How to Fix Packet Loss

Packet loss is when small chunks of your data never reach their destination, so they have to be resent or are simply dropped. It is what turns smooth gameplay into rubber-banding, freezes video calls and makes downloads crawl, even when your headline speed looks fine. The good news is that most packet loss starts inside your own home and is fixable in minutes. This guide walks through seven concrete fixes in order, from the biggest wins to the last resort. Run a quick speed test first to record your baseline, then test again after each change so you can see exactly what helped. If you want the full background, our what is packet loss guide explains how it is measured.

1. Switch to a wired Ethernet connection

This is almost always the single biggest improvement. Wi-Fi drops packets through interference, walls, distance and crowded channels, and it is far more prone to sudden loss than a cable. Plug your gaming PC, console or work laptop straight into the router with an Ethernet cable and you will often watch packet loss fall to zero. If the device you care about cannot move, a long flat Ethernet cable run along the skirting still beats wireless for reliability.

2. Check and reseat your cables

A surprising amount of packet loss comes from physical faults. A frayed Ethernet cable, a loose connector, a corroded coax joint or a damaged phone line can all silently drop packets. Unplug each cable, look for kinks, bent pins or damage, and firmly reseat both ends. Swap in a known-good Ethernet cable to rule out the lead itself, and make sure nothing is crushed under furniture. Loose or aging cables are one of the most common and most overlooked causes.

3. Restart your router and modem

Routers run for months and slowly clog up with overloaded memory and stale connections, which can start dropping packets. A simple power cycle clears that: unplug the router and modem for 30 seconds, then plug the modem back in first, wait for it to sync, and power the router on after. This re-establishes a fresh link to your ISP and frequently clears loss that built up over time. It is the classic fix for a reason.

4. Update your router firmware

Manufacturers release firmware updates that fix bugs, patch security holes and improve how the router handles traffic under load. Outdated firmware can cause instability that shows up as intermittent packet loss and lag spikes. Log in to your router's admin page (commonly 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1), find the firmware or system section, and install any available update. Do not interrupt the device while it flashes, and re-test once it reboots.

5. Reduce network congestion

A saturated connection is one of the most common causes of packet loss. When game updates, cloud backups, operating-system downloads and another household member streaming in 4K all compete for the same line, the router runs out of room and starts discarding packets. Pause big downloads before you play or join a call, disconnect devices you are not using, and avoid scheduling backups during important sessions. If loss spikes only while data is moving, you likely have bufferbloat, which our guide to lowering ping covers in detail. Enabling Smart Queue Management (SQM) on a capable router keeps packets flowing under load.

6. Change your DNS or test a different path

Sometimes the trouble is the route your traffic takes rather than your hardware. Switching to a fast public DNS resolver, such as a well-known free provider, will not stop loss on its own but can steer you onto a healthier path and rule out a flaky default resolver. While you are at it, try a wired test on a second device: if one device is clean and another is not, the fault is that device or its software, not your line.

7. Contact your ISP if loss continues

If packet loss persists on a direct wired connection, across every server and at every time of day, the bottleneck is almost certainly outside your home: a damaged line, a failing connector in the street, congestion or poor routing on your ISP's network. This is something only your provider can fix. Gather a few speed test results that clearly show the loss, note the times, and report them. Concrete evidence makes it far harder for support to brush the problem off.

Quick packet-loss fix checklist

Work down this list in order and re-test after each step so you isolate the real cause:

How to test for packet loss

You cannot fix what you do not measure. Start by running a speed test with SpeedSnap, which reports download, upload, ping and jitter in about 30 seconds with no app or sign-up. High jitter, well above the healthy under-30 ms range, often travels alongside dropped packets. For a direct count, open a command prompt or terminal and ping a reliable address many times, for example pinging 50 to 100 times, then read the summary line: it shows how many packets were sent, received and lost as a percentage. Repeat the ping test on Wi-Fi and then on Ethernet to see whether wireless is the culprit. Note your starting numbers, apply one fix at a time, and re-test, because changing several things at once just hides which one actually mattered.

What good and bad packet loss looks like

Aim for 0 percent packet loss. A brief flicker under 1 percent is usually unnoticeable for browsing, but sustained loss above 1 to 2 percent causes visible problems. The table below pairs loss with the related latency figures, since the two together decide how your connection actually feels.

For competitive gaming you want a steady 0 percent loss and a ping under roughly 30 to 50 ms, because even occasional drops cause rubber-banding and missed inputs. Streaming HD video needs around 5 Mbps, 4K around 25 Mbps, and an HD video call around 3 to 4 Mbps, but all of those still stutter if packets are being lost, no matter how high your raw speed is.

Test before and after every change

The only way to know which fix worked is to measure. Record your starting packet loss and ping, apply a single fix, then run a free speed test again to confirm the improvement. Once you have stopped the loss, you can move on to fine-tuning latency for gaming and calls using our how to lower ping guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I fix packet loss myself?

Work through the fixes in order: switch to a wired Ethernet connection, inspect and reseat your cables, restart your router and modem, update the router firmware, reduce network congestion, change your DNS, and finally contact your ISP if loss continues. Test before and after each step so you can see exactly which change stopped the dropped packets.

What causes packet loss?

Packet loss is usually caused by a saturated or congested connection, Wi-Fi interference, faulty or loose cables, an overloaded or buggy router, or problems on your ISP's network such as a damaged line or bad routing. Bufferbloat from heavy uploads and downloads can also push packets out, which shows up as loss and lag spikes during activity.

Is any amount of packet loss acceptable?

Ideally you want 0 percent packet loss. A brief flicker of under 1 percent is usually unnoticeable for browsing, but anything sustained above 1 to 2 percent will cause stutter in games, frozen or garbled video calls and slow downloads. For competitive gaming you want a steady 0 percent, because even occasional drops cause rubber-banding and missed actions.

Does packet loss affect gaming and video calls?

Yes, and it hurts them more than raw speed does. Lost packets force data to be resent or simply skipped, which causes rubber-banding, teleporting players and missed inputs in games, plus frozen frames and robotic audio on video calls. A low ping under 50 ms means little if packets are being dropped along the way.

How do I know if packet loss is my fault or my ISP's?

If going wired, reseating cables and restarting the router all clear the loss, the problem was inside your home. If packet loss persists on a direct wired connection across every server and time of day, the fault is most likely on your ISP's line or network. Save a few test results showing the loss and report them to your provider.