Console gamers please help!! Problem with lag?

[sksjasams]

My DS loves to play his PS3 online with his friends. He complains anytime I am also on the internet about game lag, and lately he says he has been lagging and getting kicked from games even when I am not also on my iPad.

Can you please tell me what is likely the cause of this? We have an older computer and we also have basic high speed internet. We do have nice router that I bought last winter, so I don't think that is the issue.

I am not sure that it is worth it to me to upgrade anything, but if I did decide to, what do you think is the main issue.

Our desktop computer is several years old, runs on vista, and is probably pretty basic. Our internet service is "broadband lite" thru frontier. Their lowest service available at less than $30/mo. I think speeds are up to 1 mbps (I thought it was 1.5, but just looked it up and it says 1).

I know the internet speed sounds slow, but we are able to stream non-HD easily and it has worked fine for us as long as I stay off the internet when he is playing his PS3. Recently though it seems extra slow and as I said DS is lagging and getting kicked from his games even when I am not on online.

Could this be some sort of virus? Do we need a new computer? Do we need to upgrade our internet to a faster speed? Please help!

Thank you!!

 

[sam_gordon]

My DS loves to play his PS3 online with his friends. He complains anytime I am also on the internet about game lag, and lately he says he has been lagging and getting kicked from games even when I am not also on my iPad.

Can you please tell me what is likely the cause of this? We have an older computer and we also have basic high speed internet. We do have nice router that I bought last winter, so I don't think that is the issue.

I am not sure that it is worth it to me to upgrade anything, but if I did decide to, what do you think is the main issue.

Our desktop computer is several years old, runs on vista, and is probably pretty basic. Our internet service is "broadband lite" thru frontier. Their lowest service available at less than $30/mo. I think speeds are up to 1 mbps (I thought it was 1.5, but just looked it up and it says 1).

I know the internet speed sounds slow, but we are able to stream non-HD easily and it has worked fine for us as long as I stay off the internet when he is playing his PS3. Recently though it seems extra slow and as I said DS is lagging and getting kicked from his games even when I am not on online.

Could this be some sort of virus? Do we need a new computer? Do we need to upgrade our internet to a faster speed? Please help!

Thank you!!

I think it's an issue with your broadband speed. "Up to 1" means you will get less than that, possibly significantly. That's probably not enough to support certain online games. Whatever bandwidth you do have is going to be shared by the computer, so that means even less for gaming.

My suggestion would be to upgrade your broadband.

ETA: I'm guessing the 1mb is the DOWNLOAD speed. The upload will generally be 1/2 of that speed if not less.

 

[EMode]

My DS loves to play his PS3 online with his friends. He complains anytime I am also on the internet about game lag, and lately he says he has been lagging and getting kicked from games even when I am not also on my iPad.

Can you please tell me what is likely the cause of this? We have an older computer and we also have basic high speed internet. We do have nice router that I bought last winter, so I don't think that is the issue.

I am not sure that it is worth it to me to upgrade anything, but if I did decide to, what do you think is the main issue.

Our desktop computer is several years old, runs on vista, and is probably pretty basic. Our internet service is "broadband lite" thru frontier. Their lowest service available at less than $30/mo. I think speeds are up to 1 mbps (I thought it was 1.5, but just looked it up and it says 1).



I know the internet speed sounds slow, but we are able to stream non-HD easily and it has worked fine for us as long as I stay off the internet when he is playing his PS3. Recently though it seems extra slow and as I said DS is lagging and getting kicked from his games even when I am not on online.

Could this be some sort of virus? Do we need a new computer? Do we need to upgrade our internet to a faster speed? Please help!

Thank you!!

Is that 1mb per second? Go to speakeasy.com (or net) to check your real speed. To give you an example ours is 40 mbps and we have no problem when my ds is on the xbox and the rest of us are on our devices.

 

[Malibustyle23]

It's your internet speed. You will need to upgrade the speed. My DH plays Xbox360 and he always had issues when we had satellite internet. Since we have (reluctantly and hatefully) gone back to Comcast he has had no issues playing games and never sees a lag in videos. etc. I hate Comcast and everything about it but they do have quick service.

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

If you are playing a game where you are part of a team in an online setting remember that you are also dependent on all of the others in your group with their download/upload settings as well. Your console will only update as the information (data) becomes available so if others in the group have slower speeds this will cause lag as well.

All players information is sent to the PS3 server and then it is sent out to each player in real time from that same server. If others in the group have slower speeds, then the data will take a bit longer to update from the PS3 server that is supplying you with the "groups" locations and actions. In those types of situations your speed alone may not "help" with lag. Not sure if that explains it well enough, but I am trying.

I would upgrade my speed, but doing so may not completely eliminate the problems depending on what type of games are being played.

 

[Malibustyle23]

If you are playing a game where you are part of a team in an online setting remember that you are also dependent on all of the others in your group with their download/upload settings as well. Your console will only update as the information (data) becomes available so if others in the group have slower speeds this will cause lag as well.

All players information is sent to the PS3 server and then it is sent out to each player in real time from that same server. If others in the group have slower speeds, then the data will take a bit longer to update from the PS3 server that is supplying you with the "groups" locations and actions. In those types of situations your speed alone may not "help" with lag. Not sure if that explains it well enough, but I am trying.

I would upgrade my speed, but doing so may not completely eliminate the problems depending on what type of games are being played.

Ahhh yes. DH and his online "friends" often complain about others with their "bootleg" internet and how they are slowing down the game. He has made a circle of friends online that all have high speed. There is enough of them that they can go into a private room and play together knowing that no one can enter with slow internet and lag or kick them from the game.

 

[Albort]

another issue is how is it connected to the internet? If its on wifi, try plugging a hardwire between the router and ps3. You lose quite a bit of speed on wifi.

of course, u would need to move the ps3 pretty close to the modem... if that is even an option.

 

[ChanFO]

It's possibly your internet speed, but that might not be the issue, at least not the only one, considering he's having problems even when he's the only one using the internet. Generally my first thing to check whenever I'm noticing "lag" in my online games is to make sure my internet is not dropping packets.

In basic terms, information is delivered to someone's house in little chunks called packets. If there's something going wrong on an internet connection, some of those packets might not make it from wherever they're coming from to your computer. When a packet doesn't make it to your computer, it's called "packet loss".

Packet loss often creates a feeling of "lag" in a video game because the computer is not receiving all of the information that it needs to show what's happening on the screen. Some of the information is lost in transit, and so it will seem like your computer is "lagging behind" the action, when really it just never made it there in the first place.

A good internet connection will receive over 99% of the packets. For some video games, especially very active ones like MMOs and shooters, losing even as small as 2 or 3% of packets will make them feel laggy and difficult to play.

You can look up how to test your internet connection to see what the problem might be. Google up "Ookla speed test" and test your internet connection to see if you are getting adequate speed and are not losing packets. If you see anything odd, you may need to call your internet company and have them send out a technician.

Best of luck!