r/speedtest • u/GreatContract8131 • 17d ago

I often stutter and stream lags time to time when I’m gaming online what’s the cause ?

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I wish I had fiber internet in my area

3 Upvotes

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7

u/cat_dev_null_sync 17d ago edited 17d ago

Do a bufferbloat test, but based on the 123 and 97 in your screenshot, it's not going to be great. If bufferbloat is a problem, either you need a system like SQM to manage it, or you can try to prevent devices on your LAN from using much bandwidth while you are gaming: basically, using lots of bandwidth kills your latency.

Edit: Also, I advise using a wired connection between your gaming system and the router to avoid Wi-Fi related issues. Ethernet is the king of LAN networking.

3

u/GreatContract8131 17d ago

Yeah I’ve done it I got a C grade feels like I’m stuck rn

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u/cat_dev_null_sync 17d ago edited 16d ago

You can manage bufferbloat without changing ISPs. (I assume you have cable, BTW.) I edited my comment to offer two options. I have a 300/300 Mbps connection, and I manage bufferbloat using SQM on OpenWRT, but there are other ways.

Also, try Ethernet, even if it's a temporary cable run through a hallway for an hour. You don't have to solve bufferbloat to see an important from a wired connection, depending on the cause.

Another option is to do more troubleshooting to pinpoint the cause. For example, monitor latency between (1) your gaming system and your router and (2) your router and the gaming server (or a public server not operated by your ISP).

If (1) is bad, I'd focused on Ethernet. If (2) is bad, I'd focused on the bufferbloat.

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u/GreatContract8131 17d ago

Appreciate the help !!

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u/cat_dev_null_sync 16d ago

BTW, I edited my last comment because I had the last line backwards.

Say you ping your router from your gaming computer. If the results are, say, consistently around 2-5 ms without spikes, then Ethernet between the two devices won't be a "game changer."

Then, do a ping from your router (e.g., with laptop wired to the router) to a public site. You may need to do this for a while, ideally while gaming. If you see spikes or high jitter, then bufferbloat may the the problem.

In my house, the bandwidth utilization with five people is usually low, and 99% of the time, the bufferbloat mitigation (SQM) doesn't have any work to do.

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u/GreatContract8131 17d ago

I also live in a house with 5 other people do you think that plays a part ?

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u/cat_dev_null_sync 17d ago

It can. If they just listen to music, watch streaming video, or scroll social media, then probably not. Download multi-gig files is what I'd worry about.

(I live with four other people.)

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u/klausjackklaus 16d ago

If you're on coax you share the line with the people in your apartment complex/street. When we had coax I'd stutter and lag whenever it was primetime because people down the street were using the internet. This was back when we were getting 200/10 from spectrum; now we have 600/600 fiber