If you’re an avid gamer, you know how important it is to have a fast and stable connection when playing online. That’s why a good router could make the difference between winning and losing a game.
The best router for gaming should prioritize your internet traffic over all others to keep you lag-free and connected while minimizing network delays. It should also offer a variety of settings to customize your network to match your gaming needs.
Faster Internet
Faster internet speeds will make a big difference in the gaming experience. If you’re playing a first-person shooter game online, a single second of lag can mean the difference between winning and losing.
Mbps, or megabits per second, is a data-rate metric that indicates how much information can be transferred between your computer and a web service in a second. The higher the Mbps, the faster your data will flow.
You’ll also want to pay attention to ping and latency, both of which measure how fast your game’s server sends data back to you. Ping rates should be between 1-30 milliseconds (ms), while latency should be under 60 ms.
You’ll also want to ensure your best router for gaming has Quality of Service (QoS) features, which will prioritize certain applications over others based on the time of day or number of devices connected. This will help your internet speed stay smooth during gameplay, even if others are downloading files or streaming video.
More Bandwidth
The speed of your internet connection affects your gaming experience more than you might think. It determines whether you can have an uninterrupted playthrough without experiencing lag.
Bandwidth is the amount of data your internet connection can handle over a certain time period. It’s measured in Mbps or megabits per second.
Many modern games require downloads and large updates, which can take up a lot of your bandwidth. Similarly, games that have very pretty visuals can also slow down your internet speed.
To avoid this problem, try to minimize how much bandwidth you use for non-gaming activities. Disconnect other devices, close background apps, and avoid bandwidth-heavy sites like YouTube or Netflix when you’re gaming.
Multi-Device Support
When you’re gaming, a router can play a key role in helping you get the most out of your session. The right one can also improve performance on a whole host of connected devices.
Generally, gaming models use higher-end hardware to manage all of the connections and information packets on your home network. This allows them to quickly transfer data and information, resulting in reduced latency.
This lowers lag time and improves overall gameplay. In addition, some gaming models offer a higher-speed WiFi standard (WiFi 6 and above) for improved connectivity.
In addition to faster internet, some gaming models include extra granular controls that help prioritize game traffic and packets to keep your gaming experience as smooth as possible. These perks usually come at a higher price point, but they can make all the difference when it comes to your gaming sessions.
Security
If you’re a gamer, you know how important it is to have the best router for gaming. Not only will a great router improve your gaming experience, it will also protect your devices from hackers and malware.
In a normal home, most routers prioritize bandwidth by putting the requests of devices that are closer to them first. This is a fairly standard feature, but many modern routers take this a step further with Quality of Service (QoS) features.
QoS technology allows you to control bandwidth distribution on a device-by-device basis, which is important when you have a lot of connected devices running at once. Often, QoS technologies will automatically adjust for time of day and number of devices, so that your gaming PC doesn’t get slowed down when someone else is watching Netflix.
