How to fix packet loss

Ten fixes, cheapest and most likely first. Re-test after each one so you know which worked.

Updated

First, find out where the loss is

Every fix below targets one part of the path, so the fastest route is to find which part is dropping packets before changing anything. Run the packet loss test for 30 seconds on the device that has the problem. Then plug that device into the router with an Ethernet cable, stop every other device from downloading, and run it again. That second run is the key comparison. If the loss disappears on the cable, the cause is inside your home, and usually the wifi. If it stays, the cause is the router, the modem, the line or the provider.

Fixes inside your home

  • 1. Restart the modem and router. Unplug both for 30 seconds, then the modem first. It clears full connection tables and memory leaks, which are a real cause of loss in cheap routers.
  • 2. Use a cable for the device that matters. For a gaming PC, console or work computer, Ethernet removes wifi from the equation permanently. A powerline adapter is a second-best option when a cable run is impossible.
  • 3. Move closer, or move the router. Walls, floors, mirrors, fish tanks and metal appliances absorb wifi. A router in a cupboard or on the floor behind a TV loses a lot of signal. Put it high, central and in the open.
  • 4. Change the wifi band or channel. 5 GHz is faster and less crowded than 2.4 GHz but reaches less far. In a block of flats, 2.4 GHz channels are often saturated by neighbours; try a fixed channel (1, 6 or 11 on 2.4 GHz) instead of automatic.
  • 5. Stop the traffic you did not know about. Cloud photo backups, game updates, torrents and 4K streams on other devices all compete. The upload direction is the usual culprit, because home lines have much less of it.
  • 6. Replace suspect cables. A kinked, chewed or very old Ethernet cable, or a loose coax connector on a cable modem, causes steady even loss. Swapping for a known good cable costs little and settles the question.
  • 7. Update router firmware and device drivers. Buggy wifi drivers on laptops are a common source of periodic loss. Check the router's admin page and the laptop maker's support site.

Fixes beyond your home

  • 8. Check for evening congestion. Run the test in the morning and again at 8 or 9pm. Loss that appears only at peak time is congestion on your provider's network.
  • 9. Report it to your provider with evidence. Give them the copied result from a cable test with nothing else running, the time, and how often it happens. Ask them to check the line for errors and noise, which they can see from their side.
  • 10. Change the route or the provider. If loss only affects one game or service, the problem may be a bad route between your provider and that service, which a different provider or occasionally a VPN can avoid. See does a VPN fix packet loss.

Fixes that rarely help

Changing DNS servers does not affect packet loss: DNS only looks up addresses, and once a game or call is connected it plays no part. "Network booster" apps and registry tweaks for Windows do not either. Buying a faster plan helps only if your line is actually full; if you have loss on an idle connection, more speed will not fix it. A new router helps when the old one is the cause, which the cable test will already have told you.

If the test shows no loss but your game still lags, the problem is further away than your line. Why ping spikes covers that case.

Frequently asked questions

How do I fix packet loss on wifi?

Move closer to the router or move the router into the open, switch to 5 GHz, try a fixed less crowded channel, and update the device's wifi driver. For a gaming or work device, a cable fixes it permanently.

Can I fix packet loss caused by my ISP?

Not yourself, but you can make them fix it. Collect test results from a cable with nothing else running, at the times it happens, and report them. Line faults are visible on their side once they look.

Will a new router fix packet loss?

Only if the router is the cause. If the loss is also there on a cable plugged directly into the modem, the router is not to blame.