Router Setup

A simple but effective way to configure a router a little more toward the gaming device(s) on your home internet.

Let's get in that mug

  1. Locate your router / modems model number on ze sticker.

  2. Google that shit and add "ip address login" after it.
    ie: twinksys BJ6900 ip address login

  3. Open up your browser and type in that address.
    usually: http://192.168.1.1

  4. A login page should appear, login to that beast, hilariously the login is always:
    login: admin
    password: password
    If not it'll be on ze sticker from step 1. if not then google that models default login.

  5. Open the command prompt by typing "cmd" in the taskbar search box.

  6. In the command prompt type "ipconfig"

  7. Locate your devices address at the bottom as IPv4 Address.

  8. Here's where you're on your own. Try to locate that ip address, devices name, or sometimes it will grab the name you chose for your pc. It's usually somewhere in the setup or configuration pages. Now, most of the time it's a list of devices with some info around it or across the row with details and maybe even a button, possibly a link, or arrow. Click it and look for QoS (quality of service) or priority, something along those lines. If it doesn't exist, QoS and configuration will be in their own page or tab.

  9. Find QoS / Priority on a per-device basis. Now locate your device and select the highest setting, they usually range from 1 to 9. This is essentially like setting a process priority to High in task manager. So now all data going through the router from every device connected to your router, it will let your devices data go first. If you have another gamer in the house make them the same number.

  10. By digging around you can also limit the amount of bandwidth each device can use. example, you could limit your phone to 750kbs so you can watch videos but not completely burst your network with 1500kbs every 1-2 seconds which is how most videos load and it makes a very jagged spikey download stream. Add a second phone doing the same thing and your just blasting your internet with huge bursts of data crippling your very crucial fps gaming data. WHICH, is very dependent on a stable upload and download stream with many many packets per second. An fps game in general uses roughly 25-200kbs and up to 150 packets a second constantly. So if your router is trying to do both of those jobs at the same time it severely gets "confused" and stability suffers.

  11. If you are gaming wirelessly try to find the wireless page / tab. Locate a channel or band selector, it's usually a dropdown ranging from channels 1 to 11 for 2.4ghz. The magic channel numbers are 1, 6, and 11 for best performance. Try one, load/restart the router to set the change, do a bandwidth test and try the next channel. For 5ghz you need to know a little more about your router and check out this explanation at techjunkie

Of course this is a super basic explanation to get you started. The above three adjustments will ensure a better overall quality experience especially with many users on a router or during high traffic times in your area and even when its raining or snowing which all effect your network. There's many many more ways to configure and gain performance within your home network. You can...

Focus your antennas using foil by putting the router on one of the main outer walls or block your connection from going outside of your house where the devices are not located. You can also make a foil base if its in the basement so it stops the signal from going under the house and focuses it upward.

Use a private VPN network and get off the main pleb traffic internet. Basically when you game your connection goes through upwards of 10-15 servers / hops to connect and send data to the game server. A vpn setup for gaming gives maybe 2 or 3 stops along the way giving a much simpler and straighter shot, think of it like racing. These generally have much less traffic on them and incredibly stable connections unlike thousands upon thousands of users on major isps.

Change your DNS server and get a cheater version of a vpn, not as good.

Buy / Use a better ISP. Anything fiber optic is top tier right now, I believe google and verizon actually connect fiber into the home now, otherwise its still a coax cable from your home to the pole, to the first data center, then fiber optic from there on out. Or, chances are your current ISP monthly plan they are offering you is basic, what they don't tell you is that you can add on more bandwidth for usually 5-10$ /mo to go up each tier of bandwidth. Alternately you can ball out and get business class from your ISP and have a less traffic and tons of speed on that separate network as well.

Manually assign addresses.

Find your maximum MTU size (max packet size). Since every fps game sends massive amounts of packets for locations of every single object and bullet, it's kindof important. You can have many small packets or larger packets with more information in each.

Add another router to extend your wireless.

As you can see by default they are managing alot of things automatically and that's fine for most but if you sit and really educate yourself you can really fine tune and even really break things, but its worth it. Best way I can describe it is... it's the one thing between you and everything else. You could have the greatest computer in the world but that does not mean you are sending and receiving data accurately. Also, much like the performance gain from onboard graphics card vs a dedicated graphics card, a dedicated network card also plays a role in performance.