1. Measure idle and loaded ping
Run the ping test on the device you game or call from. Note the ping, then open “Test details” to see ping while downloading and uploading. This tells you which kind of problem you have:
- High at idle: the cause is your connection type, WiFi, or distance and routing.
- Fine at idle, high under load: the cause is queues filling up, also known as bufferbloat. Steps 3 and 4 fix this.
2. Use a wired connection
WiFi adds delay, and much more variation, because devices take turns to transmit and retransmit after interference. An Ethernet cable is the most reliable single fix for ping and jitter. If a cable run isn’t practical, powerline or MoCA adapters are usually better than WiFi for latency. If you must use WiFi, stay on 5 GHz close to the router.
3. Stop competing traffic
Downloads, uploads, cloud backups and streams on other devices fill your connection’s queues. Your game or call packets then wait behind them.
- Pause or schedule game updates, system updates and backups.
- Watch out for upload-heavy tasks; on cable and DSL, upload fills fastest.
- Close background apps on the gaming PC itself, including launchers that download in the background.
4. Turn on smart queue management
If ping rises sharply under load, enable SQM (sometimes labeled Smart Queue, fq_codel, CAKE or Adaptive QoS) on your router. Set the limits slightly below your measured speeds, often 5–10% lower, then rerun the bufferbloat test. Ping under load should drop close to idle ping. If your router lacks the feature, this is a good reason to replace it.
5. Choose closer servers
Every 1,000 miles adds about 16 ms of round trip. In games that let you pick a region or server, choose the closest one. For calls, there is usually nothing to choose; the app connects you to its nearest data center automatically.
What usually doesn’t help
- A faster plan, if your connection isn’t full. Ping is mostly about distance and connection type.
- VPNs and “gaming VPNs”. They add a stop on the way. Rarely, they find a better route; usually they add delay.
- DNS changes. DNS affects how quickly a connection starts, not your ping during a game.
- Registry tweaks and “ping booster” apps. There is little evidence they help.
If idle ping on a cable is still high, ask your provider whether your line is performing normally, and compare connection types available at your address.