4 Easy Ways to Optimize Ethernet Settings For Gaming

Surefire tips to taking your gaming experience to the next level

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Key notes

  • You may have been playing games for a while without optimizing your network settings. 
  • This guide recommends some advanced Ethernet driver settings for gaming optimization.
  • One effective tip to take your gaming to the next level is to disable power for your network adapter.
best ethernet settings for gaming

Your internet performance determines the quality of your gaming experience. There’s nothing worse than constant lagging when you play games online.

You may not be using the best gaming PCs or the fastest network, but you can optimize what you have with the best Ethernet settings for gaming.

This guide will show you the settings to apply to take your gaming performance to the next level.

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How do I optimize my Ethernet for gaming?

You need to make intelligent changes to your network settings to optimize your ethernet settings for gaming. One setting to apply is to disable Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6).

Another option is to disable Ethernet adapter components. We will show the steps to apply these settings with other solutions later in this guide.

How can I change my Ethernet adapter settings for gaming?

1. Disable IPv6

  1. Right-click on the network icon on your taskbar.
  2. Select Open Network & Internet settings.
    open network settings best ethernet settings for gaming
  3. Click on Change adapter options under the Advanced network settings section.
    change adapter
  4. Right-click on your Ethernet connection and select Properties.
    properties
  5. Unmark the Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) option.
  6. Hit the OK button.
    internet protocol settings best ethernet settings for gaming

Disabling IPv6 is one of the best Ethernet adapter network settings for optimizing your gaming performance to the maximum on Windows 10/11. With this feature disabled, you should notice improved performance.

2. Disable Ethernet adapter components

  1. Right-click on the network connection icon on your taskbar.
  2. Click on the Open Network & Internet Settings button.
    open network settings best ethernet settings for gaming
  3. Select Change adapter options.
    change adapter
  4. Right-click on the connection you want to modify.
  5. Select Properties from the context menu.
    properties
  6. Click on the Configure button.
    best-ethernet-settings-for-gaming-configure-adapter
  7. Switch to the Advanced tab.
  8. Find and click on Interrupt Moderation from the list here.
  9. Disable the selected option from the dropdown under Value on the right-hand side of the screen.
    best-ethernet-settings-for-gaming-adapter-properties
  10. Repeat steps 8 and 9 for the following options:
    • Flow Control.
    • Receive Side Scaling.
    • TCP Checksum Offload (IPv4).
    • UDP Checksum Offload (IPv4).

3. Ethernet advanced settings gaming optimization

  1. Press the Windows key + R and type devmgmt.msc in the run box.
  2. Click the OK button to open Device Manager.
    devmgt
  3. Double-click the Network adapters option to expand it.
    network best ethernet settings for gaming
  4. Right-click on your network adapter and select Properties.
    properties device
  5. Switch to the Advanced tab.
    advanced tab best ethernet settings for gaming
  6. Select the ARP offload for WoWLAN option.
  7. Now, click the dropdown under Value and select Disabled.
    disable arp
  8. Select the properties below and disable them too:
    • NS offload for WoWLAN.
    • Interrupt Moderation.
    • Flow Control.
    • Receive Side Scaling.
    • Adaptive Inter-Frame Spacing.
    • Enable PME.
    • Packet Priority & VLAN.
    • Jumbo Packet.

In addition to these settings, you can also ensure that your PC isn’t running on Power Saving mode. You want to use all your resources for the game.

4. Disable power saving for the network adapter

  1. Click the Windows key + X and select Device Manager.
    device manager
  2. Double-click the Network adapters option to expand it.
    network best ethernet settings for gaming
  3. Right-click on your Ethernet adapter and select Properties.
    properties device
  4. Click the Power Management tab.
  5. Uncheck the Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power option.
  6. Click on the OK button.
    power best ethernet settings for gaming

The power management settings help to save energy on your PC. However, it can cause your game to slow down by turning off your driver when it needs to save power. Disabling this feature allows your network drivers to work constantly.

Should I disable Energy Efficient Ethernet for gaming?

Energy Efficient Ethernet reduces the power consumption of some components in times of low link utilization. This helps to save energy on your PC.

However, this affects your gaming as the primary aim is to save energy. So, you should disable this setting to optimize gaming.

These are the best Ethernet settings for gaming and improving your network throughput. However, ensure that your network drivers are updated. Running outdated network drivers will take a toll on your gaming performance.

If you’ve followed all of the steps in this guide but still experience lagging when you game, disable your antivirus.

Feel free to let us know if the tips above helped optimize your gaming in the comments below.

More about the topics: Ethernet, gaming