High ping

[Margaret Negus]

Hi,

Last week we had our laptop and tower system wireless networked. The laptop has been moved to the bedroom the tower system remains downstairs.

Last night my son tried to play Quake but found it impossible because of the high ping on the laptop, neither of us are well up on this sort of thing and up to now because I haven't known what I'm doing -- have spent a small fortune on stuff I don't want - anyway my question is this - Do we need anything else to add to the laptop so that the ping comes down eg. some advance card or something? Oh and I forgot to mention that I had the networking done professionally too which cost me £40 and if I get the same fella out it will cost me another £40 plus whatever he tells me I might need.

 

[Ian]

Was your son playing against himself, or against others online?

The "ping" is the time to send data to and receive a reply from another machine. If he was playing online, he needs to pick a server in the UK so this time is under 100ms, ideally under 50ms.

I'm assuming you are using broadband?

 

[Adywebb]

Another thing to remember is that the further you move the laptop away from the wireless access point, the higher the ping times - do they come down if he brings it downstairs next to the access point?

If this is the case - then you are going to need a wireless router which gives more range, such as one of the newer Pre-N Routers together with compatible wireless card, or be closer to the access point.

 

[Margaret Negus]

Ah ahh!!


I wondered about the ping being higher the further away from the access point he was, I think that might be the answer to the problem but first of course he needs to make sure he gets a lower ping by bringing it downstairs (All this ping malarky happened late last night and as I'm up at 4.30am for work my patience was wearing a bit thin)

Ian, Yes we are on broadband and I will ask if he was playing against himself, I know before we got the laptop he played against others but not sure about last night,

Thank you so much for the information, I'm sure now that we'll be able to sort something out - One of my worries was that we would fork out for yet more stuff (Pre-N router) and it be something else completely.

 

[Adywebb]

No problem Margaret - let us know how you get on bringing it closer to the access point, and in the meantime I'll have a think about an alternative cheaper way of getting round it

 

[TriplexDread]

Under 100ms even 50ms is a push m8.

Ideally less than 350 is more realistic. You wont find even that many people in the UK with a ping of less than 70 no matter where you reside. In my experience with online gaming less than 350ms is fine. One third of a second is hardly noticable.

 

[Margaret Negus]

Thanks again and yes I will report back if the ping has improved when he's moved it nearer the access point, it'll probably be tomorrow now,

TriplexDread I'm glad you've said that because to hear him you'd think the end of the world had arrived with this flamin' high ping he's receiving.

 

[TriplexDread]

The ping he is recieving is from the host of the game not the ping between him and router

So if he's playing in a server hosted in USA then it will be higher than someone in UK

 

[Margaret Negus]

I think he is playing on a USA server,


He brought the laptop next to the router last night and it was exactly the same - very high -

We only went wireless last week and he's blaming that rather than looking for the obvious eg. USA server Again I must thank you for the information and help.

 

[michael 118]

I have the same problem, its a real b*tc* sometimes.. i guess the only real way to get the best latency is find out the best kind of ISP for your area, in most cases it's BT, then you should have a lower latency. But like TD said, in my experince anything under 350MS is playable; you just have to get used to it

 

[Margaret Negus]

To be honest with you, after reading all the replies on here I think my son is being a bit of a moaner and yes I'm going to tell him to either get used to it or play another game that isn't as fast as Quake, the way it's going I could pay out a fortune on stuff and it still not be any better, oh btw. I am with BT and dare I say it (Mesh computer) Laptop Evesham ( Two weeks old)

 

[michael 118]

To be honest with you, after reading all the replies on here I think my son is being a bit of a moaner and yes I'm going to tell him to either get used to it or play another game that isn't as fast as Quake, the way it's going I could pay out a fortune on stuff and it still not be any better, oh btw. I am with BT and dare I say it (Mesh computer) Laptop Evesham ( Two weeks old)

Good on you margaret
make 'im play a nice slow strategy game! (that'll teach him )