Don’t let slow internet speeds ruin your game 

Don’t worry, you’re not alone – it's happened to us too. And the good news is, there are some easy steps you can take to diagnose and fix the problem. 

There's a slightly old-fashioned idea that says 15-20 Mbps is fast to game with, but we’re not so sure. As well as all the personal devices we now have connected to our home Wi-Fi networks, there are also the smart home devices, like fridges, lights, speakers thermostats (and many more) that need to use it too.  

This strain on your bandwidth could be one simple reason why your gaming is suffering. Of course, we’re biased, but we are firm believers in the power of full fibre broadband, because it gives the fastest speeds and the best reliability. And it’s especially good if you like to stream on Twitch or YouTube too.  

But whether you have full fibre or not, here are some simple steps you can take to get your broadband in better shape for gaming. 

Simple, right? And yes, it is. But you’d be surprised how many people forget to do it. They simply assume the speed they paid for is the speed they’re getting. So if you haven’t done a speed test yet, or it’s been a while since you last did, what are you waiting for?

Also, do the test a few times throughout the day, on weekdays and at weekends: this will help you know when the peak times are. Remember to pay closest attention to the download speed. If it’s 10Mbps or under, then yep, you’ll be experiencing lag when you’re gaming. 

Get our tips for an accurate speed test here

 If you haven’t already done the following, it’s well worth a go: 

• Remove unwanted devices: your router app should be able to tell you which devices are using your network. This means you can see which ones are draining your Wi-Fi for no reason. If you can’t permanently delete them, then at least consider unplugging them when gaming. 
• Replace your router: if you’re already a Cuckoo customer, you should have an eero router, which is not only amazingly fast, but automatically updates its software too. If you don’t have an eero, then you should check that your router is up to date with its downloads. Or, if it’s quite old, you might want to replace it with a new model that can handle the additional internet traffic. 

For more tips on improving your Wi-Fi connection see here

Yes, call us Captain Obvious, but if you’re gaming with an unwired connection and having speed or lag issues, you should be plugging your console into your router. Leave the Wi-Fi to all your home’s portable devices and do your gaming the kind of favour that can provide up to 10x faster speeds. And if plugging in isn’t possible, at least move your console closer to the router. 

Ping is how long it takes for data to travel from your device to an internet server and back again (a bit like sonar in a submarine, which it’s actually based on). It’s measured in milliseconds and gives you a good idea of how much lag you might be suffering from. We recommend using speedtest.net and to look out for the following benchmarks: 

1-30ms (milliseconds) – Perfect. You're all set for some serious gaming. 

31-60ms – Pretty good. There might be a small amount of lag but you probably won’t notice it.  

61-100ms – Okay-ish. But you'll notice some lag, especially at peak times.  

100ms – Wildly frustrating. Unless you want to risk throwing your controller out of the window every time you play, you'll want to look for a new internet provider who can provide better speeds (like, oh we don’t know... Cuckoo). 

We love gamers. So if your current internet provider is getting in the way of your gaming, check your address to see if we can help. Or, if you prefer, you can call us on 0330 912 9955, 8am-8pm Monday-Friday, or 9am-5:30pm on weekends and bank holidays.