Packet Loss Troubleshooting
What is this error?
Data packets between your PC and game servers are being lost in transit. Packet loss causes teleporting, rubber-banding, hit registration failures, and random disconnects.
Common causes
- Wi-Fi interference
- damaged Ethernet cable
- ISP network issues
- router overloaded
- network congestion
- faulty network adapter
- driver issue
How to fix it
- Use wired connection
- replace Ethernet cable
- restart router
- update network driver
- contact ISP
Too many steps? Crashless can diagnose this automatically — checks your drivers, temps, VRAM, and 400+ known error patterns.
Get free AI diagnosis Detailed analysis
Packet loss is ruining your game — you're teleporting, enemies are skipping around, shots that should hit are missing, and you randomly disconnect. Packet loss means data is being dropped between you and the server.
Diagnose it first:
1. Open Command Prompt, run 'ping -n 100 8.8.8.8' — if you see ANY lines saying 'Request timed out', you have packet loss. More than 1% is a problem for gaming
Fix it:
- If on Wi-Fi, switch to wired Ethernet NOW. Wi-Fi is the #1 cause of gaming packet loss. Microwaves, Bluetooth, neighbors' routers, and walls all cause interference
- Try a different Ethernet cable — damaged cables cause intermittent packet loss that's hard to diagnose. Use a Cat 5e or Cat 6 cable
- Restart your router and modem — unplug for 60 seconds. Overloaded routers drop packets
- Update your network adapter driver: Device Manager > Network Adapters > right-click your adapter > Update Driver
- Disable Wi-Fi power saving: Device Manager > your Wi-Fi adapter > Properties > Power Management > uncheck 'Allow the computer to turn off this device'
- If you have packet loss on wired Ethernet with a good cable, the problem is likely your ISP. Call them with your ping test results showing packet loss — they can check their equipment
- Check if your router is overheating — feel it. If it's burning hot, it needs better ventilation or replacement
- Consider upgrading your router if it's more than 5 years old
When to seek help
If this error keeps happening after trying the fixes above, it may point to a deeper hardware or system issue. Consider professional help if:
- The crash occurs across multiple games or applications
- You see the same error after a clean Windows install
- Your PC is less than a year old (could be a warranty issue)
- You smell burning or hear unusual sounds from your PC
Or let Crashless do the deep analysis for you -- our AI checks drivers, temps, event logs, and 400+ known patterns automatically.
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