Broadband for Gamers: Finding the Perfect Connection

Are you a dedicated gamer looking to level up your online experience? A fast and reliable broadband connection is essential for enjoying smooth gameplay, reducing lag, and ensuring your best performance.

In this guide, we look at what you need to think about when choosing a broadband package that pretty much guarantees exceptional gaming experiences.

Protip: it's about way more than just download speeds... (although they are a crucial factor!)

Best broadband for gaming: what are the non-negotiables?

An epic online gaming experience is based on a few key factors. We're calling them 'non-negotiables' because, without them, your broadband won't give you the seamless multiplayer sessions that you want.

There are four crucial factors that you need to think about when you're choosing broadband for gaming:

• Low latency/ping
• Fast download and upload speeds
• Plenty of bandwidth
• Guaranteed stability and reliability.

Together, these non-negotiables can make or break your online gameplay experience. At Future Connected Fibre, we believe our ultrafast broadband covers them all.

But what exactly do they mean, and why are they so important? And how can you optimise them to make playing your favourite game a breeze?

Gaming broadband package non-negotiable #1: Low latency/ping:

Latency is the amount of time it takes for data to travel from your gaming console or PC to the game server and back again. It's measured in milliseconds (ms), and directly impacts how responsive your game feels.

The lower the latency, the better.

Ping is a term people use interchangeably with latency, but it technically refers to a specific test that measures this round-trip time.

Low latency and good ping are essential for a seamless gaming experience, especially if you play certain type of games like first-person shooter (FPS) or real-time strategy (RTS).

Why does latency matter for gaming?

Low latency is crucial, especially for online multiplayer games, because it determines how quickly your actions (like firing a shot or moving your character) register.

High latency (or high ping) can lead to:

• Input lag: Delay between pressing a button and seeing the action happen on-screen.
• Desynchronization: When your character or actions are out of sync with other players in the game.
• Rubberbanding: Your character suddenly jumping forward or backward, making movement feel erratic.
• Missed hits: In competitive games, high latency can mean your attacks or shots miss their target even when they look accurate on your screen.

What’s a good ping for gaming?

• 0-30ms: Excellent — At these lightning-fast speeds you won’t notice any lag; ideal for professional gamers.
• 30-50ms: Good — Most players won’t notice any lag; this is an ideal speed for any type of game.
• 50-100ms: Average — You might start feeling some lag, especially in fast-paced online multiplayer games.
• 100ms and above: Poor — You’ll experience noticeable lag, making it difficult to play well (and keep your cool!)

Gaming broadband package non-negotiable #2: Fast download and upload speeds.

Download speed and upload speed refer to how quickly data is transferred between your device and the internet. These speeds are measured in megabits per second (Mbps). Both are key factors for gaming, but each one affects different aspects of your experience.

For most online gamers, a package with a balanced download and upload speed will be ideal.

If you tend to play by yourself, download speed matters more. If you play a lot of online multiplayer games or stream on sites like Twitch, you should prioritise higher upload speeds to make sure every action you take is transmitted accurately and instantly.

Why does download speed matter for gaming?

Download speed affects game updates, installations, and how quickly assets (like textures and maps) load. It’s most noticeable when you're downloading large files like game updates or streaming high-definition content.

What's a good download speed for gaming?

• Minimum: 3 Mbps is fine for basic gaming, and playing some online games by yourself.
• Recommended: For more serious online games, aim for 15-25 Mbps. If you have more than one player in your household, this figure is per gamer. This is enough to ensure smooth gameplay for everyone, even with lots of simultaneous uploads and downloads.

Why does upload speed matter for gaming?

While download speed often gets more attention, upload speed is just as important for gaming. It affects your ability to send commands and data to the game server (like movements, shots, or voice chat).

If you’re a streamer, or play a lot of online multiplayer games, a high upload speed is critical for smooth gameplay without frustrating lag or delays.

If your upload speed is too low, you may experience:

• Lag in multiplayer type of games, making it difficult to communicate or respond in real-time.
• Dropped frames or poor-quality streams when you're broadcasting your gameplay.
• Slow file sharing or cloud saving when backing up your game data.

What's a good upload speed for gaming?

• Minimum: 1 Mbps is fine for casual online multiplayer games.
• Recommended: 5 Mbps or more is best for competitive online play and streaming.

Gaming broadband package non-negotiable #3: Plenty of bandwidth.

Bandwidth is the maximum amount of data your internet connection can handle at any given time.

Think of it like a highway. The more lanes (bandwidth) you have, the more data (cars) can travel along it at the same time without causing a traffic jam. Bandwidth is typically measured in megabits per second (Mbps), just like download and upload speeds.

Bandwidth is a crucial factor in keeping your gaming sessions running smoothly, even when you have other devices online.

Make sure your broadband package has enough capacity to meet everyone’s needs, especially in homes where other people are going to be streaming 4K films or browsing social media while you play your favourite game.

Why bandwidth matters for gaming

Bandwidth is important if you have lots of different devices using your internet connection at the same time.

Even if your game doesn’t use a lot of bandwidth, other activities on your network (like 4K streaming or large file downloads) can impact your gameplay if you don't have enough total bandwidth.

This doesn't have to mean family members and flatmates. If you live alone, you might enjoy listening to music while you play. This can also eat up bandwidth and affect your average speed.

What happens if you don’t have enough bandwidth?

When your bandwidth is maxed out by other devices, you may experience:

• Network congestion: Gaming can feel sluggish during peak times, with higher latency and lag due to limited resources
• Buffering: Video streams will star to stutter or buffer if the network is overloaded
• Interrupted gameplay: Packet loss or disconnections if there’s not enough bandwidth to keep up with your gaming demands.

How to optimise your bandwidth for gaming

If your bandwidth is being stretched thin, you can:

1. Prioritise gaming traffic using your router’s Quality of Service (QoS) settings.
2. Limit other devices: Pause heavy downloads and avoid streaming during gaming sessions.
3. Upgrade your broadband package: Consider a higher-bandwidth plan if you have a busy household with gamers, streamers, and lots of online activity going on at once.

Gaming broadband package non-negotiable #4: Guaranteed stability and reliability.

While download and upload speeds tell you how fast your connection is, stability and reliability indicate how steady and uninterrupted that connection remains over time.

Stability and reliability are crucial factors for any internet connection, but especially for gamers who rely on consistency for a seamless experience.

Why stability and reliability matter for gaming

A fast internet connection isn’t any use if it’s unstable or drops out all the time. In online gaming, an unstable connection can lead to:

• Lag spikes: Sudden increases in latency that can cause erratic movement or delayed actions
• Packet loss: Missing data packets mean parts of your game data never reach the server, making your actions jerky or incomplete.
• Jitter: Variations in latency that cause unpredictable delays, making it hard to predict enemy movements or coordinate actions with your teammates.
• Disconnects: Being abruptly kicked out of a game. Seriously frustrating in regular play, and can lead to penalties in ranked matches.

What can cause unstable and unreliable connections?

Lots of things can affect how stable and reliable your connection is:

• Network congestion: When too many devices are active on your network, or your ISP’s local network is overloaded, you might experience slowdowns and packet loss
• Poor quality infrastructure: Copper-based DSL, mobile broadband (like 4G and 5G) and satellite connections are more prone to disruptions compared to fibre connections
• Wi-Fi interference: Physical obstructions (like walls) and interference from other electronic devices can weaken Wi-Fi signals
• ISP issues: Frequent outages or maintenance from your broadband provider can lead to unpredictable service.

How to test network stability and reliability

Use online tools like ping tests, jitter tests, or packet loss tests to assess your connection. Look for:

• Low jitter (<10ms): Indicates a steady and consistent connection
• Low packet loss (0-1%): Anything above 1% can severely impact gaming
• Consistent ping values: Large fluctuations in ping (e.g., jumping from 30ms to 150ms) are a sign of instability.

How to improve network stability and reliability

To improve your connection's reliability and stability, try these tips:

1. Use a wired connection: Ethernet cables offer a direct, interference-free connection that’s more stable than Wi-Fi
2. Upgrade your router: A modern router with good signal range and QoS features can help maintain a more stable connection
3. Reduce network congestion: Limit bandwidth-heavy activities (e.g., 4K streaming and downloading large files) while gaming
4. Check for ISP issues: Consider switching to a different broadband provider if you have a lot of outages or network slowdowns
5. Move your router: For a more reliable connection, try putting your router in an open, central location to minimise interference from furniture and electronic devices

For the best online gaming experience, upgrade to full-fibre broadband

When it comes to reliable broadband technology, you can't beat fibre optic broadband. This is because fibre optic cables carry much larger amounts of data than copper cables, which regular broadband uses. With fibre broadband, you can expect average speeds of around 44 times faster. Hello, lag-free gaming.

At Future Connected Fibre, we pride ourselves on being a great ISP for gaming. We're all about Radical Reliability. Our fibre network is really stable, and on the rare occasions when things do go wrong, our customer service team will get you back up and running ASAP.

Reliable service + ultrafast speeds = the best internet for gaming

For a truly exceptional gaming experience, look no further than our Future 900 broadband package.

With average upload and download speeds of 900Mbps, free installation, and a fixed rate 24 month contract (no price hikes!) it's ideal for anyone who's serious about seamless multiplayer sessions and top-notch gameplay streaming.

Visit our website to learn more about our home broadband packages, or get in touch to arrange installation.