I have lag spikes regardless of whatever VPN I use.7

General Discussion Forum
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I purchased a couple VPNs for gaming (windscribe, cloudflare warp+), but they all slow significantly when I use them for gaming. My internet connection is quite steady, but once I start using a VPN, I have around 20% packet loss in the games I play. I tried everything, including connecting to the correct servers and switching to wireguard on Windscribe, but nothing seems to help. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to solve this.

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Try OVPN udp or tcp; did it vanish? TCP checks and resends packages, although it is slower.

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Man, I feel you. VPNs are supposed to help with connection, but sometimes it’s like they just make it worse, right? :man_facepalming: I tried Windscribe and Warp too, but every time I connected for gaming, my ping just shot up. Almost like I was playing with a toaster. :joy:

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Yeah, same here! :weary: I had a bad experience with Warp+ — it was like I paid for more lag, not less. Did you try any other VPNs? Maybe NordVPN or ExpressVPN might be better? I switched to Nord, and it’s been… alright, not perfect, but way better than the free ones.

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Bruh, VPNs and gaming don’t always mix well, especially if your internet is already solid without it. The packet loss thing sounds like a routing issue, though. Maybe try a closer server or even check if your ISP is throttling your connection? Sometimes it’s not even the VPN’s fault. :man_shrugging:

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Honestly, some games just hate VPNs, lol. Some of the servers will just reject you or slow things down like crazy. I tried using one during a Fortnite session, and it was like playing in slow motion. :sweat_smile: If you’ve done the basic stuff, maybe look into split tunneling? That way your game isn’t going through the VPN at all.

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I’d second the split tunneling advice. It helped me a ton! Instead of routing the whole internet through the VPN, just tunnel what you need, like when you’re browsing but not gaming. Also, WireGuard is cool, but sometimes OpenVPN has better stability for gaming even if it’s a bit slower. :thinking:

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Yeah, OpenVPN has been around for a minute, so it’s more stable. I think WireGuard is still getting the kinks out for gaming purposes. :skull: But split tunneling sounds like the move. Have you tried lowering your VPN encryption settings? Sometimes high encryption = lag central.

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Ooooh good point on encryption! I never thought about that, but higher encryption can definitely choke the connection. Gotta balance privacy and playability I guess. :joy:

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Y’all ever try gaming without a VPN? Like, why do you need one if your internet’s already stable? :thinking: Unless you’re trying to access restricted servers or hide from your ISP, just ditch it for gaming, lol. Ain’t worth the headache.