Fix Lag Spikes: The Real Causes (WiFi, Bufferbloat, Congestion)
Online games feel bad when timing becomes inconsistent. The enemy is not only high ping. The enemy is spikes: jitter, bufferbloat under load, and unstable wireless conditions.
Three Common Causes
- WiFi interference: random micro spikes from noise and distance.
- Bufferbloat: latency spikes when uploads or downloads create queues.
- Congestion: your ISP or local network is overloaded at peak hours.
How to Test (Correctly)
- Test during real use: someone streaming while you play.
- Look for spikes, not only averages.
- Repeat at the same time of day to detect congestion patterns.
- Compare Ethernet vs WiFi once to isolate wireless issues.
Fix Order
- Stop background uploads while gaming.
- Prefer Ethernet when possible.
- If you must use WiFi, move closer and reduce obstacles.
- Use sane queue behavior on the router to reduce bufferbloat spikes.
- Only then consider hardware upgrades.
Fix spikes and everything feels faster. That is the real secret of good online play.
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