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Question

Lag Spikes with High Download Speed

Apr 7, 2016 5:03PM PDT

I have recently been noticing some lag spikes every here and there while playing games. When I say here and there, I mean me not being able to move for five seconds. This happens probably every 45 seconds. It has made games completely unplayable. My download speed is below and as you will see it is pretty high. I have a NETGEAR A6100 WiFi Adapter. While you might be thinking it is that, I am pretty confident it is not. A few weeks ago I went on a cruise for a week. Everything worked perfectly when I left. No spikes. And no more than 50 ping on any US East server. However, when I got back I hopped on Skype and started talking to a friend. All call audio would stop and pick up after about five seconds. It would not repeat what they said so I missed 5 seconds of a sentence, which could take up the entire sentence. I can't even play Brawlhalla without walking off the map on there screen. But on my side I'm trying to hit the opponent then teleport into the abyss.

Speedtest.net results : https://gyazo.com/62b6aa7e412a5d85f2cc430b517ad029

Discussion is locked

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Clarification Request
Did you test while wired?
Apr 7, 2016 5:24PM PDT

WiFi can be easily interfered with so you test wired and the WiFi off in the router first.

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Not technically possible
Apr 7, 2016 6:28PM PDT

In my situation, I am in the upper floor of my house. The router is on the bottom. The only way I could do a wired test is to run an ethernet cable either through the wall, or through the house and up the stairs. Which I don't have a long enough cable, nor would my dad want to do either of those things. If it was my choice, I would have been wired up a long time ago.

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Then that's the most likely cause.
Apr 7, 2016 7:28PM PDT

This is one well done topic. That is, wifi jittery speed as you move away from the router and through walls and floors.

Try a powerline link since you don't have a cable.

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There's one thing though...
Apr 7, 2016 7:33PM PDT

I would normally say assume that this is a good solution. However, it wouldn't make sense if it changed like that over the course of a week when nothing happened. I was gone and nothing changed, but when I got back I was getting those spikes. I don't quite understand how that would happen. And how would I go about doing a powerline link?

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The thing is
Apr 7, 2016 7:40PM PDT

That WiFi is subject to interference so unless you keep a WiFi scanner up you may never catch that neighbor intruding on your WiFi space. The open nature of WiFi means you can't count on it for repeatable performance.

As to powerline links, how about this one:
http://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Powerline-N300-Starter-XWNB5201/dp/B009WG6K66

With this one you can stay wired or try the wifi hotspot near to you.

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One more thing
Apr 7, 2016 8:00PM PDT

So the way that the power line connection works is that you plug it into an outlet near your computer and router. You then insert an ethernet cable from the router to the powerline block, then go to your computer and put a ethernet cable for that powerline block into your computer?

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Sorry if that was unclear.
Apr 7, 2016 9:04PM PDT
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Thanks
Apr 8, 2016 3:09PM PDT

I really appreciate the help, but I'm not going to say this was the solution until I try it.

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Answer
I had the same problem!
Apr 12, 2016 12:22PM PDT

I had the same problem and I got cheap powerine adapters that worked awesomely! But then they just stopped working one day :/ so don't get a cheap brand! My current setup is more ambitious and works great for me. I have a high end wireless access point in my room that has a powerful signal that transmits through the wall just fine. I connect it with my router wirelessly and then I plugged a netgear switch to the WAP and I have all my devices in my room hooked up to the switch. It works like a charm!

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When we can use powerline.
Apr 12, 2016 12:55PM PDT

The story is just like yours. Thanks for sharing.