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How to Reduce Latency & Fix Ping

The ultimate step-by-step guide to achieving the lowest possible latency and eliminating lag spikes.

20 min read Updated Dec 2025

Table of Contents

1. Hardware: Ethernet vs Wi-Fi

Before making any software changes, we must address the physical connection. Wi-Fi is incredibly susceptible to interference, packet loss, and jitter.

The Golden Rule of Gaming:

Always use a wired Ethernet connection (Cat5e, Cat6, or Cat6a cables). If your router is too far, consider a Powerline Adapter or MoCA adapter instead of relying on Wi-Fi repeaters.

2. Change & Optimize DNS Servers

Your ISP's default DNS servers are often slow and can route you poorly to game servers. Changing them to faster public DNS servers can slightly improve matchmaking times and routing efficiency.

How to change DNS in Windows:

  1. Press Win + R, type ncpa.cpl and press Enter.
  2. Right-click your active network connection (e.g., Ethernet) and select Properties.
  3. Double-click on Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4).
  4. Select "Use the following DNS server addresses".

Best DNS Servers for Gaming:

  • Cloudflare (Fastest): Primary 1.1.1.1 | Secondary 1.0.0.1
  • Google (Most Stable): Primary 8.8.8.8 | Secondary 8.8.4.4

3. Configure Network Adapter Settings

Windows configures network adapters for energy efficiency by default, which introduces latency. We need to configure them for maximum throughput.

Device Manager Tweaks:

  1. Right-click the Start button and open Device Manager.
  2. Expand Network adapters, right-click your active adapter, and select Properties.
  3. Go to the Advanced tab and change the following:
    • Interrupt Moderation: Disabled (Lowest latency, slightly higher CPU usage)
    • Energy Efficient Ethernet / Green Ethernet: Disabled
    • Flow Control: Disabled
    • Wake on Magic Packet: Disabled
  4. Go to the Power Management tab and uncheck "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power".

4. Network Reset (CMD Commands)

Sometimes, Windows holds onto corrupted network cache data. A simple reset can eliminate bizarre lag spikes.

# Open Command Prompt as Administrator, then run:

ipconfig /flushdns
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset

Note: You must restart your PC after running these commands.

5. Stop Background Bandwidth Hogs

A single background update can instantly ruin your ping in a competitive match. Ensure these are disabled while gaming:

  • Windows Delivery Optimization: Settings → Windows Update → Advanced options → Delivery Optimization → Turn OFF.
  • Steam/Epic Games Downloads: Ensure "Allow downloads during gameplay" is unchecked in launcher settings.
  • OneDrive/Google Drive: Pause syncing manually before opening your game.

6. The One-Click Solution: XNRL Tweaks

The guides above are just the surface. Lowering latency to a professional level requires deep Windows TCP/IP parameter editing (like TCPNoDelay, TcpAckFrequency, and disabling Nagle's Algorithm) which can be dangerous to do manually. Our software handles this perfectly with a single click.

Custom TCP/IP Optimization
Nagle's Algorithm Disabled
Network Adapter Tuning
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