How To Choose The Best Broadband For Gaming

Online gaming and streaming live games have quickly acquired appeal as a professional employment option among young people. If gaming is your interest, you are certainly aware of the significance of a lag-free gaming experience. However, for a seamless online gaming experience, it’s crucial to have fast internet and the proper router selection.

You may have paid for the best and quickest internet plans available from your Internet Service Provider, however, it’s quite likely that you aren’t happy with the speed and the ‘lost connection’ sign keeps interrupting your game.

This is because selecting a strong internet service for gaming could be more difficult than it appears. When selecting a fast internet connection, you look at the greatest value for money that a particular service provider may provide you in regards to what is being presented as face value; however, there is a bit more that has to be considered when selecting an internet connection for your gaming requirements.

In this article, we’ve mentioned some things to consider while choosing the best broadband for gaming, and some of the top internet service providers in India.

You don't need business-speed internet to play games smoothly, but you do need at least 15-20Mbps if you want a seamless gaming session.

Factors To Consider While Choosing The Best Gaming Broadband In India

Right from the type of broadband connection to the placement of your router, there are a lot of things to consider while choosing the best broadband for gaming. We have listed the most important factors below.

1. ADSL vs. Fibre: Which One Is Better For Gaming?

When deciding on the finest broadband for gaming, you must decide if you want a fiber or copper connection. This selection is frequently influenced by the delivery system provided in your region.

ADSL broadband

ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) broadband connects to the internet through standard copper phone lines. While ADSL is easily obtainable and reasonably priced, copper lines are prone to breakage and cannot offer the speeds that fiber can.

While fibre may provide download rates of up to 330Mbps, many ISPs promote ADSL at speeds of up to 8Mbps. Latency will be raised as a consequence of instability and slow connection rates, reducing your game experience.

Fibre broadband

Fibre broadband is available in two varieties: FTTP (Fibre to the Premises), where an internet connection is supplied directly to your house through entirely fiber-optic lines, and FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet), which utilizes a combination of copper and fiber connections.

For internet gaming, a fiber broadband connection, whether FTTC or FTTP, is considered to be the superior option. It gives greater upload and download speeds and is usually regarded as more dependable than a copper connection - which together help to minimize ping rates.

Nevertheless, it is important to note that fiber broadband will be significantly more costly than ADSL, specifically if you choose FTTP. Furthermore, fully-fibre connections are not yet generally accessible in India; you may discover that copper is the only choice available in your region.

2. Wired Vs. Wireless Broadband: Which One Is Better?

When looking for an internet service for your gaming requirements, you should look at the approach your network operator uses to deliver the internet connection to your area. A wired connection is usually preferable than a wireless connection since wireless connections use the airways to reach you.

The issue here is that a wireless connection doubles latency due to the “no wires” catch. As a result, opting for a wired connection for your gaming needs is always the preferable alternative.

3. Try To Avoid ISPs That Provide Limited Data Usage

ISPs will frequently provide a broadband service with limited internet use, restricting the amount of data you could download. Whilst it typically results in lower prices, it would be less than ideal for avid gamers who often engage in online gaming. In addition, while physical versions of games are still prominent, many people prefer to download them immediately. However handy, many games need a lot of data and can easily push you beyond your limit.

Furthermore, game streaming sites, like Google Stadia, are notable for using a considerable amount of data, fast pushing you over your allotted limit.

There are several methods in which providers might control your internet use and penalize you for breaching it. Some may levy large fines, while others may restrict your bandwidth, resulting in a slower connection – and hence a higher ping rate – if you exceed a particular amount of data. In general, while looking for broadband for gaming, go for one that does not have an usage restriction.

4. Don’t Combine Multiple Services

Resist signing up for several services on something like a single line while looking for a gaming connection for your internet demands. Many providers now provide 3 in 1 or more services including TV, telecommunications, and internet access, and although this may be extremely appealing due to the total reduced package pricing for all these services, your latencies and online connection times may suffer as a result.

In certain situations, this issue arises when most of these services are being used at the same time, blocking the total bandwidth of the internet, and when this occurs, your latency and online connection times will suffer. So, if feasible, aim to have separate lines for various services as well as avoid having several services on a single line.

5. Ask Your Neighbours About Their ISP

The strength of your internet connection is greatly influenced by its location. Even if your neighbors aren't gamers and so have different bandwidth needs, it's still useful learning about the service they use and their experiences.

If they only use the internet for general surfing and social networking sites browsing and also may have some major connection issues, you can practically ensure that said provider would not be able to accommodate your specific broadband needs as a gamer.

On the other hand, if they can suggest an ISP that they have found to be dependable and that provides extensive customer assistance, this will be an excellent beginning point in your hunt for a new internet provider.

For a better experience, move your computer or console closer to your router to optimise your WiFi signal and line of connectivity.

Common Factors To Check For Fast-Speed Internet

Besides the factors noted above, there are a few more things to consider when selecting a broadband plan for high-speed internet in general.

1. Speed – The speed of your broadband connection influences how quickly your material is delivered and might be influenced if more than one user is connected to the network at the same time. You should aim for at least 50Mbps while playing online games on your PC or loading games to your device.
2. Latency and Ping - Latency is the time it takes between data input (such as clicking the mouse) and the data arriving at the server. Latency is measured in milliseconds using ping. Gamers desire a low ping rate, which results in minimal latency - less than 20ms is preferred. Reduced ping and latency imply less lag and better gameplay, which can spell the difference between victory and defeat in certain games.
3. Dropping Packets - Packet loss occurs when data is sent over a network and also some packets of data are lost along the route. When you're playing a game, the data doesn't move as smoothly, resulting in a choppy effect. Some service providers handle packet loss more effectively than others.
4. Traffic Management — During busy hours of each day, many ISPs will control internet connections to ensure everyone gets comparable speeds. If you can only game throughout peak periods, your connection may be somewhat slower, allowing your neighbor streaming a movie to have roughly the same level of speed as you. Check to see whether your ISP offers a high-end subscription that excludes you from traffic management.
5. Downtime - While downtime is inevitable, a company's customer service reaction to downtime can be decisive. Check the reviews, question neighbors, or look at the annual survey online to get a sense of your ISP's company reputation.
6. Contention Rate - The number of individuals utilizing the same network connection at the very same time is referred to as the contention rate. The weaker the connection becomes as more users connect to the very same network. When it comes to gaming, you need a broadband provider that isn't currently serving a large number of users in your region.

Top 10 Broadband Providers For Gaming

With so many internet providers around the country, deciding which one provides the most data has become a challenge. Nearly every single major telecom provider provides large amounts of data, which should be plenty for gaming.

Amidst so many service providers to pick from, there is a lot to think about and consider before making a decision. Hence, once you’ve carefully analysed the pointers mentioned above, it’s time to pick the right ISP to get fast-speed internet for gaming.

The top ten internet service providers who offer really limitless internet access are listed below.

1. Airtel Broadband
2. Excitel Broadband
3. MTNL Broadband
4. SITI Cable Broadband
5. Spectra Broadband
6. BSNL Broadband
7. Gigatel Broadband
8. ACT Fibernet Broadband
9. You Broadband
10. Hathway Broadband

Conclusion

Now that you know how to select the right broadband provider and who are the top providers in India, nothing can stop you from choosing the right ISP for seamless gaming. So, with nothing holding you back, go win!