Gaming on NBN

Whether you’re into competitive online gaming, downloading the latest releases, or streaming on Twitch, your NBN connection plays a crucial role. Here’s how to get the best gaming experience on your GoTroppo NBN.

What Matters Most for Gaming?

For online gaming, these three factors are more important than raw download speed:

1. Latency (Ping)

Latency is the time it takes for data to travel between your device and the game server. Lower is better:

• Under 20ms – Excellent (competitive gaming)
• 20-50ms – Good (most games play smoothly)
• 50-100ms – Acceptable (may notice slight delay)
• Over 100ms – Noticeable lag in fast-paced games

Your latency depends partly on your connection type and partly on the game server location. Australian servers will always have lower ping than overseas servers.

2. Jitter

Jitter is variation in your ping. Even if your average ping is good, high jitter causes:

• Rubber-banding (character snapping back)
• Hit registration issues
• Unpredictable lag spikes

A stable connection with consistent ping is better than one that fluctuates.

3. Packet Loss

When data packets don’t reach their destination, you experience:

• Missing player movements
• Teleporting characters
• Actions not registering
• Disconnections

Even 1-2% packet loss can make competitive gaming frustrating.

What Speed Do You Need?

Online gaming itself uses surprisingly little bandwidth. The bigger factors are game downloads and updates.

For Online Gameplay Only

NBN 25 is sufficient for most online games if you’re the only one using the connection. Games typically use:

• Fortnite – 3-5 Mbps
• Call of Duty – 3-6 Mbps
• League of Legends – 1-3 Mbps
• FIFA/Sports games – 3-5 Mbps

For Downloads and Updates

NBN 50 or higher recommended – Modern games are massive:

• Call of Duty – 100GB+ with updates
• GTA V – 100GB+
• Final Fantasy – 80GB+
• Regular patches – Often 10-50GB each

On NBN 25, a 100GB game takes about 9 hours to download. On NBN 100, it’s closer to 2 hours.

For Streaming While Gaming

NBN 100 or higher recommended if you stream on Twitch or YouTube:

• 720p streaming – Needs 3-5 Mbps upload
• 1080p streaming – Needs 6-8 Mbps upload
• Plus your game’s needs – Both upload and download

Upload speed is critical for streaming. Check your connection type – FTTP offers the best upload speeds.

Connection Types and Gaming

Your NBN connection type affects gaming performance:

Check your address to see your connection type.

Optimising Your Setup for Gaming

Use a Wired Connection

This is the single biggest improvement you can make. Connect your gaming device directly to your router with an Ethernet cable:

• Lower latency than WiFi
• No interference from other devices
• More stable connection with less jitter
• No bandwidth competition with wireless devices

If your console/PC is far from the router:

• Run a long Ethernet cable (they can be 50+ metres)
• Use powerline adapters (send data through electrical wiring)
• Use a MoCA adapter (send data through coaxial cable if you have it)

Optimise Your Router

Enable QoS (Quality of Service)

• Prioritise gaming traffic over other devices
• Some routers have “Gaming Mode” – enable it
• Give your gaming device priority in settings

Port forwarding

• Open the specific ports your games use
• Improves NAT type (more on this below)
• Check your game’s website for required ports

Keep firmware updated

• Router manufacturers release performance improvements
• Security patches also matter
• Check for updates monthly

Fix Your NAT Type

NAT (Network Address Translation) type affects who you can play with:

• NAT Type 1 (Open) – Connect to anyone, best experience
• NAT Type 2 (Moderate) – Some restrictions, usually fine
• NAT Type 3 (Strict) – Connection issues, can’t host games

To improve NAT type:

• Enable UPnP on your router
• Set up port forwarding for your console/PC
• Put your gaming device in your router’s DMZ (as a last resort)

If You Must Use WiFi

• Use 5GHz band – Lower latency than 2.4GHz
• Stay close to the router – Walls reduce signal strength
• Reduce interference – Keep away from microwaves, cordless phones
• Consider WiFi 6 – Newer devices handle gaming better
• Use a dedicated gaming band if your router supports it

Console-Specific Tips

PlayStation

• Settings > Network > Test Internet Connection to check NAT type
• Use Rest Mode to download updates overnight
• Enable automatic updates to avoid waiting when you want to play

Xbox

• Settings > General > Network settings > Test NAT type
• Enable “Instant-on” mode for background downloads
• Use the Xbox Network Statistics to diagnose issues

Nintendo Switch

• Use an Ethernet adapter for docked play (Switch doesn’t have built-in Ethernet)
• Switch’s WiFi antenna is weaker than other consoles
• System Settings > Internet > Test Connection

PC Gaming

• Update network drivers regularly
• Close background applications using bandwidth
• Disable Windows Update during gaming sessions
• Use Game Mode in Windows 10/11

Australian Game Servers

Playing on Australian servers gives you the best ping. Most popular games have AU servers:

• Steam – Automatically selects AU servers for downloads
• Fortnite/Epic – Select “Oceania” region
• Call of Duty – Often matches with AU players automatically
• League of Legends – OCE (Oceania) server
• Apex Legends – Sydney servers available

If a game doesn’t have Australian servers, expect 150-250ms ping to US or European servers.

Managing Downloads

Schedule Big Downloads

• Download overnight when no one else is using the connection
• Most platforms let you schedule downloads
• Pre-load upcoming games to play on release day

Pause Downloads When Gaming

• Downloads compete with your game for bandwidth
• Even a background Steam update can cause lag spikes
• Pause or limit download speeds in your platform settings

Troubleshooting Gaming Issues

High Ping / Lag

• Switch to a wired connection
• Check if others are downloading or streaming
• Restart your router
• Try a different game server/region
• Run a speed test to check for issues

Rubber-Banding / Teleporting

• Usually caused by packet loss or jitter
• Use Ethernet instead of WiFi
• Check for WiFi interference
• Contact us if it persists – may be a line issue

Disconnections

• Check NAT type and port forwarding
• Update router firmware
• Check for router overheating
• Review our no internet troubleshooting guide

Slow Downloads

• Run a speed test to check your actual speeds
• Use Ethernet for faster downloads
• Check Steam/console download region settings
• Consider upgrading your plan for faster downloads

Cloud Gaming Services

Services like Xbox Cloud Gaming and NVIDIA GeForce NOW require stable, low-latency connections:

• Minimum 15-25 Mbps for HD streaming
• 35-50 Mbps for 4K streaming
• Low latency is critical – FTTP/FTTC connections work best
• Use 5GHz WiFi or Ethernet – 2.4GHz often too slow

Cloud gaming sends your inputs to remote servers and streams video back, so both latency AND bandwidth matter.

Need Help?

If you’re experiencing persistent gaming issues that you can’t resolve:

• Note which games are affected
• Test at different times of day
• Try the troubleshooting steps above
• Contact our support team with details of the issue

Related Articles

• What Speeds Should I Expect?
• Understanding NBN Connection Types
• How to Improve Your WiFi
• Troubleshooting Slow Speeds