You line up the perfect shot, and the screen shows it a beat too late. Nothing feels worse. If you want to know how to lower ping, start with one fact: ping is a measurement, not a setting, and every cause of high ping needs its own fix.
Some fixes take ten seconds, but others take a cable and a weekend. A few, like switching DNS, sound helpful but do almost nothing once a match starts. We wrote this guide at Cure VPN to separate the fixes that work from the ones that waste your time.
You will also get an honest answer on VPNs, whether you use a free VPN service or a paid one. A VPN can lower ping in a narrow set of cases, and it can raise ping in many others. Because we build a VPN, we would rather tell you that up front than let you find out the hard way.
To lower ping, use a wired Ethernet connection, pick the game server closest to you, close background apps that use bandwidth, and fix bufferbloat on your router. Changing DNS will not lower in-game ping. A VPN helps only when your internet provider’s route to the game server is poor, so test it before you rely on it.
Table of contents
- What is ping and why does it matter?
- What causes high ping in online games?
- 12 ways to lower ping and reduce lag
- How to lower ping in popular games
- Can a VPN actually reduce ping?
- What is a good ping for gaming?
- Expert insights
- Statistics and data
- Common mistakes
- Best practices
- Frequently asked questions
- Conclusion and key takeaways
What is ping and why does it matter?
Ping is the time, in milliseconds, that a signal takes to travel from your device to a game server and back. Engineers call that round trip time, or RTT. In everyday speech, ping and network latency mean nearly the same thing.
Why does it matter? First, your game sends every move to the server. The server decides what happened and sends the result back. Therefore, a 100 ms ping means you see the world about a tenth of a second late, and so does everyone who plays against you.
Ping is not speed, though people often mix them up. Download and upload speeds describe how much data you can move. Ping describes how long each small message takes to arrive. Consequently, a 1 Gbps line can still deliver a 90 ms ping, and a modest 50 Mbps line can deliver a 15 ms ping.
Two related terms matter just as much:
- Jitter is the variation between pings. A steady 60 ms feels better than a ping that swings between 20 ms and 120 ms.
- Packet loss happens when data never arrives. The game then asks for it again, and you see rubber-banding or freezing.
What causes high ping in online games?
High ping has five common sources. Some live in your home, some in your internet provider’s network, and some at the game server itself.
| Cause | How it shows up | Where the fix lives |
|---|---|---|
| Distance to the server | Steady high ping, even at night | Server or region choice |
| Wi-Fi interference | Random spikes, worse in other rooms | Your home |
| Bufferbloat | Ping jumps when someone streams or downloads | Your router |
| ISP routing or congestion | High ping in the evening, fine at 3 a.m. | Your provider, or a better route |
| Overloaded device | Spikes with low network usage | Your PC or console |
To start, physics sets the floor. Light in optical fiber covers roughly 100 km for every millisecond of round trip time. A server 5,000 km away therefore cannot beat about 50 ms, and real routes are longer than straight lines. In short, distance is the one cause no setting can remove.
Meanwhile, the other four causes are very fixable. Start with the cheapest ones first.
12 ways to lower ping and reduce lag
Work through these in order. Test after each change, because you want to know which fix did the work.
Step 0: Measure your baseline before you change anything
First, open the command prompt on Windows or Terminal on Mac. Type ping -n 20 1.1.1.1 on Windows or ping -c 20 1.1.1.1 on macOS and Linux. Write down the average and the highest number.
Next, check your game’s own network display, which shows the ping to your actual server. In Valorant, for example, the stats overlay shows network round trip time and packet loss. Also run tracert to a game server address if you know it. The output shows which hop adds the delay.
Finally, log three readings: once while idle, once while someone streams video, and once at peak evening hours. That log tells you whether you have a home problem or a provider problem.
1. Use an Ethernet connection
In most cases, this fix beats every other tip. A cable removes radio interference, signal drops and retransmissions. How-To Geek tested both connections. Wired Cat6 averaged 16 ms ping with 7 ms jitter, while its Wi-Fi 6 network averaged 60 ms with 20 ms jitter.
Your numbers will differ, yet the pattern holds. Ethernet lowers latency and, more importantly, keeps it steady. If you wonder how to lower ping on a wireless connection, the honest answer is to stop using the wireless part whenever you can.
No cable run available? Try these options:
- Move closer to the router and cut the walls between you.
- Use the 5 GHz or 6 GHz band, which has less crowding than 2.4 GHz.
- Install powerline adapters or a MoCA kit that sends data over your home wiring.
- Add a mesh node with a wired backhaul, not a wireless one.
2. Choose a closer game server
Distance adds delay, and a wrong region adds a lot of it. Many games choose a region for you, so check the settings and set it yourself. Fortnite offers a matchmaking region setting, PUBG offers server selection on the lobby screen, and most other games hide a similar option in network or matchmaking menus.
Instead, pick the region with the lowest ping, not the one with the most players. If you share a party with friends abroad, the highest ping in the group sets the quality for everyone. In that case, host the match from the player with the best connection to the server.
3. Optimize your router and Wi-Fi
Your router sits in the middle of every packet. So update its firmware, restart it every few weeks, and move it to a high, open spot away from microwaves and metal shelves.
Then look at the channel. In a crowded apartment block, dozens of networks compete on the same few channels. Run a Wi-Fi analyzer app, pick the quietest channel, and give your console or PC the 5 GHz name. Best of all, router optimization costs nothing and often removes random spikes within minutes.
If you work from a home office, the same router tuning helps your calls. Our guide to VPN solutions for home explains how a VPN fits into that home network without hurting speed.
4. Close background applications
Cloud backups, game launchers, browser tabs with video, and Windows updates all use bandwidth. They also raise ping because they share your connection.
Open Task Manager on Windows and sort by Network. Close what you do not need. Next, pause automatic updates while you play. Console owners should check the download queue, since a patch downloading in standby mode can add serious lag.
5. Reduce network congestion
Your household shares one connection, and each stream or download competes with your game. Bufferbloat makes this worse. Digital Citizen describes it as excessive delay caused by too much buffering in the network. Consequently, you see ping spikes during downloads even when speed tests look fine.
You can test for it. Run a speed test that reports latency under load, then compare it with your idle ping. A big jump means bufferbloat. The fix is Smart Queue Management, or SQM, on your router. Alternatively, cap your bandwidth just below your real line speed so that the buffers never fill. A router upgrade can help more than a faster plan.
Also, put gaming traffic first with Quality of Service rules. Most modern routers include them under QoS or traffic priority.
6. Update your network drivers
Also, old drivers cause odd spikes. On Windows 10 and Windows 11, open Device Manager, expand Network adapters, and check your manufacturer’s site for the latest Wi-Fi or Ethernet driver. Skip generic driver tools, because they sometimes install the wrong version.
While you are there, open the adapter’s power settings and turn off any option that lets Windows switch the adapter off to save energy. Laptops on battery saver can add noticeable jitter. Plug in and pick a high performance power plan when you play.
7. Optimize DNS settings
Here is where many guides mislead you. DNS turns names into addresses. Once your game connects to a server by its address, DNS is out of the path. Pinggy’s gaming DNS review says it plainly: changing your resolver will not lower your in-game ping.
DNS still has a small job. A faster resolver can speed up logins, launcher startup and matchmaking lookups by a fraction of a second. If you want that benefit, set Cloudflare or Google DNS and move on. Just do not expect the number in your scoreboard to drop. Our deeper note on gaming DNS for lower ping covers what DNS can and cannot do.
8. Check for packet loss and jitter
A low average can hide a bad connection. Run a continuous ping for a few minutes with ping -t on Windows. Every “Request timed out” line is lost data. In fact, even 1 to 2 percent loss can make a shooter feel broken.
If loss appears, test with a wired connection first. Then test with the router bypassed, plugging straight into the modem. Loss that survives both steps points to your provider, so contact them with your tracert or pathping output. Specific data gets a faster reply than “my internet is slow.” Remote workers can use the same evidence when a video call keeps dropping. Our VPN for Work guide covers the privacy side.
9. Switch off what throttles your connection
Check for VPNs or proxies you forgot about, along with traffic shapers in your router. Some providers also slow gaming traffic or certain ports at peak times. If that sounds like your case, a VPN may help, which we cover in step 12.
10. Pick the right plan and connection type
Faster internet does not always reduce ping. However, a slow shared line can make ping worse, because every device in the home fights for room. If three people stream in 4K while you play, a bigger plan helps by leaving headroom.
Fiber and cable usually give lower latency than satellite or older DSL. Many 5G home internet and mobile hotspot setups have decent speeds with wobbly latency. To lower ping on a hotspot, keep the phone close to a window, plug it in, turn off battery saver, and tether over USB instead of Wi-Fi.
11. Tune your PC or console
A busy machine adds its own delay. Lower graphics settings if your frame rate dips below your refresh rate, because the game then delays network updates. Enable Game Mode on Windows 11 and close overlays you do not use.
Likewise, on a console, use a wired adapter and check the NAT type. An open or moderate NAT usually matches better with other players than a strict one. Port forwarding or enabling UPnP on your router fixes many NAT problems.
12. Test a VPN for better routing
This is the last step because it is the most situational. Your traffic normally takes the route your provider chooses, and that route is sometimes poor. A VPN sends your traffic through another path, and occasionally the new path beats the old one.
Run the test. Ping or play with the VPN off, then connect to a nearby VPN server and compare the average and the spikes. If the VPN gives you lower, steadier numbers, keep it on for that game. Otherwise, turn it off. The next sections explain when each result is likely.
Are you comparing providers right now? Our roundup of Best Halloween VPN Deals lists current prices and refund windows. Those windows matter, because a refund lets you run this test risk free.
How to lower ping in popular games
Every game uses the same network basics, but each has its own menus. Start with the region setting, then confirm with the in-game network display.
| Game | What to check first |
|---|---|
| Call of Duty and Warzone | Use wired Ethernet, check the network and data center options in the settings, and pause console downloads. Our guide on how to reduce ping in COD goes deeper. |
| Fortnite | Set the matchmaking region manually and watch the in-game network stats for packet loss. |
| Valorant | Turn on the stats display for network round trip time and packet loss, and pick the server with the lowest value. |
| PUBG | Choose the server on the lobby screen, not the default one. |
| Apex Legends | Check lobby settings for a region or data center option, and look for packet loss in the network display. |
In short, the advice for all five is the same. Pick the closest region, connect by cable, and fix congestion before you touch anything exotic. After that, you can tune the game’s own settings, such as frame rate limits and network displays.
Can a VPN actually reduce ping?
Sometimes. Usually not by much. And in a lot of setups, it makes ping slightly worse.
A VPN adds a stop. Your traffic goes from your device to the VPN server, then on to the game. With a nearby server, that extra stop costs a few milliseconds. A far server, however, can cost a lot.
So why would anyone use one for gaming? Three reasons are real:
- Better routing. If your provider’s path to the game server is indirect or congested, the VPN’s path may be shorter.
- Less throttling. Encrypted traffic hides what you are doing, so a provider that slows gaming at peak hours cannot single it out.
- A calmer path to another region. In some cases, a VPN server near a less crowded game data center helps.
How VPN routing affects ping comes down to the path, not the encryption. Researchers at the University of Amsterdam benchmarked VPN protocols in 2020 and found median round trip times in a lab between 0.21 and 0.73 ms. Encryption overhead is tiny on modern hardware. In practice, the route and the server distance decide what you feel. WireGuard for gaming is popular because it is light, yet the protocol is rarely the main difference.
When a VPN helps and when it hurts
| Situation | Likely effect on ping |
|---|---|
| Provider route to the game server is poor | Can lower ping |
| Provider throttles gaming at peak hours | Can lower ping and jitter |
| Nearby VPN server, clean home network | Small increase, a few ms |
| Far-away VPN server | Large increase |
| Busy free server | Higher ping and more jitter |
| Playing on public Wi-Fi | Adds safety, may add a few ms |
Notice what is missing: “always lowers ping.” Therefore, no honest VPN can promise that. When someone claims it, treat the claim as marketing.
How to choose a VPN server for gaming
- Pick a server in the same country or region as the game server, and as close to it as possible.
- Test two or three cities, because a busy server in the right city can lose to a quiet one nearby.
- Compare average ping and spikes, not just the average.
- Check the protocol options in the app and try the lightest one.
- Use split tunneling if your app offers it, so only the game uses the VPN.
Some players explore decentralized VPNs for different routing paths. They can work, but node quality varies widely, so test them the same way.
Where Cure VPN fits
We built Cure VPN for fast, private browsing, streaming and gaming on every device. Pro gives you 50+ servers in 30+ countries, so you can test several routes to the same game. On top of that, it removes restricted bandwidth and server caps, and it protects all your devices at once.
You can also test without a big commitment. The free plan covers 1 device with 10 countries, and the 7-day Pro trial costs $0.99. Every Pro plan carries a 30-day money-back guarantee. Cure VPN is built around a no-logs commitment, too, which matters when you play on shared networks.
A VPN also hides your IP address from other players, which helps if you worry about targeted attacks. Read our guide on how to prevent DDoS attacks while gaming for the full picture. If you want a broader shortlist, see the best VPN for gaming guide. Windows players can start with the best VPN for Windows.
Pricing moves fast around the holidays. Our Best Holiday VPN Deals page tracks the offers, and the Cure VPN pricing page lists every plan, from $2.49 a month on the 3-year plan.
What is a good ping for gaming?
A good ping for gaming is under 50 ms for most online games. Under 20 ms is excellent, and above 100 ms starts to hurt competitive play. NoPing publishes this scale, and since NoPing sells a gaming ping product, treat it as a rule of thumb, not a lab result.
| Ping | Rating | What it feels like |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 20 ms | Excellent | Almost no delay |
| 20 to 50 ms | Very good | Responsive in most games |
| 50 to 100 ms | Decent | Minor lag in fast shooters |
| 100 to 150 ms | Playable | Delays you can notice |
| 150 ms and above | Poor | Frustrating in competitive play |
However, genre changes the picture. Fast shooters, fighting games and racing games punish delay the most. Slower strategy and turn-based games forgive far more. Also remember jitter. How-To Geek points out that a steady 120 ms can feel better than a ping that swings between 30 and 120.
Expert insights
Fix the home network before you buy anything. Players often ask us whether a VPN will fix their lag. In most cases, the cause sits at home. A cable and a router setting beat a subscription, and that advice costs us a sale. It is still the right advice.
Test like an engineer. Change one thing, then measure. Our simple log has three columns: idle ping, ping under load, and ping at peak hours. If a fix does not move those numbers, undo it. This approach also protects you from placebo, because a game that feels smoother is not always a game with lower ping.
Small teams need consistency. An esports squad or a streaming team has a harder job than a solo player, since everyone needs stable routes. A managed Business VPN gives a group predictable paths, and it keeps team practice traffic private on hotel and arena networks.
Developers should expect latency questions. If you build or resell VPN apps, gamers will ask about ping first. Ship server-selection tools, show live latency in the app and be honest in your marketing. Our team works on white label VPN development for exactly these needs, and the apps we ship share this view.
Sellers should plan the season early. Holiday sales bring new gamers to every VPN brand, so support questions about ping follow. Our Black Friday Cyber Monday Playbook shows how to plan offers and support together.
Statistics and data
These figures come from the sources we read for this guide. We name each one so you can check it yourself.
- How-To Geek measured 16 ms average ping and 7 ms jitter on wired Cat6, against 60 ms and 20 ms on Wi-Fi 6, in its Wi-Fi versus Ethernet comparison.
- NoPing rates 0 to 20 ms as excellent and 150 ms and above as noticeably laggy. Its scale has no independent study behind it.
- Digital Citizen reports that a 300 Mbps connection can feel worse than a well-managed 50 Mbps one when bufferbloat is present.
- Pinggy states that changing DNS does not lower in-game ping, because DNS is out of the path once the match starts. Its estimate for DNS delays at launch, login and matchmaking is a few hundred milliseconds to a few seconds.
- A University of Amsterdam research project (Dekker and Spaans, 2020) measured median tunnel round trip times in a lab. strongSwan with AES-GCM scored 0.21 ms, OpenVPN with AES-GCM about 0.39 ms, WireGuard in C 0.42 ms and WireGuard in Go 0.73 ms. Protocol overhead stayed tiny in every case.
- VPN Central notes that a VPN can lower ping only under specific conditions, and that a far server can raise it significantly.
Common mistakes
- Changing DNS and expecting a miracle. DNS speeds up lookups at login. It does not shorten the path in a match.
- Trusting speed tests alone. A fast speed test says nothing about latency under load or about jitter.
- Choosing a far VPN server. Players pick a server in a famous city, then wonder why ping doubles. Instead, choose the nearest one.
- Using a crowded free server. A busy server adds jitter. Free plans usually limit speed, devices or locations, so check the terms first.
- Running a work VPN while gaming. A heavy corporate VPN solution can route everything through a distant office. So disconnect it before you play.
- Skipping the cable. Players spend money on gaming routers while the console stays on Wi-Fi.
- Fixing three things at once. Then you cannot tell which change helped.
Best practices
- Keep a simple ping log with idle, loaded and peak readings.
- Wire your main gaming device, and keep Wi-Fi for everything else.
- Set your game region by hand, and recheck it after big updates.
- Turn on SQM or QoS on your router if it supports them.
- Update the router firmware and the network drivers every few months.
- Test any VPN in your own game with a refund window in place.
- Use a VPN on public Wi-Fi for privacy, even when it adds a few milliseconds.
- Schedule big downloads for times when nobody is playing.
Timing matters if you plan to buy. The Top VPN Deals for Black Friday & Cyber Monday page shows how last year’s prices compare with today’s, which helps you decide whether to wait.
Frequently asked questions
How can I reduce ping instantly?
Close background apps, pause downloads and move closer to the router. Then connect by Ethernet if you can. These steps give the fastest change, often within a minute.
Why is my ping so high?
Your ping is high because of distance, Wi-Fi interference, bufferbloat, provider congestion or an overloaded device. Run a baseline test at idle, under load and at peak hours to find which one applies.
What causes high ping in games?
Common causes include a distant server, a weak wireless signal, other devices using your bandwidth, an overloaded router and poor provider routing. Packet loss and jitter often make the problem feel worse.
What is a good ping for gaming?
Under 50 ms works well for most games. Anything below 20 ms is excellent. Above 100 ms, competitive shooters start to feel delayed.
Does Ethernet lower ping?
Ethernet does lower ping. It cuts interference and keeps latency steady. In one How-To Geek test, wired ping averaged 16 ms against 60 ms on Wi-Fi 6.
Does faster internet reduce ping?
Not directly. Ping depends on route and delay, not on bandwidth. However, a faster plan helps if your current line is so full that downloads and streams crowd out your game.
Can a router cause high ping?
Your router can cause high ping through old firmware, poor placement, a busy channel or bufferbloat. Fortunately, a restart, an update and SQM often fix it.
Does Wi-Fi affect ping?
Wi-Fi affects ping through walls, neighbors’ networks and distance from the router, which add delay and jitter. Use the 5 GHz band and stay close, or plug in a cable.
Why does my ping spike randomly?
Random spikes usually come from Wi-Fi interference, a background update, bufferbloat or a busy device. Run ping -t while you change one variable at a time to find the culprit.
Does changing DNS reduce ping?
No, not in a match. Instead, DNS only affects lookups such as launcher startup and login. Pinggy’s review reaches the same conclusion.
Does packet loss increase ping?
It increases the delay you feel. Lost packets must be sent again, so actions arrive late and the game stutters. Even 1 to 2 percent loss can hurt.
Is it worth buying a VPN this season?
Only if you will use it. Test with a trial first, since refunds protect you. Our Best Christmas VPN Deals guide tracks late-season offers if you decide to wait.
Can a VPN lower ping, or fix high ping?
It can, in specific cases. If your provider’s route is poor or throttles gaming, a nearby VPN server may give a better path. In most other cases, a VPN adds a few milliseconds, so test it before you decide.
How do I fix high ping with fast internet?
Check latency under load for bufferbloat, test Ethernet, set the right game region and look at packet loss. Fast internet with high ping points to a latency problem, not a bandwidth one.
Is a free VPN service good enough for gaming?
Even the best free vpn service can work for light play and testing. Free servers get crowded, though, so expect more jitter at peak times. Cure VPN’s free plan covers 1 device and 10 countries, which makes it a decent test bench before you pay.
How does server location affect ping?
Every 100 km adds about 1 ms of round trip time in the best case, and real routes run longer. A closer server almost always means lower ping.
Conclusion
Lowering ping is detective work. You measure, change one thing and measure again. Most players find the culprit at home, in a Wi-Fi link, a crowded router or a busy download queue. Fix those first, then pick the nearest game server.
A VPN is the last tool, not the first. It can reroute a poor path, and it can add safety on shared networks. On the other hand, it can add a few milliseconds, so test it in your own game before you trust it.
That honest approach is how we build Cure VPN, and it shapes our white label VPN development work for other brands too. We give you 50+ servers in 30+ countries, a free plan for testing, a 7-day Pro trial for $0.99 and a 30-day money-back guarantee. You can run the same test in your own game and keep whatever wins.
