I'm paying for 2 Gbps internet through Xfinity, but for the past week my PlayStation has been showing roughly 151 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload. I use a LAN cable from an eero unit to the console, yet I'm still experiencing severe lag while gaming and buffering while watching TV. The eero app reports around 1.36 Gbps download and 90 Mbps upload, while Google and PlayStation speed tests show much lower numbers. Technicians have said the connection looks fine, and I've already tried the usual troubleshooting steps. Why are these tests so different, and what could be causing the lag?
4 Answers
The speed test on a PlayStation isn’t always a reliable measurement of your full internet capacity, and consoles may not use anywhere near a multi-gig connection. Getting 151 Mbps by itself doesn’t necessarily explain severe lag. Look for packet loss or high ping while the problem is happening, and check whether other devices are heavily using the connection. A direct wired test will help separate an ISP issue from an eero or wireless-backhaul problem.
Use a decent Cat5e, Cat6, or Cat6a cable; Cat5e is already sufficient for gigabit and doesn’t need to be Cat8. The cable rating probably isn’t the main issue unless it’s damaged, very old, or the connection is negotiating at 100 Mbps. The important test is whether the console performs normally when connected directly to the primary router rather than to a satellite eero.
Wi-Fi can be fast on paper but still suffer from interference, congestion, distance, and the fact that it’s shared and half-duplex. For gaming, latency, packet loss, and jitter matter more than the maximum download speed. Test with the console connected directly to the primary router, then check whether the lag continues. Also try a different Ethernet cable and router port, and make sure the console’s link is negotiating at gigabit speed.
The eero app is probably measuring the connection between the eero system and your modem, not the actual connection reaching the PlayStation. If the eero unit is connected to the main router wirelessly, plugging the console into that eero only gives you a wired connection for the last few feet—the wireless backhaul is still the bottleneck. If possible, connect the PlayStation directly to the main router with Ethernet and compare the results. A MoCA adapter can also help if you have coax jacks near both locations; powerline adapters are another option, though their performance varies.
The cable is currently connected from the eero unit to the PlayStation, so I assumed that counted as a wired connection. I’ll test it directly from the main router and check for packet loss too.