Connection issues are occurring. Service may be experiencing disruptions.
Connection issues are occurring. Service may be experiencing disruptions.
On my PC, when I run a Wi-Fi speed test with an Ethernet cable connected, I see 26 download and 35 upload speeds. Without the cable, the numbers are similar but slightly better on download and lower on upload. I’ve noticed Wi-Fi issues consistently on my machine, only resolving in the app when using Wi-Fi. When playing games like Fortnite while chatting on Discord, the connection drops only when using Ethernet. There are also sudden ping spikes even with Ethernet connected. It seems confusing since the device is right next to me. Could anyone help? I’ve tried various commands but nothing worked.
Let’s simplify the ideas involved. "Wifi" refers only to the wireless technology your device uses to communicate with your router. If you’re using a wired connection, you’re not relying on Wifi at all. When you connect via Wifi and use a wired link, they operate independently unless you intentionally switch one off. During speed tests, you were consistently using either method.
If you can enable a wired connection, it’s best to turn off Wifi entirely or completely disable the wireless radio on your PC. It’s important to test with just one connection type at a time. Doing both simultaneously may lead to issues.
From your PC to the internet, data travels through several steps—what you call “hops.” The first hop is from your device to your home router or gateway. You should start testing with the wired setup and Wifi off. While there’s no need for a free tool like PingPlotter, you can use command prompts to check your local IP address via “ipconfig” and see which network adapter is active when Wifi is disabled.
This helps confirm whether the problem lies in your local connection or elsewhere. If you’re experiencing issues, reviewing the graph from PingPlotter (or a similar tool) can highlight latency spikes or packet loss, pointing to the exact cause.
Clearing your DNS cache won’t improve your network speed. It only matters if your computer struggles to turn host names into IP addresses. The delay you feel between you and the wireless access point is mainly due to your connection to the ISP’s router or modem, not the game server itself. Most of that lag comes from your modem to the ISP, then the ISP to the game server. On a wired link, local network speeds are usually under 10 milliseconds for round trips. The rest is made up by all the hops in between. You have little control over this part. The optimal choice is picking a server near your location. Data sent through cables moves at about 60–80% the speed of light. If a server is 1000 km away, travel time alone adds roughly 8–11 ms. Add in delays from other routers and servers along the way, which can change the path and further affect latency. Network traffic conditions also change how long it takes to send data, leading to varying ping times.