Wireless Lag Spikes - Possible Solutions...

For a long time now I have been the victim of constant wireless lag spikes in both Windows Vista and Windows XP. It makes gaming in games such as Counter Strike, Quake, UT etc frustrating and sometimes impossible. Upon asking people how to fix the problem I got the same responses repeatedly. Finally I have decided to post alternative solutions for the people who still get lag after doing the obvious.

Firstly I'll cover the obvious solutions which most people will have done already:

1. Install device specific drivers.
2. Disable Windows Zero Configuration in XP.
3. Improve signal strength.
4. Update router firmware.
5. Try different wireless channels.

Here are some possible solutions for people who still get problems after trying the options above.

1. Ensure that your wireless card is set to the same radio standard as your router.

This option is what totally removed all lag spikes for me. My Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG network card (common in many laptops) had an option which 'automatically' selected the right standard for my connection. Apparently not. I don't know the technical reason as to why this fixed my lag spikes but it did.

The default setting for this card and perhaps other similar cards is to set the wireless mode to: "802.11a/b/g". I'm guessing this is to ensure that the card connects to which ever router is selected quickly without any user involvement. What you need to do to fix lag spikes is the following....

"Control Panel" > "Network Connections" > Right click on your card and select "Properties".

"Networking" Tab > Click "Configure".

"Advanced" Tab > Select "Wireless Mode".

Select the option which corresponds to your router. In my case it was 802.11g. This is the most common option. Older routers will use 802.11a or 802.11b.

To find out what standard your router is using browse available wireless networks that you can connect to. Hover your mouse over your network and you should get a list of info appear. It should say what your router is set to. Either 802.11a, 802.11b or 802.11g. Some modern routers have 802.11n.


2. This is an option which worked for a friend of mine and it is to set the speed of your card to a certain value. For example 4Mb/s, 11Mb/s, 19Mb/s, 54Mb/s.

I don't any experience with this but if your card has the option to, try setting it to a fixed value. 54Mb/s is common with most routers. If not, try 11Mb/s.


I hope these options have helped some people. I'm sorry I can't go into much detail but I'm don't really know much about these things. I'm just explaining what steps I took to fix mine.