High ping or packet loss in games: what to check

By Michael Steininger · Updated October 2026

Lag and low FPS feel similar but have different causes. If the picture stays smooth but players teleport, shots don't register or you rubber-band, it's the connection, and these are the checks.

Quick answerUse a cable instead of Wi-Fi, pause downloads and streams on your network, pick the nearest server region, and test whether the router delays traffic under load (bufferbloat). If the problem starts beyond your router, contact your provider with the test results.

Ping, jitter and packet loss#

Ping: how long a message takes to the server and back. Mostly decided by distance to the server.
Jitter: how much the ping varies. Wi-Fi and busy connections cause it, and games handle it worse than a steady high ping.
Packet loss: messages that never arrive. Even 1 to 2% feels like shots not registering.

Most games show these in their performance or network stats overlay.

1. Cable instead of Wi-Fi#

Wi-Fi shares the air with neighbours and devices, which causes jitter and loss. A cable removes that. Getting the most out of Wi-Fi if a cable isn't possible. If you use a cable, check that it links at full speed: Settings → Network & internet → Ethernet shows the link speed; 100 Mbps on a gigabit connection usually means a damaged cable or plug.

2. Downloads and streams#

A game update, a cloud backup or a 4K stream on the same connection fills it up, and your game's small packets wait behind the big transfers. Pause them and test again.

3. Bufferbloat#

Many routers hold too much data in their queues when the connection is busy, which adds hundreds of milliseconds of delay. Search for a “bufferbloat test” and run it: it measures ping while downloading and uploading. A bad grade means the router needs a smarter queue (often called SQM, Smart Queue or QoS in the router's settings), set slightly below your connection's speed.

4. Server region#

Pick the nearest region in the game. Matchmaking sometimes picks a far one when few players are online.

About network tweaks#

Tweaks like turning off Nagle's algorithm or changing TCP settings rarely change anything in games: most games send their real-time data over UDP, which those settings don't touch.

Questions#

Is it lag or low FPS?

If the FPS counter drops or the whole picture stutters, it's your PC. If the picture is smooth but players jump or shots don't register, it's the connection.

Does Ethernet lower ping?

A little, but mainly it removes jitter and packet loss that Wi-Fi adds.

Check it automatically

Frametide's scan checks your PC for setup problems like this one and tells you how many it found (Basic, €12.99 once). Premium (€26.99 once) shows which ones and how to fix them. Its checks include a network cable running below full speed and Wi-Fi on the 2.4 GHz band.

Get Frametide →