Share this article
Improve this guide
How to optimize your router for gaming in 5 different ways
5 min. read
Updated onOctober 4, 2023
updated onOctober 4, 2023
Share this article
Improve this guide
Read our disclosure page to find out how can you help Windows Report sustain the editorial teamRead more
Key notes
Life as an avid gamer can be tough, especially if you can’t get the most out of your gaming sessions. Some of the greatest obstacles of our era when it comes to onlinegamingare connection issues.
Most of the times, these issues occur as a result of negligence, lack of knowledge or lazyness regarding properly configuring your system for the best results. The rest of the times it’s just bad luck.
With that in mind, we’re going to take a look at a specific, and essential component of your network: yourrouter. Furthermore, we’re going to help you optimize this device for heavy gaming sessions.
Routers are a common networking component
A few years back,routersweren’t so common, but the outstanding increase of Internet-capable devices (especiallywirelessones) in households everywhere upped the demand.
As a result, there are almost zero chances to stumble upon a router-less household.
However, many overlook a bunch of aspects when choosing theirrouter, which often translates into a less-than-enjoyable gaming experience.
Not necessarily because therouterhas poor capabilities or hardware limitations, but for its poorly default configuration, which regular users don’t even bother to explore, let alone modify.
How to optimize routers for gaming?
1. Always use Ethernet, if possible
It’s a widely-known fact that, due to various factors,wirelessisn’t as reliable as a wired connection.
Therefore, it makes sense that using an Ethernet connection instead ofWi-Fican boost your gaming experience.
2. Use the right cables for the job
It goes without saying that subpar cables can really mess up yourgaming, so you’ll need to pick up proper ones.
Currently, the latest, and fastest type of Ethernet cable isCat8, providing you with up to 40 Gbps speeds and a frequency of 2000 Mhz.
However, this might be a bit overkill, considering that home connections aren’t usually that fast.
As a matter of fact, 1 Gbps seems to be a quite common choice for home Internet users, which is the maximum speed thatCat6cables can achieve.
Check out the list of cables below and make sure to pick one that fits your connection properly:
3. Change the wireless channel
If choosingEthernetis just not an option for you, there’s something else you can do to optimize yourrouter‘swirelesscapabilities.
First of all, turn off the Internet access of any otherwirelessbandwidth-consuming device in your household (if possible).
Furthermore, change yourwirelessrouter‘s broadcast channel, to avoid interference.
If you have neighbors with Wi-Fi routers, there’s a strong chance that their signal will interfere with yours, leading to poor gamingperformances(network-wise).
Changing the channel will take care of this issue. The same goes for using5GHzinstead of2.4GHz, considering that the former has several more non-overlapping channels than the latter (23, compared to3).
Don’t get us wrong, interference happens even on 5GHz, but the 2.4GHz can pick up interference even from non-Wi-Fi devices.
4. Enable QoS
QoS, short for Quality of Service, is an essential feature forroutersnowadays. What this feature essentially does is prioritize bandwidth allocation for certain devices connected to therouter.
Therefore, if your household has several devices connected to therouter, and all of them are using bandwidth, QoS can help you decide which devices/apps get more of it.
For instance, if one of your roommates is streaming Netflix movies, and another is on a torrenting frenzy while you’re trying to play an online game, you’ll have an awful time without QoS.
Enabling QoS can help you prioritize online games (or your PC, depending on the router model), so it always gets the appropriate amount of bandwidth. Oh, your roommates? They’ll probably just share the leftover bandwidth.
5. Avoid double NAT-ing
If you’re in adouble NATsituation, it can quickly take a toll on your gaming session. Aside from the fact that you may not be able to access certain servers (or host your own public servers, for that matter), there’s also the speed factor.
Many users complained that their double NAT configuration slows down their connection and increases their online ping.
Is your Wi-Fi connection slow? Check out our guide and learn how to fix it.
Although others claim that double-NAT slowdowns are a myth, if you’re not concerned about security and care more aboutgaming, you don’t want double NAT.
You can disable double-NAT by yourself if the ISP modem/router has a Bridge Mode toggle that you can operate.
Otherwise, you’re just a call away from fixing the issue. Just contact your ISP and ask them to put their proprietaryrouterinBridge Mode. They’ll know what you mean.
Last thoughts on optimizing your router for gaming
All things considered,routersare quite complex parts of your network, but that doesn’t mean you can’t configure them to fit your needs for online gaming.
Whether it’s enabling and using QoS, upgrading your Ethernet cables or switching your Wi-Fi broadcast channel, there’s almost always something you can do to boost yourrouter‘s online gaming-relatedperformance.
[wl_navigator]
More about the topics:gaming,Router guides
Vlad Constantinescu
Vlad might have a degree in Animal Husbandry and Livestock Management, but he’s currently rocking anything software related, ranging from testing programs to writing in-depth reviews about them.
He spent 3-4 years as a software editor at Softpedia and another year as a VPN specialist before he landed his current job as an author at Windows Report.
In his free time, Vlad enjoys playing guitar, doing jigsaw puzzles, researching cybersecurity, and even having a good read on rainy days.
User forum
0 messages
Sort by:LatestOldestMost Votes
Comment*
Name*
Email*
Commenting as.Not you?
Save information for future comments
Comment
Δ
Vlad Constantinescu
