Wow World Lag
World of Warcraft Lag: How to Fix Latency Issues – Bandwidth …
World of Warcraft (WoW) is king of MMORPG (Massively multiplayer online role-playing game).
Roughing around 4. 5 million active users, Blizzard touts the most impressive server hosting in the world.
Accessing isn’t without it’s hiccups though. Supporting over 4 million players is a feat unto itself. Supporting 4 million users all with difference upload and download speeds, and latency differentials – crazy!
While you’ll never fix a laggy “LEROOOOOY JENKIIIIIIIIIIINS! ” You can do your best to make your own connection as flawless as possible. Be the best guild member you can be, cause as few problems inside your quest group as possible, and fix your latency issues, “for the horde. ”
Lag vs Latency
Let’s get the big one out of the way. There IS a difference between Lag and Latency. Latency is considered, “the restricted movement of data from the transmitter to the receiver. ”
So in lay terms, the number of milliseconds (ms) it takes from the moment you click, for the action to reflect that on the screen. Naturally, a lower latency is better. The fewer the milliseconds it takes between user input and character reaction–the more seamless the gameplay.
Lag then is essentially the repercussions of latency. It’s the amount of time it takes the computer, server, or host to catch up with the delay of received information. The higher your latency, the worse the lag.
There are exceptions to this. Lag could be the result of an overcrowded server, minimized bandwidth from the host to your computer, or other company faults like bugs, maintenance, or faulty patches (nerfs).
Altogether, there really is no cure for latency, but you can take steps to maximize data flow and bandwidth on your end. If you do experience lag, you’ll at least be able to rule out user error.
How Do I Reduce Lag in WoW
Many Blizzard Forums are written by developers or tech agents. They target right off the bat user errors. These things can range from dumping your DNS and renewing your IP, to resetting your user interface.
Before delving into any online play, double check with the developers latest patch notes and minimum operating system requirements. Some latency issues could be the result of outdated graphics cards, incompatible network adapters, or even just low RAM.
Check Yourself
Gaming performance is wildly dependent on a solid internet connection. Blizzard’s a smart company and understands that all 4. 5 million of their users aren’t going to have access to the best tech on the market.
It’s this reason their bandwidth caps at about 64kbps on it’s upload–meaning almost any broadband internet will do. So if you’re playing WoW and you experience network latency, it’s more likely an overloaded graphics card, than it is your internet (unless you’re still using dial-up).
Cool Down
If it’s not your internet service, your computer is probably trying to do too much. To reduce latency, try to close out of other applications or other services on your device that are rending large pieces of information (web browsers, streaming services, downloads, etc. ).
Packet loss is something that happens when pieces of information don’t reach the network–often it’s what causes the jumpy, glitchy lag vs the freeze up kind of lag. When your computer is rendering information, it prioritizes based on network connection and host size.
So if you’re streaming Netflix, Google or Safari might prioritize that servers host over playing online. The delay in reception of “packet” reception is called packet loss, and that information just gets dumped altogether. Limiting the number of devices connected, reducing the number of tasks each device is working on, and even hardwiring to your router or modem with an ethernet cable can all help your computer process a little easier.
Lag and Latency Reduction
Okay, you’ve checked and double checked your hardware. You’re up to date, and you’re sure it’s not a you problem. Players can still do a few latency lag fixes, and find out where it’s coming from and then hopefully minimize its effects.
Check the Realm Status:
This may seem obvious, but it’s the first step. If the realm status is showing overcrowding, then the data might be having problems at the server level.
Hover the mouse over the Game Menu icon to see the world and home latency connections. If the world’s latency is high, then it’s a server problem. You can hop to a different server or realm if you’d like.
World of Warcraft lag spikes usually happen anytime there’s a new patch or release.
If you can’t find the latency status, a quick “why is WoW lagging so bad” search in a Blizzard forum should give you any live outages or delays. There’s typically a surge in searches for things like, “WoW Legion lag fix, ” or “World of Warcraft lagging bfa” after big updates and releases–follow the crowd that’s experiencing your same problems and the community will typically find solid fixes faster than techs and developers.
Connection Type:
This was mentioned briefly before, but a wireless connection will always add latency to bandwidth. One of the simplest fixes is simply a wired connection.
Disconnect from the router and use an ethernet cable to connect directly to your server. Also, if others are using the router at the same time, it is possible that there are too many people splitting bandwidth.
Internet Connection Speed:
Chances are your internet is fast enough, but the render from the server to your computer, and then the optimization from your computer back to the server might be contributing to that packet loss we talked about. It’s truly trying its best, but to help it out follow these steps:
While the game is open, press the “Esc” key
Select “System”
Click “Network”.
Players with high-speed Internet: click the “Optimize Network for Speed” check box.
Players with low-speed internet should leave it blank.
(“Optimize Network for Speed” changes the amount of data in each packet. Leaving it blank tells the game to not send as much data in each packet–improving overall latency)
Drivers and Updates:
Verify that every piece of hardware dealing with the acceptance of data is up to date. Modems, ethernet cards, cables, and routers all require either drivers or firmware to make them run. Just like software, hardware too needs to be updated to run properly.
This is more likely to cause your World of Warcraft input lag than Blizzards server lag.
Take an Internet Speed Test:
Bandwidth Place offers HTML5 speed tests (favorable over Flash). This can help isolate connectivity problems. If the Internet connection is slower than you’re paying for, then it’s neither Blizzard nor your fault–it’s actually the cable provider.
Make sure you’re getting what you’re paying for. Test Your Internet Speed. Get the most out of your gaming, and make sure your provider isn’t slowing you down.
World of Warcraft Latency Problems – Blizzard Support
Please log in to submit feedback.
Did you find this article helpful?
Great! Help us improve. Please rate the following from a scale of 1 to 5 stars:
This article is easy to find.
This article is easy to understand.
This article had the information I needed.
Cancel
Sorry to hear that! We’d like to know what’s wrong. Please check any which apply:
This information isn’t relevant to my issue.
This article is unclear or poorly written.
I have tried the suggested steps but they didn’t work.
I’m frustrated by Blizzard’s process or policy.
Thanks for your feedback!
How To Fix Wow Lagging Issues – Driver Easy
Many gamers are reporting an issue with World of Warcraft (WoW). What happens is that WoW lags so much that the game is almost unplayable. While this can be frustrating, don’t worry – it’s often not hard to fix…
5 Fixes for Wow Lagging
Check if your PC meets the minimum system requirements for World of WarcraftPower cycle your network devicesUpdate your device driversClose the bandwidth hogging apps and set WoW to high priorityReset the WoW user interface
Fix 1: Check if your PC meets the minimum system requirements for World of Warcraft
This World of Warcraft lagging problem may occur if your system is unable to handle the game. Here we list out the both the minimum requirements and the recommended specifications (if you’re looking for a smoother and more enjoyable gaming experience) specifications for WoW.
All the information below are gathered from the official website of
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
RECOMMENDED SPECIFICATIONS
OPERATING SYSTEM
Windows® 7 64-bit
Windows® 10 64-bit
PROCESSOR
Intel® Core™ i5-760or AMD FX™-8100or better
Intel® Core™ i7-4770 orAMD FX™-8310 or better
GRAPHICS CARD
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 560 2GB or AMD™ Radeon™ HD 7850 2GBor Intel® HD Graphics 530 (45W TDP)
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 960 4GBor AMD™ Radeon™ R9 280or better
MEMORY
4 GB RAM (8GB for Intel HD Graphics 530)
8 GB RAM
If you’re not sure whether your PC meets the system requirements for WoW or not, just follow the instructions below to check the basic specs of your PC:
On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and R at the same time, then type dxdiag and press Enter.
Under the System tab and you can check the Operating System and Memory information on your PC.
Click the Display tab and you can check what graphics card your PC is using.
You’d probably have to upgrade your hardwares if any of the above-mentioned item fails to meet its minimum requirement.
Fix 2: Power cycle your network devices
Power cycling your network devices (a modem, a router, both, or a combo of both, which will be referred to as the modem router below) can reset and re-establish your Internet connection and hopefully solves the WoW lagging issue.
To do so:
Shut down all the devices connected to the modem down and unplug the modem and/or the the modem router to sit for 60 seconds in and turn on the modem and router, and allow them to completely boot up until the front panel connection lights on the modem show a steady the computer and allow it to completely boot up. Check if the WoW lagging problem has been worked out. If the problem still persists, you should try Fix 3, below.
Fix 3: Update your device drivers
This problem may occur if you are using the wrong or outdated device drivers. So you should update your the drivers to see if it fixes your problem.
If you don’t have the time, patience or skills to update the driver manually, you can do it automatically with Driver Easy.
Driver Easy will automatically recognize your system and find the correct drivers for it. You don’t need to know exactly what system your computer is running, you don’t need to be troubled by the wrong driver you would be downloading, and you don’t need to worry about making a mistake when installing. Driver Easy handles it all.
You can update your drivers automatically with either the FREE or the Pro version of Driver Easy. But with the Pro version it takes just 2 steps (and you get full support and a 30-day money back guarantee):
Download and install Driver Easy. Run Driver Easy and click the Scan Now button. Driver Easy will then scan your computer and detect any problem drivers. Click Update All to automatically download and install the correct version of all the drivers that are missing or out of date on your system (this requires the Pro version – you’ll be prompted to upgrade when you click Update All). Restart your computer and don’t forget to test if the WoW lagging issue has been resolved. If yes, then congrats! But if the problem still lingers on, move on to Fix 4, below.
Fix 4: Close the bandwidth hogging apps and set WoW to high priority
Apps such as Netflix, Twitch, Dropbox and YouTube are known bandwidth hungry programs that contribute to network lag issues on your PC. So you should close these apps and make sure you set WoW to high priority for it to run at a faster rate.
To close the bandwidth hogging apps:
On your keyboard, press the Ctrl, Shift and Esc keys at the same time to open Task Manager.
Right-click on a bandwidth hogging app and click End Task.
Repeat step 2) on every other bandwidth hogging programs.
To set WoW to high priority:
In Task Manager, click the Details tab. Then locate and double-click on Click Set priority > High.
Check to see if WoW lag issue has been mitigated.
Fix 5: Reset the WoW user interface
You can also try resetting the WoW user interface to resolve the WoW lag issue. Here’s how:
Completely exit World of Warcraft. Uninstall any addon managers and make sure no add-ons are Blizzard, click Options and select Show in Explorer.
Double-click on the World of Warcraft folder.
Double-click on the _retail_ folder.
Rename the Cache, Interface, and WTF folders to CacheOld, InterfaceOld, and WTFOld respectively.
Re-launch World of Warcraft and see if the lag issue has been fixed.
How have the methods above helped you with the troubleshooting? Do you have any ideas or tips to share with us? Drop a comment below and let us know your thoughts.
Frequently Asked Questions about wow world lag
Why is World of Warcraft so laggy?
This World of Warcraft lagging problem may occur if your system is unable to handle the game. … Under the System tab and you can check the Operating System and Memory information on your PC. Click the Display tab and you can check what graphics card your PC is using.Apr 21, 2021
How do I fix Wow lag?
World of Warcraft Latency ProblemsReset your user interface to make sure your files and addons are not corrupted.Reset your network devices to make sure your router hasn’t become flooded with data.Release and renew your IP and flush your DNS to resolve any network conflicts.More items…
What’s the difference between home and world latency in wow?
In essence, ‘Home’ refers to your connection to your realm server. … ‘World’ is a reference to the connection to our servers that transmits all the other data… combat, data from the people around you (specs, gear, enchants, etc.), NPCs, mobs, casting, professions, etc.
