Identifying Symptoms: Why am I lagging?

[Zeus]

Hello, Community,

So, I have noticed that many players are going on about increase of lag these days. Today, I will attempt to inform whoever reads this thread about the main sources of lag & how to pinpoint the source so that one can take the issue to their ISP.

So, first off, these are the main factors of lag:

• Bandwidth/Latency
• Type of WiFi antenna & location + quality of the antenna in the device
• Ping (Via Speedtest, not the ping in game)
• Location of WiFi router (Having it in a closet, hidden away, like some people do will seriously disrupt the WiFi signal)
• Type of WiFi Router

Please Watch the Following Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBLepdS7hkk



Video Analysis:
This connection was completed from a college campus with public WiFi for students. In this video, if you noticed, I took two tests for the purposes of consistency as well as the ability to compare and contrast.


• Bandwidth/Latency:
In the first test, if one took notice, I had a download speed of 6mpbs. In the second test, if one took notice, I had a download speed of nearly 4x that at ~23mpbs. Why is the difference so huge? Well, this shows the speed the data packets are traveling (how you are able to access the internet). If you notice, in the first test, the needle fluctuates A LOT. Well, unfortunately, this is one of the main factors that people do not notice which cause lag. When the needle is falling, you are getting little to no data packets. In English, this means that your ping will go up.

What should I be looking for?
In the second test in that video, if you noticed, the needle was very consistent through the entire test. That is what you are looking for: a consistent needle that is not jumping all over the map.

In simpler concepts, think of it like this: When the needle is consistent, a constant stream of data packets are seamlessly flowing in and out. When the needle is not consistent, a static, wave-like "flow" of data is "flowing" in and out. It's almost like having a leak in your water pipe. The loss in data packets & when the needle is dropping translates into your ping rising.

^^This issue is what affects most people & the reason why they "spike". As the needle "spikes", so does their ping reader in AL/DL/PL/SL.

Secondly, ping. If you notice, my ping is 5 m/s based on my server location. This is good, so the issue for my ping problems cannot be due to ping. In my experience, anything under ~150 is adequate.



• Type of WiFi Antenna & Location + Quality of the Antenna in the Device:
In many devices, such as the Nexus 7, the WiFi Antenna is inferior to a dual-band WiFi antenna device such as the Kindle Fire HD.

So, when selecting your playing device, always try to use one with the strongest WiFi antenna that you can get your hands on. If you're purchasing a new device for PL, look up reviews rating the WiFi antenna and how it compares with competitors.

For example, devices like the iPad have excellent WiFi antennae, but they are placed in poor locations in the device, so they can cause spikes from time to time. Now, on average, most people do not notice this as most people do not require a connection to be consistent as one requires for PL. Thus, it isn't always made into a big deal and companies can get away with poorly placed WiFi antennae.

• Location of the WiFi Router:
Now, most people know this, but think the location of their WiFi router location is perfectly acceptable. For example, my parents keep the WiFi router in a locked closet. This blocks a majority of the signal strength (while the connection still does appear as full bars, due to the proximity of my device to the router). Thus, if the closet door is closed, I will spike A LOT. Why? I am not getting a consistent stream of WiFi, but rather varying bursts of signal strength.

• Type of WiFi Router
So, always always always make sure that you have a respectable WiFi router. Unfortunately, the fact is, many people think that these days their WiFi routers provided by cable companies/routers they purchased years ago are good enough. When playing MMOs, this is not true. In order to greatly boost your ping, pick a good WiFi router from respectable companies like NetGear or Linksys that offer dual-band. If you have a dual-band router coupled with a dual-band capable WiFi antenna in your device, your connection is stronger and more consistent. This, in turn, will translate to better, more stable and hopefully green ping.


So, if one has noticed, the key to good ping is consistency. SpeedTest is your friend, look at all your variables, test your WiFi. Please, make sure you run multiple tests. If you are not getting consistent results/have the fluctuating needle issue, it is highly likely that you lag in game.


Just a few thoughts,

I'll add more as I think of more.


~Apollo