Internet gaming has increased over the years and is now no longer something that you just do on the computer. The world of internet gaming has expanded with the new gaming consoles which connect to your broadband. If you are a big gamer then you need to get yourself a broadband package that can cope with the rigorous demands of internet gaming. The first stop is to compare broadband speeds but this is not the only point to look at. The broadband you get should combine all the points needed for good gaming. It is also important that you look at how your gaming device will connect to the broadband.
What to look for in gaming broadband
There are 7 points that you need to look for when you are trying to find the best gaming broadband. The broadband package that you ultimately get should cover all of these. If it does not then you will have a problem gaming, which can cause serious frustration in an otherwise fun situation.
The download speed.
The download allowance.
Low broadband latency.
No throttling.
A static IP address.
Low descriptionion ratio.
No DataStream
Compare broadband speeds
The most important factor in gaming broadband is the speed of the connection. You need to compare broadband speeds in order to find the fastest one. You might be wondering why you are just looking for the fastest speeds. The fact is that you need to fast speeds to avoid lag in the game.
It is recommenced that you get the fastest broadband available. This generally means going for a fibre optic connection. Fibre optic broadband can vary in speed from 30mb per second to 100mb per second. This all depends on the provider you are looking at and the deal you are going to get. The two providers that offer the best speeds are Virgin Media and BT. Both of these providers offer 100mb per second packages. Of course you probably will not be getting the full 100mb per second but you will be getting a very similar speed. Research has shown that fibre optic connections generally get around 75% of the advertised speed or more. This means that you will be getting around 75mb per second at least. Ofcom research found that Virgin Media customers get between 90% and 96% of their advertised speed.
There is one problem you will face when trying to get these super fast broadband speeds. This problem is that only around 60% of the country can actually get fibre optics. The fibre optic network does not reach everyone and this can limit your options.
If you are outside of the fibre optic network then you will need to consider getting ADSL2+ broadband. While this will not offer the same speeds are fibre optic it is up to three times faster than the standard ADSL connections. You should not consider using mobile broadband even though the 4G network offers speeds of 40mb per second.
The download allowance
Gaming is a data heavy activity and as such you need to have high data allowances. It is recommended that you get unlimited broadband packages. The amount of data you will use increases with certain types of games. If you are playing a MMORPG then you will be using a lot of data as you connect with other players from around the world.
It is not only the actual game play that uses a lot of data. In fact there are other aspects of online gaming that use more data than the game play. These aspects are the downloading of extensions to the game and patches. If you are going to be downloading custom game components such as clothing or weapons then you will use a lot of data.
Many people consider getting high data allowance limits but not the unlimited packages. This is not actually something you should do. The reason for this is that you will have to keep track of the amount of data you have used and you could end up not being able to play your game halfway through the month.
Low broadband latency
If you are not very techie then you may be wondering what low latency is. Latency is the time it takes a packet of information to travel from a server to your broadband connection and back. The reason you are looking for low latency in gaming is lag. When you have high latency your game will lag and this can cause problems in the game play.
No throttling
When you connection is throttled your broadband speeds will decrease. This means that you will not be able to play your game properly. Throttling is usually the result of traffic management and fair usage policies. Of you use too much data without a certain time then you are punished. You will need to find out if your broadband package is subject to these policies. You also have to find out when the peak times for these policies are. The best gaming broadband packages will not be subject to these policies.
Static IP address
A static IP address allows software to find you among the millions of other computers connected to the internet. Static IP addresses are offered by providers mainly on business broadband connections. It is possible to get a static IP with the higher end home broadband packages. If you do not get this static IP then you will be working off a dynamic IP address which changes every time you log onto the internet. This can cause problems with certain software packages.
Low descriptionion ratio
Contention ratio is a fancy way of saying sharing your broadband. The ratio that you see advertised is the number of people who will be using your connection as well. You need to have a low descriptionion rate because the more people using the connection the slower your overall broadband speeds will be. Most providers will not be very forth coming with this information but you need to find it in order to get the best gaming broadband.
Sam Jones was the right person to turn to when friends wanted to know how to compare broadband speeds. He explained how uSwitch and similar comparison sites worked and they were able to get an amazing deal on high speed broadband.
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