As we know, gaming has exploded in popularity over the past few years. Console games have transitioned into full-on interactive movies that can keep you engaged for hours at a time. Online multiplayer modes are now the norm rather than the exception.

There’s just one problem: game performance is frequently bogged down by poor internet connections. Video streaming can be painfully slow due to limited bandwidth or inconsistent connectivity.

Some people will simply wait it out until they get a better connection but this only makes things worse as more data gets uploaded and processed. For some people, spending half an hour waiting for something trivial to load becomes untenable so they give up and quit the game.

For others, there may not be anything they can do about it except bear with bad lag for an extended period of time which could hurt their overall enjoyment of the game.

Internet connections vary widely depending on how close your house is to a wireless network, what kind of router you have, and where your computer is connected to connect (via cable or wifi).

This article will go through ten different ways to fix low quality online gameplay including tips and tricks for both console gamers and PC players.

Tips to Prevent your internet from disconnecting

 

Sometimes, gamers are framed for something malicious that they’re not even involved in. This is usually due to an antivirus program blocking the game because it thinks there is malware inside of it, or your firewall software detecting suspicious activity coming from the game.

Usually, developers include specific signatures (proofs) that show how the game works within the code, making detection easy for anti-malware programs.

But some people may try to make money off of the game by selling fake tools or other games, which can look like legitimate content. So instead of disabling these features, some companies remove those proofs so that anti-malware cannot detect the game, creating a loophole that people could take advantage of to make money.

One of the most common reasons for game disconnects is your computer’s antivirus software blocking Origin, Steam, or both. This can happen if there is an issue with either the program or the settings within it.

If you are using Windows 8,8.1,or Linux, make sure to check whether your antivirus has a “Steam Mode” option. This will allow the app to recognize steam as legitimate so it doesn’t get blocked in future.

For windows users, you can also disable automatic updates while gaming to avoid issues like this. However, this may not be a good idea if you want your system to receive all possible updates!

Lastly, try changing your internet browser; Firefox is said to run better than Chrome or Explorer when playing games online, which could help reduce lag.

Reboot your modem or router

One of the most common reasons for poor game performance is a bad connection. This can be caused by many things, such as an unstable internet source or network issues in your area.

If you are experiencing low framerates while gaming, it may be time to reboot your modem or router.

Use a different network location

One of the biggest reasons that gamers are given an internet disconnect is because they use the same exact connection to play games as they do to browse the web or chat with people.

If you’re in-depth looking at something on YouTube, for example, you might forget that you have logged into your own Instagram account while playing video games!

When you start up a new game, it automatically searches for available networks and connections before letting you play. If there isn’t one readily available, it will ask if you would like to create one yourself.

Most gamers now have this happen once every few days, but some players get disconnected far more than that. This can be very frustrating when you’ve spent time creating an elaborate character and situation only to find out that you lost connectivity.

Change your IP address

One of the biggest reasons that gamers are given an internet disconnect is because they use a different IP address when playing games. Changing your IP address will fix this!

Most gaming consoles have a setting where you can assign yourself a new, private IP address. This allows you to connect with no issues since people using the internet cannot see what console you are using or if you’re even connected.

By changing your IP address, you get a new unique identifier for your computer which makes it harder to track your gameplay. You also do not need to change your DNS settings – changing your IP address takes care of that!

This article will help you find a good IP address and how to easily test if yours works.

Connect using a different cable

One of the most common reasons people are given for poor internet connectivity while gaming is when they use a wireless controller or headset as their console access device.

If you have run out of wired connections, try switching your input source from Wireless to Wired. Or if you’re only experiencing issues with one game, switch controllers or headsets around to see if that fixes it.

Internet connectivity can be tricky, but don’t give up! If you’re still having troubles, look into whether the game has optional in-game settings such as Resolution or Texture Settings that you can adjust.

Use a different wireless router

One of the main reasons gamers are experiencing internet disconnects is because their current router cannot handle all of the games they want to play, or the game servers require a faster connection. As routers become more powerful every year, you may not need to upgrade your current one for quite some time!

There are several types of routers that people use, and which ones are best depends mostly on what you will be doing with yours. Most people choose between WiFi-only access points (WAP), network attached storage (NAS) devices, or both.

Use a different wireless connection

One of the biggest causes for internet disconnects is using your current wifi network as an authentication source when playing games.

Change your DNS server address

One of the most common reasons that gamers experience internet disconnects is when their ISP switches out their current DNS (domain name system) provider for one of theirs.

When you open up a new web browser window, it will ask you to choose what DNS service to use. You can usually pick between Google’s 8.8.8.8 or Amazon’s 9.9.9.9, but there are other options as well.

Most ISPs give you the chance to switch from their default DNS service to something else at least once per month! If yours does not, try looking online for another good option. Some even offer free ones which is very helpful.

Reboot your computer

One of the most common causes for poor game performance is something called “lag” or “packet loss.” This happens when there are not enough electrical charges left in a part of your computer equipment to transmit information effectively.

If this occurs while you are gaming, your graphics may look muddy or jittery (tremulousness). Audio may also be affected as some people have very sensitive hearing so it is possible to hear extra noise from lost packets.

Rebooting can sometimes fix this type of problem, but only if it was caused by software running in the background. To make sure that doesn’t happen, close all other apps before rebooting.

Another way to prevent lag is to limit how many programs you have open at one time. Only needed applications should be opened, and those should be closed individually instead of all together like we usually do.

Network problems

There are few things more frustrating than trying to play a game, launch an app or website, and then get stuck as you search for a network connection. You may be running out of bandwidth, which is why your gameplay is getting slower and/or times out.

This can easily be fixed by searching through each device’s settings to make sure that “auto-detect” is selected instead of “manual connect.” This way, it does not need to look for a WiFi signal every time there is activity!

Another potential cause of slow down in connectivity is too much usage of apps at one time. If possible, try limiting how many apps you have open at once to save some processing power for gaming.

It is also important to remember that most games now require online authentication so they will work only if you are connected to the internet.

Antivirus Blockage or firewall

One of the most common reasons for game lag is antivirus software blocking your computer from connecting to the internet or your router rejecting connections due to suspicious activity.

If you’re experiencing lag while playing games, check if your antivirus program is up-to-date and whether it has detected any unexpected programs running.

You can also try resetting your router or changing its configuration settings to see if that fixes the problem.

VPN service

A virtual private network (or VPN) service connects you to the internet through their own servers that they pay to lease out space on. This allows your device to connect directly to the server instead of going through an intermediary source such as a router or computer.

A good VPN will keep things anonymous by being able to shift where your connection is coming from depending on where you are connecting from. For example, if you’re in Canada then it would use Canadian servers, if you were in China then Chinese ones.

Modem connection issues

One of the most common reasons for game disconnects is a lack of signal or poor connectivity. This can be caused by many things, including bad internet service providers (ISPs), wireless networks that are not working due to limited bandwidth, buildings with heavy use of wifi which weaken the connection, or your device being able to receive a good enough signal but not strong enough to maintain a stable connection.

If you’re experiencing lag while playing games, it may be time to look into how well your ISP and router work together. Some people have experienced success by switching ISPs or changing their router settings. You might also want to consider buying an ethernet cord so that you do not need wifi to play games.

Another solution, if you’re in a relatively safe area, is to connect to a wired network instead of using wifi. Many companies these days offer free wifi services at certain locations which can help you get past this problem.

Ethernet Cable issues

One of the most common causes for game disconnects is an Ethernet cable that gets tangled up or connected to another device. This can happen due to using poor cables, having too many devices, or simply moving a console around without taking care to put it back in place properly.

If you are experiencing frequent connection issues, check your cords! Pull out each cord just to make sure it’s not loose and putting some pressure on the port can help determine if there is a problem.

Another way to test whether this is the issue is by connecting only one device at a time to see if the same thing happens.