How to Lower Your Ping in Metin2 and Play Without Lag

Thinking you're hitting your opponent in Pvp while your character snaps half a second back is one of the most frustrating ways to lose. That's called lag, and the cause is usually high or unstable ping. The good news: a big share of lag comes from your home network and your computer habits, and you can fix it for free. This guide shows you how to find the source of the problem and lower your ping in Metin2 so you can play without lag.

What is ping, and why does lag happen?

Ping is the time it takes for data to travel from your computer to the server and back, measured in milliseconds (ms). When your ping rises, your hits, skills and potions reach the server late. Sudden spikes make your character freeze in place or jump back. Lag has three possible sources:

• Your home network: Wi-Fi, the router and other devices on the same network.
• The route: The path your internet provider uses to carry your data to the server, and the distance in between.
• The server: An overcrowded server, weak hardware or a server under attack.

If the picture itself is choppy, the problem may be FPS rather than ping; see our FPS guide.

Diagnose first: where's the problem?

1. Is everyone lagging? Check the in-game chat or the server's Discord. If everyone is complaining, the problem is most likely on the server's side, and there's not much you can do.
2. Test your home network. In Command Prompt, run the ping command against your router's address. If you see high or unstable results even within your home connection, the problem is your Wi-Fi or router.
3. Check the route. The tracert command in Windows shows at which point the latency goes up. If the problem is on your provider's side, this output helps when you contact customer support.
4. Compare times of day. If your ping only rises in the evening, that's usually down to congestion in your area or at your provider.

Improve your home network

• Use a cable. Connecting with an Ethernet cable is the single most effective step for stable ping.
• If you stay on Wi-Fi, fix your position. Sit close to the router, with no thick walls or metal objects in between. If your router supports it, try the 5 GHz band, which has less interference over short distances.
• Restart the router. Routers that run for a long time without a restart can slow down over time. If the router interface offers a firmware update, install it.
• Don't share your bandwidth. Big downloads, high-quality video streams and cloud backups on the same home network while you play directly affect your ping.
• Set priorities. Some routers have a QoS (quality of service) setting; if yours supports it, give your gaming computer priority.

What you can do on your computer

• Stop background downloads. Game launchers, torrent programs, Windows updates and file sync apps share your connection while you play.
• Update your network driver. Download the driver for your network card or motherboard from the manufacturer's official website.
• Turn off power saving. On laptops, turning off the network adapter's power saving options in Device Manager can keep the connection from dozing off now and then.
• Close unneeded clients. Running several game clients at once strains both your connection and your computer.

Myths and risky methods

• Changing DNS doesn't lower ping. DNS only affects how addresses are resolved; your latency to the server during play stays the same.
• A speed test isn't everything. A high download speed doesn't mean low ping. Bandwidth and latency are two different things.
• Be careful with "ping reducer" programs. Most of them route your traffic through another server and can increase latency instead of reducing it. Programs from unknown sources can also carry malware. For safe habits, see our account security guide.
• A VPN is no miracle. It occasionally helps you get around your provider's bad route, but more often it just adds an extra stop. Some servers also restrict VPN and proxy connections.

Choosing the right server and channel

Where a server is physically hosted directly determines your ping; a server located near you usually gives you lower latency. You can ask about this on the server's description page or its Discord. If you're lagging on a crowded channel in-game, try switching to a quieter one. Also keep in mind that launch days can bring lag because of the rush; when you follow new servers, pay attention to player reviews from the first days. You can find servers that have been running smoothly for a long time in the best servers list.

Frequently asked questions

What's a normal ping in Metin2?

That depends on your distance to the server and on your connection. What matters is that your ping is low and stable; sudden spikes are far more annoying than a slightly higher but steady ping.

Does playing on Wi-Fi cause lag?

It can. A wireless connection is affected by interference and distance, which makes your ping fluctuate. Use an Ethernet cable if you can.

Does a VPN lower ping?

Usually not; since it adds an extra stop to your traffic, it can actually increase latency. Some servers also restrict VPN connections.

I only lag in the evenings. Why?

In the evening, traffic goes up both at internet providers and on servers. If your home network is clean, you can contact your provider with your tracert output.