Fix PoE Packet Loss, High Ping & Lag Spikes [Easiest Method]
Packet loss is not uncommon, but there's always a solution for it
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Key notes
- Path of Exile is a free multiplayer role-playing game that has gained a lot of popularity.
- However, being an online-only game means that it’s subject to certain issues like high ping or packet loss.
- Usually, packet loss is a type of issue that gets solved by itself.
- Even if it’s true, sometimes you might need to give it a nudge in the right direction. We’ll teach you how to do it.
Path of Exile is a free multiplayer role-playing game that has gained a lot of popularity. Players all around the world argue that it’s better than Diablo III. Others even dare to say that PoE is what Diablo III was supposed to be.
Either way, it’s a breath of fresh air, especially since it embraced the F2P culture quite tightly. Yes, PoE has some micro-transactions, but most of them are cosmetics.
However, that’s not why we gathered here. As you probably know, there’s no way to play Path of Exile offline. Therefore, you can imagine that this awesome game faces the same challenges as any other similar service.
Especially during new releases, patches, or updates, players complain about certain issues including but not limited to high ping, connection timeouts, jitter, and even the dreaded packet loss.
Although most of the time these problems arise as a consequence of network congestion, sometimes they might have something to do with underlying issues on your end. More so, you might even be able to fix them.
Why is Path of Exile so laggy?
Packet loss in Path of Exile can and will trigger nasty lag spikes. But what exactly is this issue you keep hearing about? Packet loss, or packet leak, is the inability of data packets to reach their destination.
- PoE latency issues / high latency
- Path of Exile high ping
- Path of Exile lag spikes and lag on ps4, ps5, xbox, PC
- Path of Exile connection issues, losing connection
- PoE rubberbanding and stuttering
- PoE servers packet loss
- Path of Exile frame drops 2022
None of these are ideal with Path of Exile, considering that you can lose experience points if you die.
However inconvenient it might be, packet loss can happen for various reasons. For instance, you might have bad cables, improperly configured hardware, or ISP issues.
Most of the time, packet loss occurs because of network congestion. Given that PoE is free-to-play, its servers are more often than not heavily populated. In this case, your safest bet would be changing the server or waiting it out.
How do you fix packet loss in Path of Exile?
1. Use a VPN against PoE lag spikes
- Download ExpressVPN and install it on your PC.
- Launch it and log into it using your credentials.
- Connect to the server of your choice, preferably the one ExpressVPN recommends.
- Launch Path of Exile.
- Check if you still leak packets.
ExpressVPN is an excellent all-around VPN service from Kape Technologies. Not only it can help you bypass packet loss with just about any service, but you can also use it to circumvent geo-restrictions, secure your connection, improve your privacy, and eliminate ISP throttling.
It’s worth mentioning that using a VPN won’t work if packet loss occurs on your side. The same applies to packets lost by the Path of Exile server you connect to. Using a VPN will only work if the packet loss occurs on your ISP’s side (intermediary).
ExpressVPN
The optimal solution is to change servers whenever you have lag spikes and to get up and shoot again.2. Test packet loss in PoE
- Use our guide to help you run a complete packet loss test
- Identify the location of the packet leak (the hop number)
- Take the necessary measures to minimize the packet loss
3. Troubleshoot your connection
We’ve mentioned in our guide that packet loss can occur in the following locations:
- Your PC/home network/router
- Your ISP’s network
- The servers of the network distribution company (above ISP)
- The destination server
Thus, depending on the location of the packet loss, you can take one of the following actions:
- Perform a thorough check of your PC, cables, router, and home line
- Call your ISP to fix the issue
- Ask your ISP to talk to the distribution company
- Contact the support team in charge of the server you’re having problems with
How do I make PoE run better?
The sound may be one of the main causes of lag in your game, and it is becoming more popular in the community how completely disabling some sound settings can result in much better and more stable gameplay. To do so, you must first complete the following steps:
- You must locate your Path of Exile Config file, which is normally located in your
User folder > Documents > My Games > Path of Exile. The exact name of the file is production Config. - When you’ve found the file, right-click it and choose Open With NotePad.
- Then look for the Sound settings, which should be around 60-70% of the way down the file. Then change the following numeric lines to “false”:
ambient sound volume2=false
music volume2=false
sound effects volume2=false
While doing so, make sure your game is closed. Simply save and close the file after completing the following steps, then relaunch Path of Exile. You’ll notice that the game is much quieter now.
All of the action sounds, such as shattering and volatiles, are muted. Applying these settings to “false” instead of “0” tells your PC that it must not process all of the extra sounds, resulting in a smoother gaming experience, especially on slower computers.
If you’re experiencing packet loss, don’t despair. Most of the time this issue fixes itself without any assistance. However, if the problem is recurrent, you might want to try using some of the fixes we’ve mentioned above.
Visit our Gaming Hub to discover more guides, reviews, and tips & tricks.
We can’t stress this enough, but using a VPN doesn’t automatically care take of everything. Do your research thoroughly before investing in such a service. Although VPNs can help you in many other ways, fixing packet loss only works in certain cases.
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