Internet Speed & Games
Your Internet connection speed affects the performance of online games in a few different ways. The performance of a particular game also depends on the speed of the game's server, and your distance from the server. You won't always see a drastic improvement in online game performance with higher connection speeds due to these other factors, but connection speed does affect a few performance aspects related to online gaming.
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Ping
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Your "ping," or latency, is the time it takes for your computer to communicate with the game's server. The lower your ping, the faster the game's server can update data, which results in smoother game play. High pings cause lag, especially in games where there is a lot of activity going on at once. For example, in first person shooters, the game server has to keep track of every player's position in any given moment, as well as the position of any non-player characters, and the trajectory of the bullets. A high ping in this type of game makes it more difficult to play because it takes more time for your computer to recognize the updated position of other players.
Download Speed
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While your download speed doesn't directly impact your game play, it does affect how quickly you can get updates and patches. Higher Internet speed means faster downloads, so if you like to play games with frequent updates, you want a higher connection speed to update the game as quickly as possible.
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Connection Speeds
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There isn't a specific minimum for the Internet connection speed you should have for online games; however, online games, such as "World of Warcraft" recommend some kind of broadband connection. AionFly suggests having a download speed of at least 512kb/s. If you're not sure what speed is suitable for a particular game, research the game by reading information from the game developer, and check gaming forums to see what speeds people already playing the game have.
Connection Stablity
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Connection stability is another major factor for the quality of online games. When you're just browsing the Internet, you might not notice if your Internet connection slows down or drops for a couple seconds. When you're gaming, your in-game avatar will become non-responsive while your computer reestablishes your connection to the game server. Wired connections have more stability than wireless connections because they are less subject to interference, but the stability of your connection also depends on how much Internet traffic is in your area, and the quality of Internet provided by your Internet service provider.
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