Is 200 Mbps Enough for Your Gaming?

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How much broadband is your internet service provider giving you? 100, 200, or more? Is 200 Mbps good for gaming? Will the game stall? Here is a proper guideline on how to improve your gaming experience.

What is Mbps?

Mbps means Megabits per second. This is the measure of the internet bandwidth (download rate of your internet connection).  For example, 1Mbps=128kB/S. It determines the maximum speed at which you can download data from the internet. The higher the Mbps, the faster the download rate.

mbps overview

This not only applies to getting files into your local device but also the rate at which you browse the web. On the other hand, MBps means megabytes per second. This is the amount of data transferred to your device.

Internet speed is one major factor when looking for ideal internet plans. The internet speed is determined by how much data the connection can download or upload. Mbps speeds are best suited for what we use the internet for. Upload speeds come into play when video conferencing and uploading files to a server.

The Impact of Mbps on the Game

The game mainly looks at two numbers, FPS and Ping. FPS is the number of frames in the game, which is mainly determined by the hardware of the computer. Ping Rate is the delay of the game. A 200Mbps network speed is theoretically not too low for pings, but if the network fluctuates when more people are using it, it can cause pings to rise.

Impact of Mbps on the Game

As a regular gamer, getting the best internet deals will prevent you from lagging and enjoy multiplayer video games. Game lag can be caused by slow download speed, upload speed, and latency. When accessing the bandwidth, you need to assess the three factors for the best experience.

  • The download speed is the speed at which information travels from the specific server to your console. The most ideal internet download speed for gaming sessions is 3Mbps but can fluctuate depending on those playing.
  • The upload speed is the rate at which information is uploaded from a device to the server. For gaming, you need fast internet upload speeds, since you are continually sending info from your gaming device to the server as you play. In multiplayer gaming sessions, you will need more upload speed.
  • Latency or ping rate – The latency is the speed at which your device communicates with the internet server and is measured in milliseconds. The higher the number, the slower the game will be. Hence it should be lower than 150ms.

Is 200 Mbps Good for Gaming?

Some online games, such as LOL, generate a small amount of traffic during the game, perhaps 40MB -60MB per round. If your device is running at 200Mbps bandwidth, it will be fine, but you will need a stable connection.

200 Mbps for Gaming

For webpage games, we need to load a large number of maps. Hence, the need for faster load speed since at the beginning we will need to use the network speed to download resources. 200Mbps is enough for most online games or PC games but may be slow for downloading game files from steam. However, it won't pose an issue when you are playing or streaming a game.

During gaming, what matters most is ping or latency. You can try to get a fiber or cable connection. However, try to avoid DSL which can cause lagging behind hence a bad gaming experience. The more bandwidth you get the better. If you are struggling with gaming speed, look at the devices connected to the WiFi when you start gaming and see if you can temporarily disconnect.

Internet Speed Test

Internet Speed Test

You can use the speed test website to determine whether your actual internet speed matches what your Internet Service Provider carrier is offering you. Simply open the website and it will provide details of your internet service provider, server, and connections.

You even get the opportunity to download the software and use it on your local device. Fortunately, you can use it when gaming to know how strong your internet speed is.

How Do I Get Faster Internet Speed?

You may be wondering about the best way to get faster internet speed. These are some of the procedures you can take to get a faster internet connection.

  • Use an ethernet cable rather than a Wi-Fi network

ethernet cable

If you are playing on your laptop using a WiFi network, it is recommended that you use an Ethernet cable to connect directly to your laptop. This will help your device be faster if you are using Wi-Fi with multiple people.

  • Switch to a faster router

Switch to a faster router

If your network has been upgraded and your router is some years old, it probably won't be able to handle fast data transfers. For internet speeds of up to 200Mbps, it theoretically requires a gigabit router. Moreover, you can reposition your router and see whether that will make a change to the internet speed.

  • Reduce latency by modifying DNS

change dns settingIf you know that the game server you are playing is in a certain region, then modifying your computer's DNS to that region will give you slightly faster speeds. The DNS is the domain network service. The DNS is what lets users connect to websites using domain names rather than IP addresses.

  • Buy a game accelerator

game accelerator

More importantly, accelerators can help stabilize the ping rate, connecting you to a server that is fast enough to bypass other blocked network lines.

  • Consider your data cap

limit internet usage

Data caps are culprits of slow internet speeds They limit the data that you can use in a month, hence can easily restrict your internet speeds. This can even be a hindrance to great gaming experiences. Always check the data policy of your internet service provider to know their data limits for the package you take.

  • Install viruses and malware scanners

install anti-virus

You need to install anti-virus and malware scanning software to scan your device for any kind of viruses.  Once you note a virus, get it removed for faster browsing. You can install a clear cache plugin to ensure your browsing becomes faster. This will help boost your gaming experience on various websites.

Final Thoughts

The internet speed may fluctuate because of the internet service provider, connection technology, location of the data, and time of the day. The ISP can affect the internet speed because they manage the data flow so can either decide to speed it up or slow it down. The technology used can affect because if it is a fixed-line it will be slower than 3G, DSL, and fiber. Hence, using an Ethernet cable can be the best alternative. The location and time of the day can affect depending on how many users are using the same internet network connection at a time.


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