If you play just about anything online, you know that high ping is one of the most frustrating things that can happen. It’s such a buzzkill and can make even the best of games utterly unenjoyable.

However, there are ways to fix this, apart from upgrading your hardware, obviously. In this article, we’re going to take a look at eight possible ways you can fix high ping issues in Windows 10.

8 ways to fix high ping on Windows 10

You can try any of the following eight ways to fix high ping on your Windows 10 PC. If one doesn’t work for you, try another.

Common router issues

There could be a few common router issues at play behind your high pings. If you’re on WiFi, try getting a bit closer to your router for a better signal and hence a more stable connection.

Also check the number of devices on your network. Crowded networks often lead to higher ping. It’s also a good idea to restart your router. 

Use Ethernet

Wireless networks can cause a lot of issues while gaming. For best results, it’s always recommended that you use a wired connection straight from your router when playing games.

Not only will this give you a more stable internet connection, this will also eliminate things like speed drops when there are a lot of users on your network. 

Also read: How to check which Motherboard you have in Windows 10?

Check your network usage

Use the task manager to keep an eye on what processes are eating up your network bandwidth and close them when you’re playing games online. This is, by far, the simplest and most effective way for you to reduce your ping. 

Follow the steps mentioned below to check your network usage using the Windows task manager and potentially reduce the high ping issue plaguing your machine.

Step 1: Press CTRL + ALT + DEL on your keyboard to open the task manager. Alternatively, you can right-click your taskbar and open it from there. 

Step 2: Then click on More details.

Step 3: Take a good look at the Network row. Close any processes that might be eating up your bandwidth, with the exception of system apps. 

Also read: How to install Rainmeter skins in Windows 10?

Disable/Limit Automatic Windows Updates

Windows 10 keeps on automatically downloading updates in the background and this can eat up a lot of your available bandwidth. 

Now there are two ways you can go about this:

• Set a bandwidth limit on Windows updates
• Set your connection as metered (only works if you’re on WiFi) 

Here’s how you can limit bandwidth for Windows updates

Step 1: Press Windows Key + I to go to Windows settings. Then click on Update & Security.

Step 2: Click on Delivery Optimisation in the left side menu. 

Step 3: Click on Advanced Options.

Step 4: Select Percentage of measured bandwidth under Download settings. Now you can set how much of you available bandwidth can Windows use to download updates in the background and foreground. 

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Setting up a metered connection

Alternatively, you can also choose to set your connection as a metered one. Under metered connections, Windows does not download any updates or uses the network in the background. Keep in mind though that this will only work for WiFi networks (including personal hotspots). 

Step 1: Press Windows Key + I to go to Windows settings. Then click on Network & Internet.

Step 2: Here you’ll be able to see all connected networks. Click on the Properties button under your WiFi network. 

Step 3: Scroll down and switch on the Metered connection setting. 

Now when you’re done gaming, you can either switch to another network to download updates or simply toggle the setting back off again. 

Also read: How to hard reset Google Home Mini? 

Disable network throttling

Windows 10 has an in-built setting that limits your network’s bandwidth to what your PC can handle. If you’re on an older machine, this can do more harm than good. 

You can play around with this setting in the registry editor to see if it helps your issue.

Step 1: Press WIndows Key + R to open the Run dialog box. Type in regedit and hit enter. 

Step 2: Navigate to the following registry key

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Multimedia\SystemProfile. 

You’ll find a key called NetworkThrottlingIndex. 

Step 3: Double-click the key to edit it and change the Value data field to ffffffff . Then click on the OK button.

Also read: How to change MAC address on Windows and Linux?

Do a Windows 10 Network Reset

If the methods above fail, you can try a network reset as a last resort. Here’s how.

Step 1: Press Windows Key + I to go to Windows settings. Then click on Network & Internet.

Step 2: Scroll down to find the Network reset setting. 

Step 3: Windows will give you a rundown of what will happen when you reset. Simply click on the Reset now button to start the process. 

Also read: How to change Google Home Mini’s voice?

Upgrade your hardware/internet plan

If any of the seven methods above don’t make a difference for you, you’re going to have to make some upgrades. Try upgrading to a better router, or more importantly, get on a plan that offers better speeds and greater bandwidth. This is guaranteed to improve your ping and online gaming experience. 

Also read: How to get Android notifications on Windows?