5 Tested Ways To Reduce Team Fortress 2 High Ping & Network Lag

Team Fortress 2 is a first-person shooting multiplayer game that was developed and published by Valve Corporation and released in 2007.

It is the continuation of the 1996 Team Fortress mod for Quake and its 1999 remake Fortress classic.

Team Fortress 2 game high ping brings about so much discomfort to the gaming experience, which makes the game lag and ultimately affects players’ experience.

A lot of TF2 users get frustrated by the delays they experience in server connection which often causes game characters to perform unimpressively.

However, just as we guided as regards TF2 packet loss, some ways out of this will also be discussed to bring comfort and a big smile to the face of Team Fortress 2 lovers.

Why is my ping so high in Team Fortress 2?

Ping is the measurement of the entire flow of a data signal. Having a high amount of this signal in a computer system will make the network lag and this can be a result of these four factors:

➡️ Insufficient bandwidth

➡️ Poorly configured router

➡️ Poor Internet connection

➡️ Malware threats

➡️ DNS Server Address Connection

How to fix high ping in TF2?

There are a few approaches to solving Team Fortress 2 high ping. We look at some of them and how you can go about trying them.

1. Try a reliable VPN

Top VPNs have been proven to work well not only in protecting data and online privacy but also in reducing connection high ping while streaming, surfing, or gaming online.

In solving the issue of high ping with TF2, you can go for Express VPN. It is a paid VPN service that offers numerous servers in 94 countries, plus advanced technology with AES-256 encryption.

In using Express VPN or any other paid VPN, it is important to connect to a server before going ahead to play the game.

You have to connect to a virtual network and would be able to use a personal address unique to you alone.

Congestion is out of it and a free and fast flow of traffic is guaranteed, everything being equal.

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2. Free up bandwidth

One of the reasons you may find high ping in team fortress 2 is because of poor and insufficient bandwidth. It is important to have enough bandwidth when playing online games.

Connection to the TF2 server requires sending and receiving data, which tells about the agility of characters and the load speed of the game.

When you look into the issue and close all unnecessary applications in the background, you will have greater bandwidth and higher performance.

3. Check the router

Router connections are often an issue for high ping in TF2. Check your router and make sure it is properly configured. It helps to move it closer to your PC as well, to reduce proximity.

You may find an improvement in game load speed and general performance when you have your PC closer to the router. However, as much as you explore this option, ensure the router configuration is intact.

4. Change DNS Server Address

This short guide takes you through changing your DNS server address:

1. Go to Control Panel in Windows settings.
2. Click Network and Internet.
   
3. Then Network and Sharing Center.
   
4. Go to Properties.
5. Click Internet Protocol Version 4.
   
6. Select Use the following DNS server addresses.
7. Choose 8.8.8.8. as the preferred DNS Server.
8. And as alternative, choose 8.8.4.4.

Network glitches can be a result of server address connections. You can change your DNS address to see if it solves team fortress 2 high ping.

 However, the Internet connection speed is one of the factors that comprise the quality of ISP, a higher connection speed allows sending and receiving of data. Most times, a wired connection.

5. Scan for malware

Malware and miners can be a reason for experiencing high ping in team fortress 2. Since the game needs every space it could possibly get, malware and miners will only contribute to making it lag.

You should run a malware scan and eliminate every miner on your computer. This is like clearing your PC off every unnecessary and even harmful content that may have found their ways through files and other content downloads.

Interestingly, a VPN service helps you avoid things like this, with VPNs like Express VPN offering a smart DNS address feature, you can have a unique address that no one else uses.

In addition, the server chosen for the system should be geographically closer, because it will reduce the amount of time it takes for the data packets to travel between the system and the server. Doing this will lower your in-game ping.

What is a good ping in TF2? 

Ping is measured in Milliseconds (ms), and the closer the ping is to zero, the better the game performance. For example, 20ms is a very good ping for Team Fortress 2.

Having a below 100ms ping is below average and may pose a few frustrations, but gamers will still be able to access the game and proceed in its stages.

However, it’s important for fanatics of Team Fortress 2 to know that a high ping will cause delays, even when all things are equal, as regards bandwidth, malware existence, etc.

You should also know that 150ms pings are considered worse and may bring about a frustrating gaming experience.

 Conclusion 

High ping has been giving tf2 gamers a lot of displeasure and taking away the extreme fun of the game.

If players who experience high ping explore some of our solutions here, they are likely to solve the issue in minutes and resume their awesome game online.

However, this may always not work for everyone. How are you going about it and what is your experience? Feel free to share in the comments section.