Last Updated on 25th February 2023
High ping can be a major issue when it comes to online gaming. With Ark Survival relying on quick reactions and fast synchronization with the game servers, even small differences in latency can have huge impacts on the gameplay. Having high ping could mean the difference between victory and defeat in most online games.
If your ping is high, it means that the data takes too long to reach the Ark Survival game server, which can lead to laggy or unresponsive gameplay. For Ark Survival and online games in general, an acceptable ping should be less than 70 – anything higher than this will result in noticeable delays and potential issues with game performance.
How To Fix High Ping in Ark Survival
In this blog post, we’ll show you step-by-step how to reduce ping in Ark Survival. We’ll cover everything from optimizing your network settings to router settings, as well as discuss other factors that could possibly be messing up your internet connection speed. So if you’re ready to take your gaming experience to the next level, keep reading!
Step 1 – Update Network Drivers
One of the most important steps you can take to reduce the ping in Ark Survival is updating your network drivers. Network drivers are pieces of software that allow your computer to interact with the internet and other devices on the same network.
Outdated or corrupted network drivers can cause latency issues, instability in your ping, and ruin your internet connection speed.
Navigate to your search bar and type “Device Manager“, and click on it.
Look for Network Adapters and once you find it, click on the bottom arrow to collapse the list. Your ethernet adapter should look like the one in the photo below.
Before you download anything, you need to find your network adapter model. If it’s not available through the Device Manager in Windows, then do the following:
Navigate to the Windows search bar and type “Control Panel” Then click on -> Network and Internet, and choose -> Network and Sharing Center. You should see the option -> Change adapter settings on the left side, click on it, and now you can see all your network adapters. Under the adapter name, you can see the adapter’s model, ex—Realtek, Intel, Killer, etc.
Depending on your model, there is a different process to update your drivers. I will go through the update process of the three most used ones. ( Realtek, Intel, and Killer )
Visit the official website of your network card manufacturer, download the latest version of the driver for your specific model, and install it.
If you don’t know how to do that, follow this guide on updating network drivers.
Step 2 – Optimize Network Settings
Network settings play an important role in ensuring a stable ping and a smooth online gaming experience. This can be done by changing the DNS server you use for Ark Survival, and disabling any unnecessary network power-saving features.
Go into Device Manager, look for your network adapter, right-click on it, and choose Properties.
If you want more advanced network optimizations, I recommend following my guide on optimizing network settings and reducing ping. But, the settings below should be enough for potentially reducing your high ping in Ark Survival.
Navigate to the Power Management tab and uncheck the option: “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power“.
Navigate to the Advanced tab, and disable any power-saving feature like:
- Energy-Efficient Ethernet
- Green Ethernet
- Power saving mode
- Disable any other power-saving feature.
Do the same thing for both your wired connection adapter as well as your wireless connection adapter.
Step 3 – Use an Ethernet Cable
Another way to reduce high ping in Ark Survival and ensure a good internet connection is to use an Ethernet cable. A wired connection will allow you to establish a direct connection with your router, eliminating any potential wireless interference that could be affecting your ping.
Using a wired connection instead of wifi, if not all of the time, most of the time will get you a lower and more stable ping in Ark Survival. I understand that sometimes it may not be possible for you to connect to your network via an Ethernet cable. If that’s the case, then you may consider moving your computer or laptop closer to your router to have a better and more stable connection or getting a better gaming router.
Here are two cheap but highly effective ethernet cables: VANDESAIL and AB RJ45
Step 4 – Configure the Windows Update delivery settings
Windows updates are essential for the security and performance of your computer, but if you’re experiencing unstable ping in Ark Survival, they may be to blame. Windows updates can cause high ping in Ark Survival due to the high usage of your internet bandwidth.
To reduce the chances of this happening, you should configure your Windows Updates delivery settings. This will prevent Windows from downloading or installing new updates while you are playing, ensuring your internet bandwidth won’t be used and you won’t have spikes of high ping.
Navigate to your search bar and type”Windows Update Delivery” and click on Windows Update delivery settings.
The first thing to do here is to disable the option ”Allow downloads from other PCs”, navigate down, and click on the advanced options tab.
Switch from Absolute Bandwith to Percentage of measured bandwidth, limiting both percentages bars to 5%.
Scroll down to upload settings and limit the first option to 5%.
By applying the above setting, you ensure that Windows will not use more than 5% of your total bandwidth while you are playing Ark Survival.
Step 5 – Flush your DNS
Flushing your DNS is another way to lower ping and unthrottled your internet speed. This will clear the cache of all old address records and Ark Survival’s game servers you have ever connected, forcing your computer to fetch new ones from a DNS server, potentially reducing the ping rate.
To clear your DNS, type the following commands on your CMD in the same order as you see below.
How to open CMD as an administrator
Command #1: ipconfig /flushdns
Command #2: ipconfig /registerdns
Command #3: ipconfig /release
Command #4: ipconfig /renew
Command #5: netsh Winsock reset
Step 6 – Change DNS servers
Many ISPs use their own DNS servers, which may not be the most optimized for gaming since they don’t prioritize gaming traffic. To get the best results, try using a third-party DNS such as OpenDNS or Google Public DNS.
Head to Control Panel -> Network and Internet -> Network and Sharing Center -> Change adapter settings.
Right-click the network connection you want to change the DNS servers and select “Properties”. You should do this and the next step for each network connection separately.
Click on “Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCIP/IPv4)”, and click “Properties”.
Mark “Use the following DNS server addresses“, enter the addresses of the new DNS servers you want to use, and click “OK”.
Best DNS Servers for Ark Survival
| DNS | Primary DNS Server | Secondary DNS Server |
| Google DNS Server | 8.8.8.8 | 8.8.4.4 |
| Cloudflare | 1.1.1.1 | 1.0.0.1 |
| Quad9 | 9.9.9.9 | 149.112.112.112 |
| Comodo DNS | 8.26.56.26 | 8.20.247.20 |
Step 7 – Update BIOS
I always recommend running on the latest BIOS version since manufacturers provide frequent updates to address issues and fix stability problems or even enhance performance in some cases. So definitely, one of the things we want to do here is to make sure that an outdated BIOS does not cause high ping in Ark Survival.
Here is a small guide on how to update your BIOS.
PLEASE DO NOT TURN OFF YOUR PC OR TAKE OUT THE POWER CABLE WHILE UPDATING YOUR BIOS.
Once the process is done, it will most likely take you back to BIOS. Now it’s time to optimize your BIOS settings.
Step 8 – Deep scan for Malware and Miners
One common issue I’ve encountered while I am doing my PC optimization service on other people’s computers is that they have miners and sometimes even malware running on their computers, and they haven’t even noticed. These malicious programs use your computer’s resources to do their dirty work, which can severely impact your game performance and internet speed.
To reduce any potential impact these programs may have on your online game and your internet connection, it is important to do a deep scan of your system for malware or miners on a regular basis.
Apart from your internet connection and computer resources being used, there is also a high chance that your gaming accounts, bank accounts, cards, and any personal data you have stored on your PC will be used by someone else(and not for a good cause).
So, what I recommend doing is downloading Malwarebytes. You can get the free version or the 14day trial. After the free premium trial ends, you can still use Malwarebytes free version. Keep in mind that the free version doesn’t provide real-time protection. It’s only valid for manual scans. ( If you want to have top-notch digital security, you can get the premium version and then disable Windows defender.)
Install Malwarebytes and then open it. Click on Scanner -> Advanced Scanners -> Configure scan, and select the option scan for rootkits and also, on the right side, select all your drives and click on scan. This scan may take a lot of time, but it can save you from very unwanted situations.
Once the scan is done, quarantine everything and restart your PC.
Disable automatic scans, and you should be good to go!
If you get the full version, you won’t have to worry again about viruses, malware, etc., infecting your pc. If you keep it free, you’ll have to do some manual scans from time to time to make sure everything is OK.
Step 9 – Test a VPN
If you need to use a VPN while playing, then you’d better get a high-quality one to avoid high ping and packet loss.
VPN will only help you get better ping only in scenarios when your ISP is throttling your connection.
If you decide to use one, I recommend using NordVPN since from the test we’ve done they seem to have the most stable and low speed as well as close to zero disconnections.
You can always test it, and then if it doesn’t lower your ping, you can ask for a refund since they offer a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Step 10 – Restart the Modem.
Now that you’ve done everything needed to fix your high ping issue in Ark Survival, go ahead and restart your modem and your PC, and you should be good to go!
Step 11 – Disconnect other Connected Devices
Disconnecting other devices connected to the network can help with latency and lower ping. Many homes have multiple computers and devices connected to the same internet connection, from TVs to multiple mobile phones connected via wi-fi.
To fix this problem, try disconnecting any devices that aren’t actively being used for online gaming from your network and try playing Ark Survival to see if your ping is lower or the same.
Step 12 – Call your Internet Service Provider
If everything we discussed in this guide fails and you are still experiencing high ping, it may be time to call your Internet Service Provider. They can help troubleshoot any potential hardware problems that could be causing the ping instability and suggest solutions for improving your internet speed.
