How to Reduce Ping in CS:GO – 10 Ways to Improve Connection

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is a real-time shooter that is demanding the quality of the network connection. The key indicator of the connection is ping – the time delay in data transmission from player to server and from server to player. The higher it is, the later the player sees the actions of his comrades and rivals, and the lower the level of convenience. It can be conditionally divided into the following categories:

Ping	Evaluation
less than 50 ms	excellent ping, no delays
from 50 to 100 ms	good ping, playable, but sometimes lags are possible
from 100 to 200 ms	high ping, delays are clearly visible, and it is uncomfortable to play but possible
more than 200 ms	bad ping, normal play becomes impossible due to large lags

How to register ping in CS: GO

You can measure the ping in CS: GO by entering “net_graph 1” (without quotes) in the console. After activating this command, a block with connection data will appear at the bottom of the screen. You need to pay attention to the following parameters:

• ping – the actual ping value (the less, the better);
• loss – the number of lost data packets that did not reach the server;
• choke – the number of data packets that did not reach the server.

If the choke is consistently large (10% or more), the problem is most likely in the server, and your computer has nothing to do with it. On the other hand, if ping and loss are high, you need to look for how to remove ping in CS: GO. Since the cause of the problem can be both hardware and software, there are a dozen solutions to reduce latency.

Change of provider

First of all, before figuring out how to remove high ping in CS: GO, you need to test the overall connection quality using services like Ookla’s Speedtest. It is advisable to repeat the measurements several times. If the results are poor, this is a reason to contact the provider with a complaint. On the other hand, if the provider has not identified any problems and cannot provide a high-quality connection, it needs to be changed.

Closing unnecessary applications

The first option, how to lower the ping in CS: GO, is to close programs on the computer that can load the Internet channel. Torrent clients most commonly do this, update downloaders, and streaming audio and video players.

Antivirus check

If closing the programs did not help and high activity in the task manager, it may be due to viruses and other malicious software. Then the best way to improve ping in CS: GO is to scan your computer with an antivirus.

Network card driver

Another method to remove high ping is to update the network card drivers. If, on the contrary, the problem arose after that, they need to be rolled back to a previous version or reinstalled again.

Configuring the router

If there are no problems with the PC, you need to watch the next link in the network – the router, since the wrong operation of the router or a neighbor who connects to your Wi-Fi and downloads torrents or watches video can raise the ping in CS GO. To prevent this, check the router settings, change the password, update the router software (if there is an update).

Priority setting

If many devices are connected to the router simultaneously, you need to distribute the priority mode since smartphones, and other family member’s gadgets that load the router can increase the ping in the CS: GO. To do this, you need to find the QoS settings in the router menu and give the gaming computer high priority and other gadgets – low or medium.

Wired connection

A good way to reduce ping in CS: GO without programs is to change Wi-Fi to LAN connection. Since the wireless range is very busy, connecting the gaming computer with a router over a wire helps improve communication quality, especially for residents of apartment buildings.

Server change

If the problem is with the server (high choke), then there is one good way to reduce ping in CS: find a server with lower latencies. You can find one using the free MatchMaking Server Picker application.

There is a way to lower the ping in CS: GO in the console, allowing you to connect only to servers with low latency. To do this, enter the mm_dedicated_search_maxping XX command in the startup parameters, where XX is the maximum allowed ping.

Ping reduction services

A paid option for reducing ping in CS GO is to use intermediate routing services that reduce latency, such as ExitLag and VPNGame. But subscribing to them costs money, and sometimes these services reveal anti-cheat, which throws them out of the battle.

A free option for setting up in CS: GO is to enter cl_updaterate 120 and cl_cmdrate 120 in the launch parameters of the commands, where 120 is the number of requests per second. It can be changed: the higher the value, the more often the information is updated, but the greater the load on the network.

Installing the antenna and amplifier

A good option for lowering the ping in CS GO if you have a modem is to install an external antenna far from the provider’s tower. It must be installed on a mast on the street, directed to the base (cards of cell towers are available on the Internet), and connected with a cable to the modem. The connection should become more stable, and the ping and losses should decrease.

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