Game at your best with Brightspeed fiber-optic internet for gaming

Your internet connection can make or break your gaming experience—but with Brightspeed Fiber, you’re always playing with speed on your side. Let’s look at a few things you should know when optimizing your fiber internet connection for gaming.

Factors that matter for gaming speed

As a rule of thumb, gamers will want an internet speed of at least 20 mbps down and 3 mbps up for online gaming, with a ping rating of 50 or lower. We dive into these numbers in more depth in our article, What is a good internet speed for gaming?

Here’s the short version of how the major factors break down:

Latency (ping)

Latency, also called ping, is the measure of how long it takes for data packets to travel back and forth between your computer and a remote server. It’s the number one factor that determines your connection’s gaming performance in most cases, and a connection with high latency can make online gaming frustratingly slow or even impossible.

Stability

On an unstable internet connection, speed, bandwidth, or latency change may change regularly. This can lead to issues like network jitter and packet loss, which disrupt the data stream and ultimately cause choppy, laggy gaming. You might also experience service interruptions, which can cost you the game instantly if you get disconnected from the server.

Upload and download speeds

Upload and download speeds matter for gaming, even if they’re not quite as critical as they are for other applications like video conferencing. Fast download speeds, in particular, are important for making sure downloading a game or an update doesn’t take all day.

Is fiber internet good for gaming?

Yes, fiber internet is the best internet for online gaming available today. Here’s why:

Ultra-low latency

Fiber internet has the lowest latency of any internet connection type. The glass fibers inside a fiber optic cable transmit data faster than any type of copper-based connection (such as cable or DSL), so you’ll get the consistently low latency that you need for gaming.

Reliable service and speed

A fiber connection is also the most reliable type of internet service. Fiber cables are immune to electrical interference, such as the kind that can affect internet service during heavy weather.

High bandwidth for multi-device households

Fiber can provide significantly more bandwidth capacity than other types of internet. While you’ll still be limited to the bandwidth specified by your internet plan, fiber is a great choice for households where multiple people often use their devices at the same time.

Symmetrical speeds

Fiber connections also offer symmetrical speeds, meaning the upload speeds are nearly as fast or equal to download speeds. This is always a plus for gaming, and it’s critically important for other online tasks like working from home.

What about other types of internet for gaming?

Cable internet

Cable internet is widely available and generally offers solid gaming performance, even if it’s not quite as fast and responsive as fiber. However, cable connections can suffer from network issues that drag down connection performance during peak usage times (such as early weekday evenings).

5G home internet

5G home internet is also popular with gamers looking for an affordable broadband connection. On the other hand, it can suffer from similar network congestion issues as cable internet, and its signal strength depends on the availability of local 5G signals.

DSL

DSL internet isn’t as fast as other types, but it offers broadband connectivity in areas where it may not otherwise be available. Many gamers play on DSL connections with no trouble, but it may not be enough for competitive players who need the split-second advantage.

Satellite internet

Satellite internet service usually isn’t recommended for gaming. These connections often experience higher latency, although they can still be functional for gaming, especially for gamers who primarily play turn-based or single-player games.

More ways to optimize your internet for gaming

Choose an internet service package that meets your needs.

A gamer who lives alone might not need as much bandwidth as someone who lives with two roommates, or with a family of four. Check out What internet speed do I need? to help you figure out what kind of connection will meet your needs, then browse all of our Brightspeed Fiber plans to find the perfect package for you.

Use a wired Ethernet connection when you can

Most gamers prefer to plug their console or PC into a wired Ethernet connection. Wired Ethernet gives your device a direct connection the network, skipping the Wi-Fi signal entirely, so it’s typically faster and more stable than Wi-Fi. It’s also easy to do: Just connect your router’s LAN ports to an Ethernet port on your device using an Ethernet cable.

Look for a router with gaming-friendly features such as:

Minimize your network load while gaming

If you’re using your network for other tasks that require a lot of bandwidth, such as large downloads or video conferencing, it’s preferable to pause these during gaming sessions if you can. A fiber-optic connection typically offers plenty of bandwidth for doing multiple tasks at once, but it’s never a bad idea to free up more bandwidth, and if you have another type of connection, keeping these tasks going while you’re gaming can seriously hinder your performance.

Test your internet speed before a gaming session.

Before you jump into your next session, use a free internet speed test to make sure that your speed and ping are up to the standards you need.
 

Not satisfied with your connection’s performance? Here’s a few things to try:

• Learn more about the internet speeds you need for gaming
• Optimize the speed of your fiber connection
• Browse Brightspeed Fiber internet plans for gaming