Internet lagging refers to delay or decreased speed of the internet. The reason for the lag is usually add-on programs, the number of programs running, the amount of memory your pc has, and the condition and space of a hard disk. Therefore, spyware and viruses are the two most common causes of poor internet performance.

It becomes so annoying when you are busy doing something important and suddenly your internet starts to lag. It also makes you think about what’s wrong with the network or the system and what should be done to fix it. For that, you need to understand a few elements that are part of your computer’s connection to the internet, which can affect your work.

Here are the top 5 reasons why the ping is high and as a result, it is affecting your work while lagging in between

• Internet connection speed
• Firewall configuration
• Inadequate bandwidth
• Geographical location
• Internet service provider (ISP) quality

Internet Connection Speed

Sometimes the connection speed of your internet affects your ping. The high connection speed will let you receive or send data faster, but it will lower your ping. Whereas, slow connection speed results in high ping and makes the internet slow and the lag more noticeable. Fibre and cable connections offer the highest speeds, such as those offered by some of our top picks of ISPs including Optimum Internet Service, which provides a lag-free connection with optimal plans to support all categories of markets.

For example:  As compared to a good broadband connection, a dial-up connection with a 56k modem will have a higher ping. So, the best option is to go for a fixed-line wired connection. It will enable more consistent data flow than the other wireless connections, and as a result, you will get lower latency as well as smooth working. Also, it assures that other computers are not using the internet at the same time and taking up the bandwidth.

Firewall Configuration

Therefore, most of the data packets sent and received are checked by our firewalls, this whole process can take more time than required. In addition, it can result in a slowdown of the speed of the internet connection with a high latency to account for.

So, while reducing latency you may have to disable virus guard firewalls or Windows firewalls like McAfee, Norton, or any others. Disabling these firewalls will result in lowering your ping. These are background data-consuming apps and thus it makes their running the in the backend a major consumption of the internet speed. While other software may also be running to consume some internet speed as they work online too.

Inadequate Bandwidth

You need to make sure that you have enough bandwidth according to your requirements. For example, for streaming games, make sure you have bandwidth that would be enough for uploading. In case the bandwidth is insufficient it will result in high ping and will cause lagging during gaming. In a household, the number of devices connected to the internet, streaming services, and streaming videos or downloading large files can result in higher latency. You can run a simple test to check your bandwidth. There is this free site called Speedtest.

A network performance company runs Speedtest. It helps you to easily test your download speed, upload speed, and ping. If you are not being provided the promised speed by your ISP you can let them know and ask them to run a network diagnostic to amp up the speed.

Geographical Location

High ping or low ping can also be caused by the distance between the system and the server. Try choosing a server that is geographically close to you and you will experience lower ping. It will also reduce the amount of time taken to receive or send data because of the less travel space between you and the server.

For instance, a person living in the United States and trying to connect to a server in Germany will take more time for the data packet to travel as compared to connecting to his or her own country. The ping will also be higher in the first situation as compared to the second one. Similarly, people living in one house and being close enough to the router while making sure that there is nothing next to the router such as a closet, wall, or any other large electronic equipment like a television, which would be interfering with the signals of the router. This also helps lower your ping.

ISP Quality

Usually, ISPs do not actually offer the same features and services. Multiple factors should be considered, like speed, latency, data, availability, and price. Knowing the difference between download and upload speeds is vital. Upload speeds are more important than download speeds, especially for online gaming.

While talking about speed most ISPs refer to the download speed. Thus, you must ensure to ask for upload speed with the provider you choose and switch to one that mentions both clearly. You can check for our recommendation of Optimum Internet too, where customer support is highly helpful in determining the right fit of a plan and speed as per your usage.

For your understanding, for instance, an ISP is offering a plan with 50Mbps most likely refers to download speed. Also, consider the transmission method. They may connect you to a cable modem, fiber or LAN, or DSL. However, fiber is ideal out of all other options. In case fiber is not available then go for cable and DSL connections as they work pretty well for high-speed connections required for heavy stuff like gaming or running editing or Photoshop software.

This is all you need to know about working your way up to a lower ping with your internet connection. However, if your issues do not resolve, maybe it is best to switch your provider to a more reliable one.

Other issues in your ping and internet speed may be due to backend issues with the provider, issues with your electronic devices, and issues in the wiring. You can schedule an appointment with your ISP to ensure none of these problems is the reason for the lagging internet.