Acceptable 5G ping/latency, until I try to Upload

[Persephone]

I have no complaints about the download speed. Upload speed is near-unusable. I'd get better upload speeds tethering to my phone's 4G hotspot (using the Vodafone network).

Despite all that, I'm mostly concerned about how awful my broadband's latency can get. When there's no other load, I reach about 55 ms on average in Overwatch 2. However, when someone is watching a film, or even uploading something, the ping rockets up to between 300 ms and 5000 ms - completely unplayable. This can happen completely at random too, and it's caused me to get competitive bans in the past due to disconnections.

Is there anything I could do to resolve the issue?

[JonathanB]

Hi @Persephone,

I know getting disconnected and hit with lag can be really frustrating, especially in really competitive games like Overwatch. Here's a few ideas, it's generally best to game with your PC or console wired in with an Ethernet rather than using Wi-Fi. Some users have found powerline adapters to be really helpful where this isn't possible, but connecting directly to the router usually has the best results.

It's also worth checking that UPNP is enabled in the router admin, this can help prevent NAT issues which is one of the most common causes of latency and disconnections when gaming. 

This low upload could also be a sign that the router isn't in the best position right now. Generally somewhere high, near a window, and at least a metre or two away from other electronic appliances will help get the best signal and tends to cut down on interference. This may take a bit of experimentation as it can be subjective to your properties layout, the local coverage, and where your connected devices are located to get the best overall experience.

I'm not clear on which router you have but if it's the Zyxel you can use the Three 5G Broadband app, or for the ZTE the ZTElink app to help test different positions.

Thanks,
JonathanB

[Persephone]

Hi Jonathan,

I've tried it with my PC wired in via Ethernet, but unfortunately, that didn't help. UPNP has also been enabled already.

The router is right beside the window, away from other electronic appliances. I have the Zyxel but it seems the signal is about the same no matter which windowsill I put the device on.

It seems like my ping has gone up lately too, hovering at about 90 ms!

[JonathanB]

Thanks for this extra info @Persephone.

Are there any other Ethernet cables available for you to try? I've seen the odd issue that turned out to be a damaged or faulty cable, so definitely worth checking if nothing else seems to be explaining things.

You also mentioned hotspotting from Vodafone, is your phone unlocked? If you test hotspotting with the Three SIM that may help indicate whether it is a network/signal issue, or with the router.

Thanks,
Jonathan

[Persephone]

I've tried with a few ethernet cables and with wifi over 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz but nothing worked.

I'll try using the hotspot from my phone - good idea.

[JonathanB]

Thanks, let me know how that goes, if we can narrow down to whether it's the local signal or the router that should help us figure out the best next steps.

Jonathan