doing so, you can end up with a device powerful enough to give you uninterrupted play despite having any number of apps running in the background.
Advanced Troubleshooting for Every Player
In-game settings can also help, as sometimes, your device does not have the capacity for specific graphic requirements. Try lowering your graphics, increasing your sensitivity, or bringing down the stream quality to 720p or 480p (if you are on a cellphone). Additionally, checking the server status (or if there is a server outage) of a particular game you are playing is essential, as sometimes the lag isn’t on your end. A backup internet connection may be another convenient solution to avoid any crucial losses should your main router cut out.
A Unified Approach to Peak Performance
Internet lag is a global issue that gamers are very familiar with, and while there are an array of fixes, sometimes the fault might not be on your end. Weather, the location you reside in, and even the distance from the router can cause connection issues. Ultimately, you want to investigate the issue thoroughly, conduct your own research, and remain educated on upcoming changes that could impact you.