Gaming routers

Potential-Monke

So I've been having a few ping issues on the PS5 and Rocket League lately. I think I have it figured out (it's connecting to the overcrowded 2.4GHz band, seemed grand on the 5GHz), and I'm gonna get home plugs regardless, but it got me thinking if the router really does make a big difference.

I don't play a lot of online games, mainly CoD (previously, not lately) and Rocket League, so it's not a big issue, but I'm wondering if the investment is these "gaming" routers is worth it. Most of them look hideous in fairness, which is something that could put me off it. But are they even required?

I have VF FTTH 150Mb on a 1Gb line, with the VF Gigabox which I've no real complaints, but if a better router could improve things, I could be tempted.

Anyone buy a "gaming" router or recommend something that isn't overpriced and doesn't look like an aborted giant spider? Is there a need?

dreamers75

Ethernet cable > gaming routers.

We have 4 items plugged into the router My PC, Kids gaming PC and other kids PS5 and the google nest.

The cables were worth every penny, all hidden and tidied well.

Potential-Monke

Oh aye, I'd much prefer hard wired, but the PS5 is 3 rooms away so not possible right now, thus my intent to pick up home plugs again. Was wondering if they're actually beneficial or just a fad, like "gaming chairs".

dreamers75

Potential-Monke wrote: »

Oh aye, I'd much prefer hard wired, but the PS5 is 3 rooms away so not possible right now, thus my intent to pick up home plugs again. Was wondering if they're actually beneficial or just a fad, like "gaming chairs".

We had them for poor wifi and tbh more hassle than anything getting them online.

The Google wifi thing is brilliant, I watch matches out the back on a tablet. Pricey but solved the kids whinging about wifi (plus I can cap them tru the app and prioritise my tablet )

Virgin Internet and what seems like 32 wifi devices.

Batattackrat

If it's only a few rooms anyway an electrician be able to run the cable for you.

Home plugs are decent. No difference with mine been connected to the router directly or using home plugs.

Stone Deaf 4evr

Batattackrat wrote: »

If it's only a few rooms anyway an electrician be able to run the cable for you.

Home plugs are decent. No difference with mine been connected to the router directly or using home plugs.

homeplugs are better than wifi, but still not as good as a direct cable.
The benefit over wifi is they're not as susceptible to interference from things like microwaves or whatever, but the speed might still not be as good as a direct ethernet connection.

Potential-Monke

I know they're not perfect, but they did the job in a previous house. Speeds aren't an issue, it's the latency I need to improve. I'd get it wired but not my place to be drilling holes. Someday maybe.

I've a homeplug plugged into my router with the routers radio turned off and the plug in access mode. Similar reason to you OP the router was picking up interference from about 15 neighbouring networks and speed on some devices but not others was getting dragged through the floor.

Pings and general speeds are in range of what I'd expect to see on good wireless on all devices.

Wired is better of course but just not practical in many homes.

FWIW it's the same Vodafone router.

Canis Lupus

If it works on the 5ghz then I wouldn't stress too much not that I'm any expert.

As long as your ping is good (around the 30-40 mark for an fps imo) and you don't suffer packet loss at any time (packet loss being worse I reckon for an fps than overall ping) then I wouldn't really care.

I was personally struggling for range in my house and I didn't aim for a gamery router. Just bought a decent mid range TP-Link Archer C3150 and it MASSIVELY improved the range but otherwise had no noticeable impact on latency etc. I don't live in a particularly crowded zone though and the only other home user is my partner who would just be netflixing.

Potential-Monke

Unfortunately, had similar latency issues on 5GHz last night. Slightly less latency variation, but still there. The higher pings games were in general more stable than on 2.4GHz. Gonna get the home plugs either today or tomorrow so hopefully it'll make it a bit better, that's all I want. I'm sick of losing because I'm having to retrain my reflexes in nearly every match, between acting early for higher ping games, and acting at the exact moment for the low ping ones.

Or I'm crap...

General consensus seems to be that most routers will extend range but won't affect latency much, so they do seem pointless for my situation anyway. Cheers folks!

I wouldn't even bother with the power line set up as it throttles the connection. If its for a PS5, you need it to be as fast a as possible for latency and download speed. At the very least, buy a long ethernet cable and run it through the house. Then work on hiding it. I think I've read of your living situation over the past year on here. Surely you can tack the cable to some walls and run it above doorways. Not only is it the best option for performance, its also the cheapest. I made this a priority for me last summer given the pandemic and how much gaming became a social outlet for me.

Potential-Monke

Oh it's possible, but not my house and the parents wouldn't like a cable running from the sittingroom, down the hallway and into the bedroom. While I'm more about function, they're more about presentation! Took a bit of back and forth to get them on side of letting the network engineer drill holes into the walls to get FTTH, but luckily he did an excellent job.

dreamers75

Potential-Monke wrote: »

Oh it's possible, but not my house and the parents wouldn't like a cable running from the sittingroom, down the hallway and into the bedroom. While I'm more about function, they're more about presentation! Took a bit of back and forth to get them on side of letting the network engineer drill holes into the walls to get FTTH, but luckily he did an excellent job.

Could run the cable outside the house.

<I have no idea the layout or size of your house>

Assuming Router is beside an external wall (they usually are) and PS5 is against a wall (could fish it tru the attic).

thomas 123

Powerline adapters is the way to go. You should have no issues for gaming.

Potential-Monke

And that would take too much effort and go against my lazy lifestyle. And I'd have to do it in tandem with the father, who has to be involved in anything involving the house. And we get on really well together, until it comes to work. He has his way, I have mine, and we don't agree so we don't bother!

Yes, hapes of excuses!

thomas 123

thomas 123 wrote: »

Powerline adapters is the way to go. You should have no issues for gaming.

These severely throttled my connection. Even with the best ones available. Going through the electricity wiring of the house means you are sharing with the fridge and washing machine. The difference was 5mb/s download speed versus 100mb/s on my 1gb connection.

Potential-Monke

Well, I picked up the TP-Link AV600 Pass through set, two ethernet out on the receiving end so can hook up the pc too, handy. Speed test on the PS5 only showed 80/8 from a 150/50 line (was getting 120/35 on 5GHz) but had zero latency issues all night. Every game was in the 25-35ms range and very stable, compared to anything from 35-300ms and constant latency warnings. Worth it for the €45 so far anyway.

Potential-Monke

Potential-Monke wrote: »

Well, I picked up the TP-Link AV600 Pass through set, two ethernet out on the receiving end so can hook up the pc too, handy. Speed test on the PS5 only showed 80/8 from a 150/50 line (was getting 120/35 on 5GHz) but had zero latency issues all night. Every game was in the 25-35ms range and very stable, compared to anything from 35-300ms and constant latency warnings. Worth it for the €45 so far anyway.

They will randomly go down so you'll have to reset the one by the router. It's an unavoidable bug due to sharing the LAN with toasters and dishwashers. Used to happen to me a least once a week. If anyone found a solution, I'd love to know because I couldn't.

thomas 123

[Deleted User] wrote: »

These severely throttled my connection. Even with the best ones available. Going through the electricity wiring of the house means you are sharing with the fridge and washing machine. The difference was 5mb/s download speed versus 100mb/s on my 1gb connection.

I had a slow down in mb speed but still got 50mbs / 200-300 at the router to my pc and no issues with ping at all. Guess it depends on the wiring of your house.

CatInABox

I picked up a WiFi6 router there recently, and it's made a marked improvement to WiFi speeds in the house (and outside it too, where previously I couldn't even get a signal). It's the ASUS RT-AX86U. Haven't touched any of it's more advanced features at all, but one of the more low tech features I like: you can schedule a reboot on it, so my router now reboots every night at 3 o'clock in the morning.