Online gaming
Author
Discussion

tobster

Original Poster:

658 posts

238 months

Tuesday 22nd December 2009
quotequote all
I've decided at long last to enter the arena of online gaming but I'm worried my broadband speed will make the experiance as much fun as poking myself in the eye with a stick.

I'm currently with Virgin and get speeds of about 2 meg. Would this be okay ?

Cheers

Toby

Steve Evil

10,821 posts

258 months

Tuesday 22nd December 2009
quotequote all
Absolutely fine. Mine is around that speed and I have no problems.

Smifffy

2,000 posts

295 months

Tuesday 22nd December 2009
quotequote all
Probably. More of an issue for online gaming is latency. Latency is not outright bandwidth (think width of your pipe) but how quickly the data travels down your pipe and back again (think speed).

It's the difference between you pressing the trigger on your online game with nothing happening for ages and getting shot by the bloke with a lower latency.

If you go to www.speedtest.net check your ping time. Mine's 60ms which is fine in my experience.

bonsai

2,015 posts

209 months

Tuesday 22nd December 2009
quotequote all
2Mbps is fine. No online games will use even close to that badnwidth.

The more important aspect is your ping, roughly speaking the time it takes for a button press on your machine to be received by the game servers for the action to be carried out.

If this is high then online gaming can be painful.

http://www.pingtest.net/

The lower the better. On some games a higher ping has less of an impact than others - depends what you're intending to play.

T89 Callan

8,422 posts

222 months

Tuesday 22nd December 2009
quotequote all
I used to play all the time with a 2mb Virgin line, was fine for Halo 3 and CoD4

tobster

Original Poster:

658 posts

238 months

Tuesday 22nd December 2009
quotequote all
Cheers guys. Will be going online in the new year.

number2301

508 posts

229 months

Tuesday 22nd December 2009
quotequote all
I used to manage with 56k so I'm sure you'll be fine with 2Mbps!

ShadownINja

80,045 posts

311 months

Tuesday 22nd December 2009
quotequote all
Smifffy said:
Probably. More of an issue for online gaming is latency. Latency is not outright bandwidth (think width of your pipe) but how quickly the data travels down your pipe and back again (think speed).

It's the difference between you pressing the trigger on your online game with nothing happening for ages and getting shot by the bloke with a lower latency.

If you go to www.speedtest.net check your ping time. Mine's 60ms which is fine in my experience.
This any good?


Am paying for 20Gb apparently.

bonsai

2,015 posts

209 months

Tuesday 22nd December 2009
quotequote all
ShadownINja said:
Smifffy said:
Probably. More of an issue for online gaming is latency. Latency is not outright bandwidth (think width of your pipe) but how quickly the data travels down your pipe and back again (think speed).

It's the difference between you pressing the trigger on your online game with nothing happening for ages and getting shot by the bloke with a lower latency.

If you go to www.speedtest.net check your ping time. Mine's 60ms which is fine in my experience.
This any good?


Am paying for 20Gb apparently.
20GB will be the amount of data they let you download before either throttling you or cutting you off... possibly.

Unless when you mention 20Gb you mean you're on their 20Mb tarriff? If that is the case then definitely have a word with the chaps in India as you are getting almost a 10th of that! And as I understand it Cable, unlike broadband, will usually give you the max speed you signed up for.

Edited by bonsai on Tuesday 22 December 17:03

M@T.R

2,187 posts

259 months

Tuesday 22nd December 2009
quotequote all
ShadownINja said:
Smifffy said:
Probably. More of an issue for online gaming is latency. Latency is not outright bandwidth (think width of your pipe) but how quickly the data travels down your pipe and back again (think speed).

It's the difference between you pressing the trigger on your online game with nothing happening for ages and getting shot by the bloke with a lower latency.

If you go to www.speedtest.net check your ping time. Mine's 60ms which is fine in my experience.
This any good?


Am paying for 20Gb apparently.
I assume you mean 20mb? Your only 18mb short if so... Unless you mean your download limit is 20gb? In which case it's ok.

RobCrezz

7,892 posts

237 months

Tuesday 22nd December 2009
quotequote all
2mb is fine. Just make sure the missus doesn't start downloading stuff while your playing or it causes all kinds of problems - like domestics.

Dakkon

7,832 posts

282 months

Tuesday 22nd December 2009
quotequote all
You should also stop downloading all that porn in the background when you play wink

ShadownINja

80,045 posts

311 months

Wednesday 23rd December 2009
quotequote all
bonsai said:
Unless when you mention 20Gb you mean you're on their 20Mb tarriff?
M@T.R said:
I assume you mean 20mb? Your only 18mb short if so...
Sorry, my mistake. Meant 20Mb.

I better have a word with them!

JamesNotJim

755 posts

215 months

Wednesday 23rd December 2009
quotequote all


Consider yourself lucky. That's is the best I can get, and I play online games with no worry.

Edited by JamesNotJim on Wednesday 23 December 13:35

RobCrezz

7,892 posts

237 months

Wednesday 23rd December 2009
quotequote all
ShadownINja said:
bonsai said:
Unless when you mention 20Gb you mean you're on their 20Mb tarriff?
M@T.R said:
I assume you mean 20mb? Your only 18mb short if so...
Sorry, my mistake. Meant 20Mb.

I better have a word with them!
Are you far from the Telephone exchange? If so that is probably the best you can get.

ShadownINja

80,045 posts

311 months

Wednesday 23rd December 2009
quotequote all
RobCrezz said:
ShadownINja said:
bonsai said:
Unless when you mention 20Gb you mean you're on their 20Mb tarriff?
M@T.R said:
I assume you mean 20mb? Your only 18mb short if so...
Sorry, my mistake. Meant 20Mb.

I better have a word with them!
Are you far from the Telephone exchange? If so that is probably the best you can get.
No idea. I guess I am, then!

RobCrezz

7,892 posts

237 months

Wednesday 23rd December 2009
quotequote all
ShadownINja said:
RobCrezz said:
ShadownINja said:
bonsai said:
Unless when you mention 20Gb you mean you're on their 20Mb tarriff?
M@T.R said:
I assume you mean 20mb? Your only 18mb short if so...
Sorry, my mistake. Meant 20Mb.

I better have a word with them!
Are you far from the Telephone exchange? If so that is probably the best you can get.
No idea. I guess I am, then!
Me too. Im on up to 16mb but only get 3mb frown

GG89

3,693 posts

215 months

Wednesday 23rd December 2009
quotequote all
You should be fine, Regardless of connection everyone will experience LAG at somepoint
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Don't know why it's saying im in Derry! Is that the server it's pinging to?



Edited by GG89 on Wednesday 23 December 18:43

obscene

5,180 posts

214 months

Wednesday 23rd December 2009
quotequote all
I got you all beat



I hate BT frown

RobCrezz

7,892 posts

237 months

Thursday 24th December 2009
quotequote all
GG89 said:
You should be fine, Regardless of connection everyone will experience LAG at somepoint
[/URL]
Don't know why it's saying im in Derry! Is that the server it's pinging to?



Edited by GG89 on Wednesday 23 December 18:43
Thats the server you choose to do the test on, not where you are.