I like online gaming, and there have been plenty of times when I encountered screen stutters, character freezes, and actions not registering in real time. These are the results of experiencing packet loss, a technical problem that often goes unnoticed until it starts to ruin your online experience.

Packet loss isn’t just a problem in gaming. It can affect streaming quality, cause delays in video calls, and have a negative impact on applications that use real-time data, such as betting apps.

If you’re using the internet for anything beyond casual browsing, you should understand why you’re experiencing packet loss to identify and fix any problems on your end.

In this guide, we’ll look at what causes packet loss, how to test for it, and what you can actually do to fix it.

Why is your packet loss so high?

Packet loss is generally caused by a weak or unstable internet connection. This can be due to Wi-Fi problems, overloaded networks, or problems with your internet service provider (ISP).

Here are the most common reasons for packet loss:

• Weak Wi-Fi signal: Being far away from the router or having physical barriers (like very thick walls) between you and the router can lead to connection instability.
• Overloaded bandwidth: Too many devices or heavy activities, such as streaming and downloading, can overwhelm your connection.
• Network congestion: High traffic times in your area can lead to packet loss, especially when the infrastructure is unable to support the increased demand.
• ISP problems: Sometimes, the problem can be on your provider’s end or somewhere along the network path.
• Faulty hardware: Outdated or malfunctioning routers/modems can cause data loss.

How to check for packet loss?

You can quickly test for packet loss with an internet connection check or manually pinging servers via the Command Prompt.

Here are the two best ways to check for packet loss:

• Use the Internet Health Test
  1. Keep an eye on Jitter in the test results. High Jitter (100ms or more) often means that you’re experiencing packet loss.
  2. You ideally want your Jitter to be lower than 15 and ping lower than 30 to the nearest servers.
• Run a ping test using Command Prompt.
  1. Open Command Prompt
  2. Test your connection by typing “ping -n 20 google.com”
     1. You can replace the Google portion of the formula with game server IPs. For example, League of Legends’ game servers can be found here.
  3. Even a small amount of consistent packet loss in this test, above two percent, can cause problems in online gaming and real-time apps.

How to lower packet loss?

The most effective way to reduce packet loss is to use a wired Ethernet connection. If that’s not an option, here are other methods that can help improve connection stability:

• Move closer to your router: If you’re using Wi-Fi and can’t switch to Ethernet, try moving closer to your router to see if packet loss decreases. If this works, consider getting a Wi-Fi repeater to increase coverage in your home.
• Test during off-peak hours: If your packet loss is inconsistent and mainly happens during evenings or weekends, it can be caused by network congestion.
• Close background applications and limit background usage: Background apps can hog bandwidth and cause packet loss.
• Monitor network usage limit bandwidths: If a household member starts streaming a 4K movie while you’re gaming or doing something else, you may start experiencing packet loss. You can overcome this by limiting bandwidth usage for certain devices.
• Restart your modem or router: A reboot can fix packet loss, especially if your router has been running for a long time.
• Check for firmware updates on your router: Old router firmware can cause connection instability and dropped packets.
• Try a VPN: Packet loss can occur due to poor routing between your ISP and the game server. A VPN can sometimes provide a better route to the server and reduce packet loss.
• Check out servers if you’re gaming: Packet loss can happen due to servers as well. If you’ve tried everything and still experience problems, check official game forums or server status pages to see if the problem is widespread.

If nothing on this list seems to work, consider calling your ISP so they can run a diagnostic on their end. On rare occasions, you may also need to replace your router, especially if it has experienced damage or has been working non-stop for close to 10 years.