How to Boost WiFi Speed for Gaming – 23+ Best Methods

Are you facing high ping while playing online games? A slow WiFi connection is a gamer’s worst nightmare. You will get disconnected from servers and experience severe lag while playing any online games like PUBG, Call of Duty, Fortnite, Among Us, etc.

Fortunately, the article covers some useful methods which can help to boost your WiFi speed and improve ping while playing online games.

But before you start reading further, below is the speed test of my network which I perform before applying any of the methods. I used the Speedtest tool by Ookla in my case because it provides accurate speed test results.

After applying all the methods, I was able to significantly boost my internet speed from a download speed of 56.10 to 96.47 Mbps and an upload speed of 6.53 to 16.44 Mbps.

Do note that I have a 100 Mbps plan for my network and you can see that I was able to achieve it by implementing the above-listed methods which worked 100% in my case.

So here is the list of 23 best methods that helps to boost WiFi speed for gaming:

1. Limit Number of Access for your WiFi
2. Adjust your Router Placement
3. Reset your DNS
4. Limit High Bandwidth Consuming Services
5. Update your Network Drivers
6. Restart your Router
7. Set High Transmit Power for Better WiFi Speed
8. Gain More WiFi Range by Using Repeaters and Extenders
9. Scan for Malware, Adware, and Virus
10. Update Firmware
11. Switch WiFi Frequency Band
12. Secure your router
13. Adjust Router Antennas
14. Use Download Managers
15. Change to Fast DNS Servers
16. Install Custom Firmware
17. Update your Operating System Time to Time
18. Change Network Settings
19. Clean up Temporary Files
20. Check your Data Cap Limit
21. Regularly check your Internet Speed
22. Change Old Routers into Repeaters
23. Get an Ethernet Cable

Now let’s see how to implement each method in detail which will help you to improve your network speed for gaming.

1. Limit Number of Access for your WiFi

One of the biggest reasons why your internet is slow is because you’re sharing bandwidth with a lot of other devices. An easy fix to this is to turn off devices that are connected but not in use or lessen the amount of bandwidth that they can consume.

The more the device gets connected to your Router, the lesser will be the bandwidth available for you while gaming which results in high ping.

So before playing online games, you should check the number of devices connected to your router and turn off those devices’ WiFi connection that is not in use. You can also limit the bandwidth for other devices by going into your router’s admin panel.

For more info, you can read the HP guide regarding how to limit the number of access for your WiFi even remotely.

2. Adjust your Router Placement

Wi-Fi internet is sent to your device via signals, so the closer your router is to it, the stronger the signal will be. Make sure that you place the router in an isolated place where no other electronic devices that use electromagnetic waves like TV, Radio, Bluetooth Speakers, etc are present near it.

This will ensure that no signal interfering occurs resulting in good range and speed. In most cases, signal interfering is the main cause for weak range and speed in WiFi.

Also, ensure that you are in a good range of WiFi for better internet connectivity speed. The most suitable place for the router is the center location of your house and make sure it’s elevated (ideally, on the same level as your computer or smartphone).

Do not put the router inside a drawer or cabinet because physical objects might block wireless signals emitted by the router – suggested in an article by Times Now News.

If your house is extremely big then consider using repeaters, boosters, extenders, or using a Mesh type network for better range leading to good WiFi speed. Router placement helps a lot to boost WiFi speed for gaming.

In case you are playing games on PC then I highly recommend you use an ethernet cable on PC instead of WiFi resulting in good ping in online games.

3. Reset your DNS

Sometimes, DNS (Domain Name System) errors result in different internet issues like unable to connect to the internet, slow speed, etc. Resetting the DNS from the command prompt will solve this issue.

To reset your DNS, follow the below steps:

1. Open CMD (Command Prompt) with run as administrator
2. Execute the below commands one after the another as shown in the below table

Once you are done with executing the above commands, restart your PC or Laptop, and try playing the game again. Mostly it will fix your internet lag but if still you encounter high ping then you can try other methods.

Sr No	Commands	What it Does
1	ipconfig /flushdns	clears DNS cache
2	ipconfig /registerdns	register DNS entries
3	ipconfig /release	release current network configuration
4	ipconfig /renew	requests a new IP address from the DHCP server
5	netsh winsock reset	recovers if any socket errors occur

4. Limit Bandwidth Consuming Services

Many modern routers have a setting named QoS (Quality of Service) where we can assign priority for different applications regarding bandwidth consumptions. So you did not need to worry about bandwidth consumption by other devices while playing online games.

You can set priority to Low for other device applications resulting in more bandwidth left for you when playing any online games. This method highly helps to reduce ping in games if other devices are consuming bandwidth on the same network.

To know more about router QoS settings, you can read an in-depth guide published by Laptopmag. You can also try turning off some unnecessary applications consuming data in the background. To check such applications, just open your Task Manager by pressing CTRL + SHIFT + ESC.

In the Details tab, you will see a list of complete programs using the network in the background of your system. Just see whether an unnecessary service is consuming data or not. In case, it is network consuming then you can end that service by selecting it and then clicking on the End Task button.

5. Update your Network Drivers

An outdated network driver will lead to slow internet on your PC or Laptop. Most modern router manufacturers release driver updates sometimes, so you need to ensure that you update the network drivers.

You can find the drivers on the router manufacturer’s website or you can use a Driver Booster Pro which will scan and update all your outdated drivers with a single click.

Driver Booster Pro consistently updates its real-time huge collection of driver databases. So we don’t need to check all the driver’s updates manually. I highly recommend you install Driver Booster Pro on your PC.

6. Restart your Router

Restarting your router will eliminate any radio signal interfering errors. If you are experiencing a slow down in your internet speed, then try restarting your router.

Only restart your router having a 2.4GHz channel if you are encountering slow network speed. Do not restart your router daily as it is recommended by various router manufacturers like Netgear.

7. Set High Transmit Power for Better WiFi Speed

Routers have default transmit power to medium which helps to save energy power but in turn, reduces speed and range. You can set the transmit power setting to the high mode which results in more signal strength and speed leading to a better gaming experience.

To change transmit power to high, follow the below steps:

1. Go to your router admin panel in your browser
2. In the “Wireless” section, click on “Advanced Wireless Settings”
3. Change the transmit power to “High” in the advanced section
4. Save your settings. That’s it. You have successfully set the transmit power to high mode

8. Gain More WiFi Range by Using Repeaters and Extenders

Let me ask you a question first. How much WiFi signal, do you get when connected to WiFi? If you get less speed due to range then it’s time for you to use Repeaters, Extenders, or Mesh type networks to increase the WiFi range.

Generally, if you have an office or a big house, then it is recommended to use repeaters or extenders and if possible then implement a Mesh network during installation rather than a single router.

To those who don’t know about repeaters, it is a WiFi booster containing 2 routers in which the first router picks up the current network and sends the signal to the second router. The second router transmits those boosted signals leading to better speed and range.

Below are some of the best WiFi boosters in the market based on their performance, network coverage, and price. Just select any one of the below WiFi boosters depending on the coverage range you want.

Sr No	Name	Rating (Out of 5)
1	Netgear Nighthawk X6S EX8000 Tri-band WiFi Extender	4.7
2	Netgear Nighthawk X6 EX7700 Mesh Range Extender	4.3
3	TP-Link RE650 AC2600 Wi-Fi Range Extender	4.1
4	D-Link DAP-1650	4
5	Linksys Velop Wi-Fi extender	4

9. Scan for Malware, Adware and Virus

If you are downloading crack files from the Internet then it’s sure that your system is attacked by various viruses, malware, and adware.

These scripts consume large amounts of bandwidth and data in the background leading to lower network speed. Also injecting various vulnerabilities in your system compromising its security.

To prevent such malicious files, use genuine antivirus software like Avast, K7 Total Security, etc which will automatically remove such viruses, adware, and malicious files if found in your PC.

Just make sure that you disable the antivirus when playing games because this anti-virus software consumes lots of memory, and CPU resources in the background resulting in a laggy gaming experience. You can enable it after you finish gaming.

10. Update Firmware

Router firmware is a read-only memory chip that helps to maintain security, administrative, and various networking protocols. Although the router manufacturers provide updates for firmware sometimes, it is necessary to update our router firmware.

To update your router firmware, go to your router’s admin panel and look for the firmware section (a complete section related to only firmware).

You will find various subsections in it like current firmware version, check for latest firmware version, install custom firmware, etc. Check the latest firmware version and your current firmware version. If the current firmware is outdated then click on the “Download” button.

It will download the latest firmware in your router automatically. After the firmware gets upgraded, restart your router.

11. Switch WiFi Frequency Band

Changing the frequency band for your router can significantly improve your router speed resulting in a better gaming experience when playing online games.

Think of frequency bands as floors in a building. The more people on the floor, the more congested it will be, making it harder to navigate. The same concept applies to the router as well. Every router operates anywhere between 2.4 GHz and 5.9 GHz bands.

If you stick to your default 2.4 GHz frequency band and everybody with the same internet service provider and Wi-Fi plan is using the same GHz, then chances are, you’re moving in a very congested band leading to interference in your router signal. This results in slow internet connectivity.

You can analyze the network interference in your area by using any network analyzer tools like SolarWinds, NetSpot, etc. 

To change your frequency band, enter in your router’s admin panel, go to “Advanced Wireless Settings”, and set the 802.11 Band to 5 GHz. That’s it you have now changed the frequency band for your router to 5 GHz.

12. Secure your Router

In the modern era where cyberattacks are increasing day by day, it has become necessary to secure our routers from someone trying to hack your WiFi password consuming data without your acknowledgment.

Therefore secure your router to a high level by assigning some harder combinations in the WiFi password, disabling the WPS, setting mac filters, etc, and please do not share your password with others.

13. Adjust Router Antennas

If your router has an inbuilt antenna, then this method is not for you. You can read the other methods. In case your router has external antennas, then you can reconfigure it making it possible to spread the signal more effectively. The router emits signals in an omnichannel approach.

This means that if you adjust router antennas vertically, they will emit signals in a horizontal direction and if adjust to horizontal then it will emit signals in a vertical direction. So you can try adjusting your router antennas to get better network coverage. If possible then cut a beer can and place it around the router antenna such that you are seeing only the shine side of the beer can.

Since cans are made of aluminum (reflective element), they will reflect all the signals which were wasted in other directions to one direction leading to a better WiFi signal. The only limitation of using a beer can is that you will get poor WiFi signal strength in other directions.

14. Use Download Managers

If you are frustrated with your downloading speed then there are certain download managers like IDM (Internet Download Manager) which helps to download files from the web faster (5 times faster) as compared to the normal download approach.

Additionally, with download managers, you can pause and start the download anytime you want. Download managers divide the files you want to download into parts and download them together resulting in speedy downloads.

But do not download any files while playing online games because these download managers consume lots of bandwidth and the remaining is left for your game resulting in higher ping.

In case your browser is loading slowly then you can try Brave Browser which loads sites incredibly fast by blocking ads from the sites and guess what it provides you free money for browsing.

Your privacy is their top priority. Your browsing data or any other information is not shared with other companies making it better than Chrome and Mozilla.

15. Change to Fast DNS Servers

A faster DNS can help to reduce the loading time of sites while surfing on the Internet. Google provides a fast DNS server that you can try free of cost and if it works better then you can stick to it for a lifetime.

To change your current DNS to Google DNS, follow the below steps:

1. In your Windows search box, type “Network and Sharing Center” and open it
2. Go to “Change Adapter Settings” and then right-click on the network interface which connects to the internet and clicks on the “Properties”
3. Under connection items, select “Internet Protocol Version 4” and click on its “Properties”
4. Now choose “Use the following DNS servers” and set the preferred DNS server to 8.8.8.8 and alternate DNS server to 8.8.4.4
5. Click on “Validate Settings Upon Exit” which will check and validate any errors if occurred after changing DNS records
6. Now click on “Ok”. That’s it. You have now changed your default DNS to Google’s DNS

Now check surfing on the Internet and see if sites are loading faster than your default DNS or not. In case it is not faster than you can switch to the default DNS by choosing “Obtain DNS servers automatically” in iPv4 properties.

16. Install Custom Firmware

If your router is very old, then it might be one of the reasons you are getting slow WiFi speed. You can try installing custom firmware in your old router. This will set the current security, administrative privileges, and network protocols to an updated level.

You can read this article by wikiHow regarding how to install custom firmware in the router.

But be careful while installing custom firmware because your router warranty gets voided if you install any custom firmware and also you must know the basics about your router configuration.

Well if you don’t want to install custom firmware then you can try using your old router as a repeater to boost WiFi speed for gaming. You can read about it in 22 methods.

17. Update your Operating System

Update your OS to the latest version if available because there are often updates that are related to improvement in internet speed, vulnerabilities fix, security, performance, etc.

In case you have an old operating system like Windows 7, etc then it’s time for you to upgrade your OS to Windows 10. Developers release updates for older operating systems only sometimes. So it is better to switch to the new OS version.

18. Change Network Settings

Optimizing your device network settings can help a lot to boost your internet speed. There are various settings like disabling background apps, enabling metered connection, turning off unnecessary services, etc which you can try to optimize your internet speed better.

To those who do not know about the metered connection, it is a windows feature that limits background usage of data and bandwidth. It blocks any updates running in the background providing more bandwidth for gaming.

To optimize your network settings, follow the below steps:

1. Go to your windows “Settings” and look for “Privacy”
2. In the Privacy tab, click on “Background Apps” located in-app permissions section
3. Click on “Let app run in background” to disable all apps from running in the background
4. Now go to the WiFi section located in the Network and Internet tab. Click on “Manage known networks” and select your WiFi router network name
5. Click on its “Properties” and under the metered connection section, click on “Set as metered connection” to apply it
6. That’s it. For turning off unnecessary services, you can refer to the disable high bandwidth-consuming services method.

For Android and iOS, you can find the metered connection setting in your device’s WiFi settings and network settings respectively.

19. Clean up Temporary Files

When you are surfing on the internet, lots of temporary files get saved on your device and if your storage is already full, then you will experience slow speed and even more bad news for gamers, your games will lag a lot.

It is better to clear such temporary files from your system. There are lots of software like CCleaner, etc which clears all temporary files and caches. Also, you can remove some unwanted applications and files to free some more storage space.

20. Check your Data Cap Limit

Many ISPs assure that they provide unlimited gigabytes of data in their services but in reality, most of them do not give unlimited data. All ISPs assign some data limits for their users unless you have a high-price data service subscription.

Once you use more than your data limit, the ISP will restrict your internet speed which results in slow connection speed or even sometimes they block the internet for days by giving excuses that some misconfiguration error has occurred from your side.

To check whether your ISP has set a data cap limit, just check your monthly bill. Most ISP prints the limit in the bill in fine letters or straight away ask your ISP directly about the data cap limit.

In case, if you notice that after a certain GB of data consumption your speed is getting slow then you must tell your ISP to increase your data limit, and if they neglect then straightaway change your ISP.

21. Regularly Check your Internet Speed

Check whether you are getting the internet speed package, you bought from your ISP. A less than 5 Mbps of current speed is acceptable but if it is more then you must call your ISP to look into the problem.

If in case, ISP did not look into the matter then change your ISP. They are ripping your money without giving you the up-to-mark performance. There are lots of better ISPs and it changes from place to place. You must check for the best ISP near you and choose a better plan from them.

22. Change Old Routers into Repeaters

This method is only for those people who have an extra router at their home. You can convert that router into repeaters to boost your WiFi speed by increasing WiFi signal strength. You will need to check whether your router supports the connection type as a repeater or not.

In case it does not support then you will need to install custom firmware in this method too to change the router into a repeater connection.

You can read this article by LifeHacker which explains how to extend WiFi networks using old routers easily. Just note that installing custom firmware is a little bit risky. You must read all the warnings before installing any custom firmware in your old router.

23. Get an Ethernet Cable

The minimum required bandwidth to play most online games is 3 Mbps. If your WiFi speed is above 3 Mbps but you’re still experiencing lag and ping issues, then the next best thing is to not rely on your Wi-Fi at all, but an Ethernet cable.

Take note, however, that this method only works for PCs. By connecting an Ethernet cable to your router, you’re allowing your device direct access to your network.

More often than not web expert Echo Brown says that you’ll reach your promised speeds at a consistent rate for hours of unlimited. There are no issues like signal interference, congestion, etc in ethernet cable which in turn leads to a lag-free gaming experience while playing online games.

Boost WiFi Speed for Gaming – Related FAQ:

Below are our answers to some of the frequently asked questions by people regarding the “how to boost WiFi speed for gaming” topic.

Final Words

Regardless of your initial connection speed, everybody deserves the best gaming experience possible. Fortunately, with a bit of calibration and changes in your setup, WiFi lag will be the least of your problems. 

I hope that you were able to boost your WiFi speed for gaming by following the above-mentioned methods. In case, if you are facing difficulty while implementing the above methods then you can comment below your Anydesk or Teamviewer ID. I will practically implement the settings in front of you.

Share the article with your other friends who want to improve their ping in online games by boosting up their WiFi speed.