Fixing Network Latency (Ping) and Packet Loss
A troubleshooting guide to identifying and resolving high ping, rubber-banding, and packet loss on your game servers.
High ping and packet loss are the enemies of competitive gaming. While you can't defy physics and the speed of light, you can optimize your connection routing and identify where bottlenecks are occurring.
Diagnosing the Issue: Traceroute and MTR
If players are complaining about lag, the first step is running an MTR (My Traceroute) test. This will show you every "hop" (router) between the player's computer and the GameSphere server, and identify which specific hop is dropping packets.
On Windows, you can use WinMTR. Have the affected player run it against your server's IP address. If packet loss starts at hop 2 or 3, the issue is their local ISP. If it happens near the end of the route, contact our support team with the MTR results so we can adjust our BGP routing.
Server FPS (Tickrate) vs. Network Ping
It is crucial to distinguish between network lag and server lag.
- Network Lag (High Ping): Caused by physical distance, bad ISP routing, or local Wi-Fi issues. Actions feel delayed, but the world continues around you.
- Server Lag (Low TPS/Tickrate): Caused by CPU overload on the server. Your ping might be 20ms, but actions take seconds to register, and AI/mobs freeze. Check your server's CPU usage in the GameSphere dashboard to rule this out.
The Importance of Location
The best way to fix high ping is to choose a server location closest to the geographic center of your player base. With GameSphere's 40+ global locations, you can seamlessly migrate your server data to a new region if your community shifts.