For about two weeks, my connection has been experiencing frequent latency spikes—roughly two or three times per minute. Pings to both my router and Google show the spikes, and the problem affects multiple devices. My phone's mobile connection has also shown similar behavior. Ethernet seems stable, but running a cable isn't practical for me, and the issue makes competitive gaming nearly impossible. The spikes happen at different times rather than only during peak hours. I've already restarted the router, and moving my laptop right beside it didn't help. The connection is fiber, and I'm wondering whether an overheating or poorly stacked fiber box could be involved.
3 Answers
Run a continuous ping to both the router’s local address and a reliable outside address such as 1.1.1.1. If both show spikes, the problem is happening on your local network or wireless connection. If only the outside ping spikes, it points more toward the ISP or fiber connection. Since you’re seeing the issue all the time and even the router ping is affected, document the results and contact the ISP for a line and equipment check.
Since the spikes appear even when pinging the router itself, this probably isn’t just a problem with one game or its servers. Rebooting the router is worth trying, but if that didn’t change anything, check whether the router or fiber equipment is getting unusually hot and make sure the devices aren’t stacked or blocking ventilation. If the issue continues, the ISP should test the line and replace the equipment if necessary.
I unplugged and restarted the router, but the spikes continued afterward.
Wireless interference is one possibility, but moving the laptop right next to the router and still seeing the same behavior makes ordinary Wi-Fi range problems less likely. Try changing the Wi-Fi channel or using the 5 GHz network if available, but compare it with a wired test whenever possible. If Ethernet stays stable while Wi-Fi continues to spike, the router’s wireless hardware or settings may be the culprit.
I tested with the laptop beside the router and still had the same latency spikes.
It happens throughout the day, and the ping to the router spikes too, not just the internet ping.