Gamers are always in search of the key element that can help them secure a win. As Games nowadays (especially, ultra-competitive high-res multiplayer games), require the highest network connectivity for a seamless gaming experience, often, the home network is the trouble that gets in the way of your gaming. Just because you didn’t have a good network you would end up getting tears or lags that can be really frustrating.
If you are a gamer who loves playing first-person shooters or MMORPGs, such games consume data up to 20MB to 80 MB per hour. However, you need continuous data to enjoy smooth lag-free gameplay. Luckily, you can take an initiative to enrich your internet connection by keeping bandwidth dedicated only for gaming and rejecting all the traffic raiding bandwidths.
Changing the router settings makes a lot of difference, so stay with me to understand how to set up the router for gaming. With a little modification in your network setup, you can sure get the best out of your home internet connection.
Do note that this is a very general guide. The setup process might vary based on the device you are connecting with if you want to get the maximum performance. For instance, if you own an Xbox – then you should know how to set up Xbox one gaming routers.
HOW TO SETUP ROUTER FOR GAMING
Here are some tips on how you can successfully make your router more efficient for gaming;
Switch to an Ethernet Cable whenever Possible
I would highly recommend you choose an Ethernet connection over Wi-Fi. No matter how good your connectivity range is, it is still a better idea to use a wired connection to get the highest speed with the lowest latency. If you are looking for a seamless gaming experience then you have to sacrifice the comfort of a wireless connection. After all, no pain, no gain!
Move your router
If you cannot have an ethernet connection to your device, the second best thing you can do is to place your router in an open spot. This is because, physical obstacles such as thick walls, floors, and the number of devices connected to the same Wi-Fi network greatly affect the connection in your home. Look for places where there are no other electronic devices, large furniture, ceilings. Place the router near your gaming spot or in the center of the room to get the most out of it.
Change your router’s settings
For the ultimate gaming experience, you have to get the best out of your router hardware. If you haven’t checked your router settings yet, do it right now. Make all the necessary adjustments in the settings depending on the type of router you use. If you are still using 2.4GHz, switch to the 5GHz will make it easier for you to get maximum speed even when there are multiple devices connected. Also, check for channels that are least crowded and make possible changes. If you don’t know how to do adjustments then get the help of a Wi-Fi Analyzer or inSSIDer.
Enable Quality of Service (QoS)
This is the feature that almost every router includes nowadays. QoS lets you prioritize certain levels of traffic. You can find it under the routers settings section. All you have to do is select the game or device you want to keep on top priority. You can also use a bandwidth controller that helps you limit your download and upload speeds for certain types of devices. QoS options can also allow you to see how your cumulative bandwidth is being used and delivered by each device, so you can easily catch any device using more than their fair bandwidth. This is a great option to strengthen your internet speed needed for gaming.
VPN
If you use a VPN, make sure that it is a good one. A good VPN will let your gaming server deliver data at the fastest speed possible with low latency. That’s the reason why you should use VPN optimized for it.
Enable MU-MIMO
This is the best feature you can use to achieve a high-speed network with less traffic. Multi-user- Multiple Input, Multiple Output( MU-MIMO) features are present in almost all modern routers. To enjoy this feature both your device and router must be MU-MIMO compatible.
Just remember that MU-MIMO does not directly speed up your network, it simply makes sure that you do not lose speed when multiple devices are connected to a single network. This way you can decrease the strength of other devices and get the highest strength for your gaming. Once you are done gaming, you can disable the MU-MIMO setting.
Conclusion
As there are many WiFi router companies and countless models out there in the market, It is impossible to write an article that will cover all of them. Each router will have different setups to get the absolute best out of the hardware.
In this article, we tried to discuss a few of the thumb rules that will give you a noticeable performance boost. But, if you are someone who wants the best out of their hardware, you can do your own research and then change your router settings depending on the type of games you want to play.
