Ping remains high after installing a new router.
Ping remains high after installing a new router.
Hello everyone, I've upgraded my network using a TP-Link Ax1500 router, but I'm experiencing inconsistent high ping during video games. The ping fluctuates between 90-100, which is typical for me, or it can spike to 230-240 and then drop. This happens randomly throughout the day. Sometimes logging into the game works fine, other times it's problematic. I've tested with my old TP-Link WR740N and it consistently shows a normal 90-100 ping. I'm not sure why a router is affecting this performance. My setup includes an FTTH router from my ISP, connected via Cat 6e cable to the new Ax1500 router, then to another Cat 6e cable, and finally to my PC. If I replace the Ax1500 with the WR740N, the ping returns to normal, and bypassing the second router also resolves the issue.
I think the updated router slows down handling and sending data before forwarding it. Why avoid connecting your computer straight to the ISP modem? The key factors are cable length or fiber distance, the number of intermediate devices like routers, and how busy each device is. Packet processing time also depends on network traffic overall.
i didn't connect directly because i still need wifi 6 at home. this is why i purchased the ax1500. the isp router has three outputs: one used by another pc, another by my own router above, and a third reserved for their iptv feature which won't be reused for just internet. believe me, i asked for it—haha. as for "ping factors," they're the same in both setups. i'm using identical cables, there are always two routers between my pc and isp, so i just swap the second one.
I mentioned earlier that the second router might be slower at handling data. Check its CPU usage—does it run in bridged mode to prevent double NAT? If this were my setup, I’d arrange it so it resembles this: This eliminates the need for two routers for devices that don’t require Wi-Fi (you could swap it for a basic access point, which doesn’t need DHCP or similar features). The details about cable length were more general. Most of the cable runs outside your home and is owned by different ISPs. The same applies to the many hops between you and the game server. If you send a ping to your own devices, the response time should usually be under 1 ms. The bulk of the delay happens between your ISP and the game server’s ISP (for example, test the modem’s IP). That suggests any extra 100 ms from a home device likely indicates a problem. At least if we’re using cat 6 Ethernet rather than Wi-Fi, there should be fewer issues.
Resolved the problem by connecting my PC directly to the ISP's router using a Cat6 cable. I moved the router closer to the other PC that doesn’t require ping. Plugged a new router into the ISP router for Wi-Fi, and connected the other PC to it for internet access. Probably needs to check what TP link support offers regarding this setup. Still unsure why this happens.
Ensure the new router supports an Access Point mode. Using it as a secondary router may lead to problems like devices missing each other's networks and reduced performance in games from double-NAT.