Gone are the days when solo online gaming was a thing. Once you have a taste of ArenaNet’s groundbreaking Guild Wars 2, you’ll never want to go back. It’s a breathtaking Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) that blows the competition away. But you may experience GW2 high ping.
Nothing good ever comes without a few issues. For Guild Wars 2, players have been experiencing high ping, which means a delay in communicating with the gaming servers.
That means, in combat situations, you quickly end up dead since your reaction time is reduced. Plus, many other operations go out of whack. But hardly any problem is unsolvable, and this is no exception.
You can easily overcome the issue based on an understating of the underlying reasons. This guide will show you how to fix high ping.
Let’s begin.
What Causes GW2 High Ping?
First, you need to understand the difference between high ping and lag.
If you’re experiencing lag in Guild Wars 2, it’s more likely a problem in your gaming rig. However, high ping is likely related to your Internet connection.
One of the typical scenarios where you’ll likely experience high ping is when your ISP isn’t offering a reliable service. Perhaps you are having high latency, slower connection speeds or network connection interruptions.
All those issues work together to cause high ping.
It may also be a fault on your end – not the ISP’s. Perhaps you’re sharing your network with too many other users. Having too many people using the same network would mean more data packets being transmitted in the same network. That can cause congestion
Related: Boost Internet on Your PC: Tips for a Faster Connection
Environmental Factors Can Cause GW2 High Ping
There could also be certain environmental elements interrupting your Internet connection:
- Are there any obstacles between your router and gaming device?
- Are you experiencing rough weather conditions?
- Are there pests in your building interfering with your network cables?
- Is your Internet infrastructure old or damaged?
The problem can go as far as the Guild Wars 2 servers. Considering that it’s a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), there could be a chance that a large number of players contributes to the high ping issue.
Related: How to improve Internet Speed Including Wi-Fi?
How to Fix High Ping in Guild Wars on Windows 10?
Considering the vast array of potential causes, it’s wise to start solving the issue from the simplest aspects before you get into costly replacements.
Follow this smart process.
1. Reset Your Internet Connection
Since this is an Internet connection issue, the first aspect to consider is your Internet connection. You can start by resetting your router and modem.
You may need to reboot your modem, and the problem will disappear. This is especially so if the issue started recently and hadn’t been there before.
Resetting is beneficial since it clears out problematic issues stored in the memory of your router or modem. Before reconnecting your Internet, try bypassing the routers, switches, and hubs first.
Connect directly to the modem to see how your game performs. If you see an improvement, the problem could lie in the hubs, switches, and routers.
2. Reboot Your Computer in the Process
Just like resetting your modem, rebooting your PC clears out any memory-storage issues. You can even scan your computer for malware and other viruses.
Viruses can interfere with your Internet connection and damage your software and hardware.
3. Check and Close Background Programs
If you have background programs using your Internet connection, they increase the amount of data packets passing through your connection. That only leads to clogging up your Internet connection.
Perhaps, you’re downloading videos, torrents, or updating Windows 10 in the background. It may even be an application you don’t know is hogging your connection.
Related: How to Download Videos from the Internet
So you need to figure out what applications are running in the background.
- Follow these steps to do that:
- Right-click on your Windows taskbar.
- Select “Task Manager.”
- You’ll see the programs currently running on your PC in the Task Manager window.
- Identify the ones using up your network connection and close them.
- You can also close the ones using too much CPU memory to eliminate lag.
4. Shift from Wireless to Wired Connection
Wired connections are a fail-safe solution. Obstacles are less likely to interrupt a wired connection than can happen with a wireless one. This means a more reliable Internet connection.
Also, the latency in a wired connection is far lower than in a wireless one. This means lower ping. While at it, check for any environmental factors affecting your Internet connection. Replace old or spoilt devices.
Ensure your Internet devices are shielded from environmental aspects and cannot be interfered with by pests.
5. Diagnose and Deal with CPU Performance Issues
Although high ping isn’t really a hardware or software issue, your computer’s software and settings can play a role in GW2 high ping. When you have low performance on your CPU, it will affect the applications you’re running, including online gaming.
Related: Do more CPU cores mean better performance?
Therefore, you must diagnose where the performance issues are and sort them out. Issues that affect performance include junk files, fragmented disks, and poor computer settings.
Fortunately, you can conveniently eliminate such problems using Auslogics BoostSpeed. The application automates your computer cleanup process to boost your computer performance.
Also Read: Speed Up Slow Computer as a Pro – Introducing Auslogics BoostSpeed 13
6. Check Your Windows Firewall Settings
Here’s how to fix high ping using your firewall settings:
- Go to the Windows search box, type “Windows Firewall,” and hit “Enter.”
- Go to the part labeled “Allow an app through Windows Firewall.”
- Click on the “Change Settings” button.
- Locate “Guild Wars 2” and check the box near it.
- Now click “OK.”
This may help fix the ping issues and play your GW2 without any problems.
7. Check Your Antivirus Software
One way to fix a GW2 high ping is to check your antivirus software. Maybe your antivirus is blocking Guild Wars 2 from accessing the Internet. Try disabling the antivirus software momentarily to see if your online game will work.
If it works, consider contacting the antivirus company. If it can’t be resolved, you’ll probably have to replace the antivirus program with another one.
Conclusion
You can check this guide to implement the steps if you want to know how to fix high ping. After sorting out the problem, take note of the issues that caused it to avoid future problems. After all, prevention is better than cure.
We recommend using Auslogics BoostSpeed to optimize your Windows PC by removing unnecessary files, disabling programs that take too much CPU power, cleaning your registry, and more. This ensures your overall computer health.
Also Read: Why do you need a VPN for gaming?
FAQs
Can CPU Performance Affect Ping in Guild Wars 2?
Ping in Guild Wars 2 isn’t dependent on CPU performance. Your ping, or latency, will be affected most by the speed and distance of your internet connection and the physical location of the game server.
What Is a Good Ping for Gaming?
As a rule of thumb, a ping of less than 50 ms is optimal for online gaming. Games perform better and respond more quickly with lower ping values. However, the ideal ping might change from game to game and player to player.
Can Using a Wired Internet Connection Instead of Wi-Fi Reduce Ping?
In most cases, the ping will be lower using a cable connection instead of wireless. Because of their reliability and low latency, wired connections are often preferred for online gaming.
What Is a Gaming VPN, And Can It Help Lower Ping?
A virtual private network (VPN) for gaming is a service that enables encrypted connections to remote servers. A VPN can improve your online safety and privacy but may not improve your ping. Due to the additional routing and encryption processes, a VPN may actually increase latency in some circumstances.
Are There Any Other Troubleshooting Steps If My Ping Is Still High?
There are a few things you may try if your ping is high. For example, verify that your internet connection is secure and that there are no disruptions in service. Also, terminate all running programs and downloads that could be hogging your connection’s capacity. If the game supports it, connect to a server geographically closer to where you are.
