How to lower ping: 11 fixes for high ping in 2026

Having high ping can be a real problem. It will make your games lag, desynchronize your video and voice calls, or buffer your videos. These nuisances can really ruin your online experience.

Together with the Cybernews research team, I found the most common reasons for high ping and found some useful fixes that will help you avoid them. Here are 11 ways to fix high ping and reduce lag.

How to lower ping with a VPN – easy steps

1. Choose a fast VPN – I recommend NordVPN, now 75% OFF
2. Download and install the VPN on your device
3. Connect to a VPN server near you, or in a location with good internet infrastructure
4. Enjoy minimal ping while streaming, gaming, or just browsing

Fix high ping with NordVPN

Why is my ping so high?

High ping can have many reasons, and to fix it, you must understand what ping is. That’s why I will list the most common issues that cause high ping during online activities below.

What is ping?

In simple words, ping is the time it takes for your device to send a message to another device, like a server, and receive a response back. It's often measured in milliseconds (ms).

If your ping is high, your device will take longer to communicate with a server. This often causes lags and delays while doing activities online.

What is good ping?

A good ping is considered under 50ms. Anything below this ensures a smooth and responsive experience.

Here's how ping affects different online activities:

• Gaming. A low ping ensures fast response times in games. The ideal ping for this activity is 50ms, while anything above 100ms can cause noticeable lag, affecting your gameplay. However, if you're into competitive gaming, your ping should be under 20ms, as this gives a competitive advantage.
• Video calls. Your ping should be under 100ms if you want your calls to be clearer and more responsive. Anything above it can lead to conversation delays or lower video quality.
• Cloud computing. Low ping minimizes the delay between your device and the server for tasks like cloud storage access or remote desktop usage. For this, your ping should be under 50ms. Anything above this line may affect real-time cloud services.
• Streaming. If you've noticed buffering while trying to stream higher-quality content, your ping is likely high. For smooth HD or 4K video streaming, your ping should be below 100ms.

What causes ping?

Many factors can cause high ping, and you must understand the reason behind it to improve your connection. Below are some of the most common reasons you might experience lag or delays in your online activities:

• Router placement and obstacles. Each concrete wall or another obstacle between you and your router reduces signal strength. For example, I noticed that when I suddenly experienced high ping, the cause was my sofa blocking the signal between my computer and the router.
• Slow internet. If your internet is slow, it takes longer for servers to respond, causing lag. This happens because your connection can't handle the amount of data being sent or received, resulting in delays.
• Software and background processes. When I have high ping, I always check for other internet-using programs. Updates, streaming, or downloads can increase bandwidth, leading to higher ping.
• Peak hours. Internet speeds typically drop 30-40% during peak hours (7-11 PM), when most people are streaming and gaming.
• Too many devices. Your ping can spike dramatically when multiple household members use the network simultaneously, due to data congestion.
• Server distance. Your ping will increase when accessing a distant server. Physical distance creates unavoidable latency for data traveling through fiber optic cables.
• Hardware limitations. Check what network hardware you're using. An older router will be significantly slower than the modern Wi-Fi 6 router. Even a partially damaged Ethernet cable can drop your internet speed from 1000Mbps to 100Mbps.
• ISP routing issues. Sometimes, the problem might be on the other end. When you try accessing a server, your request travels through different routers until it reaches the requested server. The more routers your connection passes through, the greater the potential for latency.

How to lower ping: 11 fixes

If a high ping is bothering you, there are ways to fix it. Keep in mind that not every method will work all the time, but trying them out doesn’t hurt. Below are 11 tried and tested methods to fix high ping, ranked from the easiest one.

1. Restart your router and device

The problems it fixes: network congestion, router problems, and software glitches.

The fix: A quick device or router reboot can solve the high-ping problem. When you restart your router, it can find better channels with less traffic, making it work faster. Plus, rebooting can clear out any stored data, speeding up your internet connection. Simply press that off button on your router, wait a few seconds, and turn it back on again.

2. Use a VPN

The problems it fixes: ISP throttling, poor routing paths, high ping to distant servers, and network congestion during peak hours.

The fix: A VPN offers a great way to lower high ping if it is caused by ISP throttling. Your Internet Service Provider could throttle your speeds for various reasons, including potential illegal activities on your network, exceeded bandwidth limits, and others.

A reliable VPN, like NordVPN, will reroute your traffic through one of its own servers thus bypassing your ISP’s data center and bringing the ping down.

3. Close all unused background applications

The problems it fixes: computer overload, bandwidth competition, system resource drain, and slow internet.

The fix: The CPU (central processing unit) is like the main worker in charge of making sure all the programs on the server run smoothly. Meanwhile, the GPU (graphics processing unit) helps out by doing multiple calculations at the same time, working alongside the CPU. Background apps drain CPU and GPU resources, raising ping during gaming or streaming. To lower ping, avoid updates and large downloads, close streaming services and unused apps, uninstall unnecessary programs, and restrict background data.

Here’s how to identify and stop applications that consume the most resources on Windows:

1. Enter task manager into Windows search and launch the app
2. In the Processes menu, find processes that consume the most resources in % (you can sort processes by highest and lowest CPU consumption)
3. Right-click the identified process and select End task

Note: make sure you do not terminate any important processes that are required for your operating system to work smoothly.

4. Remove unused devices from your Wi-Fi network

The problems it fixes: too many devices and network congestion.

The fix: The more gadgets linked to your network, the busier the internet traffic gets, making your game data travel less smoothly to and from the gaming server. This causes more delay and a higher ping. To boost your ping, unplug other devices from your Wi-Fi network to free up bandwidth.

5. Connect to a different game server

The problems it fixes: physical distance to server and overcrowded game servers.

The fix: While gaming, playing on a server that corresponds to your actual location should give you optimal ping. Thus, if you reside in Europe, you should connect to the European game servers. Then the physical distance between your device and the game servers will decrease, lowering the latency and ping. A reliable gaming VPN can provide a fast and stable connection, reduce latency, and improve overall performance, ensuring smooth gameplay even when connecting to servers outside your geographic location.

6. Update your device

The problems it fixes: outdated hardware and software problems.

The fix: If restarting your device didn’t help, it might be time to update it. Installing the newest updates means that any bugs get fixed, so your device’s networking abilities potentially improve as well. Just head to the updates section in your device’s settings, and hit the update button.

Here’s how to update your Windows operating system:

1. Type settings into Windows search and open the Settings panel
2. Click Windows Update in the menu on the left

3. Click Check for updates
4. Follow on-screen instructions to install updates if they’re available
5. Type device manager into Windows search and open the app
6. Click Display adapters, right-click your graphics card, and click Update driver

7. Click Search automatically for drivers (by double clicking on your graphics card, you can find the info about it and download the update yourself)
8. Select Browse my computer for drivers and use the update you downloaded
9. Go back to Device Manager and click Network adapters
10. Right-click your network adapter and select Update driver
11. Choose Search automatically for drivers or alternatively you can visit your adapter manufacturer’s website and download the update yourself, then select Browse my computer
12. After the update, restart your device

7. Use an Ethernet cable instead of Wi-Fi

The problems it fixes: signal interference, connection stability, and wireless congestion.

The fix: Sometimes Wi-Fi connection can be flaky and unstable, which might make your ping higher. Connecting your device directly to the router with a cable will ensure a stable connection. The reason is that wireless connections depend on radio waves, and there's some loss of speed when data is converted each time it's sent and received. Therefore, using an ethernet cable means data is instantly transferred through the wired connection.

8. Get an internet plan with higher bandwidth

The problems it fixes: bandwidth limitations, peak hour slowdown, and slow internet.

The fix: Since ping highly depends on the internet connection speed, contacting your ISP provider and upgrading your internet plan can do wonders for low latency. You might have to pay more, but maybe it’s worth it, considering all the lag-free gaming and streaming you’ll be able to experience. From my experience, to have an enjoyable gaming experience, the minimal requirements typically are 3-4Mbps download speed and 15-25Mbps download speed. Consult with your ISP if they can support this.

9. Change your ISP

The problems it fixes: slow internet, ISP routing issues, persistent throttling, and consistent high latency.

The fix: If the new internet plan doesn’t change anything, and especially if your internet connection speeds consistently drop in the evening, it might be time to consider switching to a new ISP provider. Do some research, choose the one that looks the most trustworthy, and hope for the best.

10. Change your router's Quality of Service (QoS) settings

The problems it fixes: resource competition, traffic prioritization, network congestion, and too many devices.

The fix: QoS is a routing feature that allows you to choose where to prioritize your internet bandwidth. For example, you can prioritize Netflix streaming, web browsing, or gaming. If you choose something to prioritize, that service gets all the internet bandwidth before any other application. But this feature only helps if your internet speed is slower, generally up to 500Mbps. The configuration of the QoS settings depends on your router. The name of the service could be different too (e.g., Device Prioritization or Traffic Control). After logging into your router, go to the Advanced section to find the QoS feature. Here, you can choose the service or application to prioritize your internet bandwidth. If you cannot find the application/service, then choose the client which you use the most for that service.

11. Get a new router

The problems it fixes: hardware limitations, outdated technology, and failing equipment.

The fix: High ping can also be related to a faulty router. If you tried all the listed fixes, but the ping is still too high, consider getting a new router.

How to find out what causes high ping?

To identify what's causing the high ping, you need to do some troubleshooting. Below, I listed 8 effective methods to test your ping. Additionally, I explained what each point means so you can identify the reason for the high ping.

1. Basic ping tests method

To perform basic ping tests, you'll need to open your command prompt. To do that, press Windows + R and type “cmd”. Here, you'll need to perform 3 different commands:

• "ping 192.168.1.1". With this command, you'll see your ping with the router. If your ping is under 1ms, your local network is running healthy. However, if you encounter a ping higher than 1ms, then there might be a problem with your local network.
• "ping 8.8.8.8". This command pings Google's DNS server. If your connection is perfect, the number will be 30ms or lower. However, anything above 100ms indicates a problem with your network.
• "ping google.com". This command pings Google's servers. The results of this command should be similar to the ones you're getting from "ping 8.8.8.8". If they're not, then you might have a problem with DNS.

2. Task manager analysis method

To analyze your system's performance, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager. Then, click on More details to expand the view.

First, check the Performance tab. If you see here that your CPU usage is under 80%, it means that your system is running normally. However, if you notice that the CPU usage is over 80%, that might indicate that your system is overloaded.

Also, check the Network tab to see your network usage. It should usually fluctuate. If you see spikes during idle time, there might be background programs using the internet.

However, constant high usage when no heavy apps are running could indicate malware.

3. Time-based testing method

You can test your connection at different times to identify if the time of day affects your ping. To do that, use an online speed test tool (like Ookla’s Speedtest) to check your ping and compare the results at different times.

Start by testing your ping during morning hours (6-9 AM), when internet usage is usually low. This will give you a baseline for your connection speed. Next, test during the afternoon (2-5 PM), as this is typically when some users are active, but congestion might still be manageable. Finally, test again during evening hours (7-11 PM), when more people are online, and network congestion is often at its peak.

If your ping is consistently higher during certain hours, it may be due to network congestion from other users in your area or through your ISP. However, if your ping is bad at all times, that may indicate a local or hardware issue.

4. Connection type test method

Since Wi-Fi is more unstable than the Ethernet cable, your ping may be different depending if you’re using one or another. Test your ping with Wi-Fi connected and then do the same with the LAN cable. If you notice similarly bad results, there might be an issue with your router or ISP. However, if you see increased performance when using the cable, the problem is your Wi-Fi.

5. Network route check method

To check your data's route to reach a server, open Command Prompt and type “tracert google.com”. This will show the path your data travels from your device to Google's servers and the time it takes for each hop.

Now you need to check during which hop you get high latency. If the ping is higher during the first hop – from your computer to the router – there might be a problem with your local network. If your ping rises during the middle hops, that indicates bad ISP routing. However, if you notice an increase in latency during the final hop, there might be an issue with the server.

6. Multiple device test method

Multiple devices connected to the same network can cause bad ping. To test if that’s the reason your latency is high, start by testing your internet connection with just one device connected. After that, connect multiple devices and test it again to see if your ping or speed changes.

If it gets worse with more devices, there might be a problem with your router or bandwidth. However, if it remains the same regardless of the number of devices, there’s a problem with your ISP.

7. Game server test method

Since games have servers located on different continents, you might experience higher ping on servers that are farther away. To test if that’s the problem, try connecting to different game servers located in various regions at different times.

If you notice that your ping is high on all servers, then the issue with the network is on your end. However, if you get high ping on a specific server, that means there’s an issue with that server, or you’re physically too far away from it.

8. Router statistics method

You can also check your router’s statistics to troubleshoot network issues. To do that, log into your router’s admin panel. You can do so by typing the router’s IP address in a web browser. From here, you can check several important details about your network, such as the connected devices, signal strength, and error logs:

• Many errors. This indicates router problems, such as firmware issues or hardware malfunctions.
• High device count. It means that there are too many devices connected at once, which can slow down your connection and make your ping higher.
• Poor signal strength. Points to coverage issues, like your router being too far from devices or interference from walls and other electronics.
• Frequent disconnects. Could be a sign of router stability problems, such as outdated firmware.

Conclusion

High ping can be a source of frustration, especially if you’re active online. It will make your games and streams lag, and make voice and video calls impossible. Even casual browsing can be affected if your ping is too high.

A good solution to fix high ping is often as simple as connecting to a different game server or connecting an Ethernet cable instead of Wi-Fi. Another solution is often getting a fast and reliable VPN, like NordVPN.

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