E-Gaming is rapidly growing in its popularity all across the world and that too with good reason since it has evolved into a complete profession of its own. Gamers partake in global tournaments that act as attractive visibility platforms along with the handsome prize pools they offer. Companies and consumers both have realized the potential of this market and thus the need for high-speed internet grows.
Now an important task in this regard is to test your current internet connection if it is able to perform well in your gaming sessions. Once you know whether your connection is sufficient or not, the next task is choosing the right option. In this article, we will show you how to test your connection, what are the right options in the market and what sort of equipment can help you improve your experience. If you are really in need of a decent internet connection or if you move to a new place, you can simply google ‘internet providers in my area’ and there are several network search portals that can help you through the process of choosing a network for yourself.
Know the basics!
Before coming to the testing part, there is a number of terms you need to be familiar with. The first one is ping/latency. This refers to the time in which your device sends and receives back a signal from the internet provider. The lower the latency, the better is the gaming experiences. The next one is Mbps (Mega bit per second). Note that it is not to be confused with Megabytes which is significantly more since a single byte comprises 8 bits. Now that we have these terms clear let us move on.
Testing your connection!
There are a number of online speed tests that can help you in this regard. The most prominent name here is the Ookla Speedtest. Simply open it in your browser and begin the test with the start button when prompted. Before you click on it though, make sure that no other device is using your connection’s bandwidth. Also, try to connect the testing device through a cable for minimal disruption and latency. Now the test will perform some basic calculations and return your internet speed for downloads/uploads and your ping in the window.
Gaming internet requirements
For graphic demanding gaming titles, you need a stable internet connection of at least 8 Mbps. Whether you are securing the game-changing kill in DOTA 2 or pursuing the last goal in Rocket League, sufficient internet speed will ensure a pleasurable experience. That being said, your latency needs to be sufficiently low as well, because a high latency connection is practically useless irrespective of the fact that it offers high-speed downloads or not. Satellite internet is particularly inefficient in this regard as it suffers from high latency issues. That being said, casual gaming activities including mobile gaming can be carried out on satellite internet options. A DSL or a fiber connection should be your go-to thing for heavy e-gaming as they are capable of offering amazing speeds of minimal latency.
What speed should you opt for?
Now that you know the general gaming requirement, keep in mind that a number of next-generation titles like Diablo 4 are expected to be more demanding in terms of speeds requirements as they introduce improved graphics and gameplay options. To be on the safer end, you should try opting for a 25 Mbps connection at least and go up from there. Hard-core gamers tend to be quite involved with massive file downloads/uploads along with high-definition streaming services. For all these requirements to work in harmony, your internet connection needs to be quite dependable. The next question here is how many devices are connected to your internet at a given instance. If multiple high demanding activities are pursued, your internet connection needs even more juice. For such instances, a connection of 50-100 Mbps on average would be a safe bet and ensure that you get a seamless experience.
Investing in a good router/modem
A number of manufacturers provide modems and routers in combos to facilitate the customers. There are certain instances where your internet speed isn’t the problem, rather the router distributing the internet isn’t capable enough. Similarly, your modem should be strong enough, to receive the exact speeds offered by your internet service provided. An incapable modem might be providing half the offered speed to the router, which in turn makes the available connection operate at half of its real potential. Therefore, investing in a dependable modem and router both should be a priority. The best practice here is to choose a model that is certified for use with the ISP of your choice. You can check this online before purchase whether an offering is compatible or not or choose from a list of suggested models from your ISP’s website.
