One of the most terrible experiences in playing a fun online game like CS:GO can be having performance or connectivity issues. These issues ruin the experience immensely, to the point of the game being unplayable. Connectivity issues mainly arise from having a bad internet connection- a high ping and/or constant packet loss. But do not worry anymore, for you have come to the right place for solution to this. It is a false rumour that the internet speed is responsible for having high ping. This guide aims to help you solve each and every source that could be causing packet loss or high ping.
To solve the problem, we must first understand the problem. A good place to start would be understanding what ping or latency is. The time it takes for the server to respond when your connection initiates a request is your ping. It is measured in milli-seconds (ms). Basically, the lower your ping is, the smoother your game will feel. Keep in mind that the range of your ping ideally should be below 60ms, though not limited to it. Some players prefer a slightly higher latency.
Fix CS:GO Packet Loss and High Ping
The proportional loss of data packets when they are being transmitted between source and it’s receiver is Packet Loss. It is measured in percentage. It is pretty obvious that this is extremely vital to having a seamless gaming experience. Loss of data packets will make your game seem choppier. Ideally, it should be 0%, although 1-2% is sometimes manageable but not recommended. If you are experiencing major packet loss, contact your internet service provider.
Alright then, lets get into the solution to this problem:
CS:GO Network Settings
It is absolutely necessary to set the network rate according to your internet speed to have better connectivity. This allows the game to effectively send data at an ideal speed. Abrupt lags and choke can be experienced when the rate is not set with respect to the speed. Use the following list to set your rate in accordance to your internet speed:-
- 1 Mbps: rate 125000
- 2 Mbps: rate 250000
- 3 Mbps: rate 375000
- 4 Mbps: rate 500000
- 5 Mbps: rate 625000
- 6 Mbps: rate 750000
Console Commands
These are some console commands that the players in the community recommend for a better experience:-
- cl_interp_ratio 2
- cl_cmdrate 128
- cl_lagcompensation 1
- cl_interpolate 1
- cl_predictweapons 1
- cl_predict 1
- cl_interp 0
- cl_updaterate 128
You can either create an autoexec.cfg file on enter these commands in the console.
Flush DNS Cache
The DNS (Domain Name System) Cache is a temporary directory in Windows inside which data on recently visited websites is stored. Mistaken entries as well as previous data can be be deleted by flushing DNS cache. To do so, follow these steps:-
- Open the Start tab and search ‘cmd’.
- Open it as administrator.
- In the cmd prompt, type ‘ipconfig /flushdns’ and press enter.
- The DNS cache has been flushed.
Network and Ethernet Cable
First of all, to reduce the load on your connection, disconnect all unwanted devices from the router. If you are having trouble with this, just change your Wi-Fi password. Although if you want to further stabilize your connection, it is advised to use an ethernet cable to connect your system to the router. This is because the Wi-Fi connection often results in you experiencing packet loss and a fluctuating ping. In the end, try restarting your router just in case there are some issues there.
Shut down background tasks and applications
During start-up, Windows may have opened some applications (for example wallpaper engine, spotify, xbox app, etc.) that are still active in the background and are using up data while you are gaming. They have a high impact on the bandwidth. This is how you can close these apps:-
- Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete to open the task manager.
- On the tabs in the window, click on ‘Performance’.
- On the bottom, click on ‘Open Resource Monitor’.
- Click on the ‘Network’ tab.
- Select ‘Processes with Network Activity’.
- Right click on the tasks that you know about and click ‘End Process’ to close the application. Avoid tampering with Network Services or programs that you don’t recognise.
Contact your ISP
If none of the above steps worked for you, it must be an issue on your ISP’s end. The server you are playing on may be too far away for a stable connection or the routing might not be efficient to the destination server.
In the end, we would like to thank you for reading this article. We can guarantee you that if you follow this guide, you will easily be able to fix any connectivity issues that you are facing. If you enjoyed this post, please read through our other guides as well.