Is Earthlink Internet Good For Gaming?
Is EarthLink Internet for Gaming Good?
As for the requirements, first of all, online gamers must have a stable and high-speed connection to the Internet. Delayed movement, high ping rates, and regular disconnects make any gaming experience almost unmanageable. Therefore, when selecting an Internet service provider (ISP), gamers must consider whether the provider can provide the required speed and connectivity to allow seamless online gaming.
For this article, I will explore whether the services offered by the EarthLink internet packages are sufficient for online gaming.
General information about Internet Services offered by EarthLink
EarthLink is one of the oldest Internet Service Providers in the United States; it began to offer dial-up Internet in 1994. It has expanded to provide a variety of broadband internet services for home and corporate use.
EarthLink provides various forms of Internet connection such as cable, fiber optic, and DSL depending on the location. Speeds vary between 50 Mbps and up to 1 gig, with no throttling on most internet service providers’ plans. They also offer internet security software and electronic mail services.
This is why evaluating EarthLink’s customer service is quite challenging since the reviews are mixed. Customers have expressed satisfaction with the quick resolution of their issues while others have described the hold times and runaround as frustrating. This may be a disadvantage since having a good relationship with customer support is crucial for gamers.
Several key facets need to be considered when considering gaming internet connection.
For online gaming, an internet plan needs to satisfy the following criteria.
- High Download Speeds: Games should download quickly and be loaded quickly so they do not have to buffer during the game. For high-quality gaming, it is advocated that a minimum bandwidth of 50 Mbps is required.
- Low Ping Rates: Ping is the time it takes for data packets to communicate with gaming servers and is related to lag. A ping, in this case, is measured in milliseconds, and the lower the ping, the better the response to the gameplay. There is no specific number for this as anything below 30 ms ping is considered good.
- Reliable Connectivity: Losing connection to gameplay at any point in time is such a buzz kill. When selecting an ISP, consider those with documented reliable connections.
- Good Customer Service: They should have robust technical customer support so that they can help customers in case there is a problem with connectivity or lag.
Assessing EarthLink Internet for Gaming
Now let’s analyze how suitable EarthLink is to meet the above-mentioned requirements for online gaming.
Speed EarthLink has a bandwidth of 50 Mbps to 1 Gbps for downloads based on the location of your address. Their faster speed tiers include 200 Mbps, 500 Mbps, or 1 Gbps fiber services which are perfect for gaming since downloads and streaming are quick.
However, the availability of high speeds varies depending on local networks. Real data throughput can be considerably less than the maximum attainable rate, particularly during peak traffic hours. It is important not to rely on the information provided above as the only avenue to confirm EarthLink internet speeds in your locality.
Latency Latency or ping rates for customers are not disclosed by EarthLink and there is no information on average latency. According to customer reviews, pings are within the tolerable latencies of about 30ms most of the time. However, it is often coupled with ping variation during rush hours, which has unfavorable effects on online gaming.
While using the cable internet plans, you may also incur more latency than the fiber optic users under the same tariff. Therefore, fiber customers will benefit from latency-sensitive gaming such as online gaming.
Reliability Majority of reports indicate that EarthLink offers fairly stable connectivity without many instances of outages. Exact reliability may depend on the location and local networks’ availability and performance.
The primary cause for disconnection is where there are issues with the cable or wiring to the home. Some of the users have complained about the availability where some have said that they have had availabilities of more than 99 percent while others have reported some downtimes of up to a few hours.
Customer Service The Customer satisfaction level of EarthLink customer service is moderate, which can be good at times, and at other times it is bad. Though they offer technical phone support round the clock, the waiting time may be unbearably long. The support agents are also inconsistent – some are well-aware and willing to help, others do not appear to have been trained at all.
Thus, while simple connection issues should likely be solved at some point (if only with reduced speeds), users requiring further assistance for gaming issues may not be satisfied.
Is EarthLink Internet good for gaming? Final Verdict
The Internet service provider known as EarthLink is capable of offering fast enough connectivity and very good speeds for gaming if and only if their best tariff plans are available for you at your location. Ideally, one would need at least 100 Mbps for the best performance in the game. They also offer their 1 Gbps fiber plan which is also nice if this option is available.
However, there are a few downsides to keep in mind should you experience issues.
They have varying customer and technical support services – not as efficient in troubleshooting of gaming connectivity issues.
The available speeds can differ significantly from the maximum download/upload speeds depending on the location and network constraints.
Latency consistency and few pings may be an issue during the bandwidth busy hours.
In conclusion - EarthLink's internet can be quite adequate for online gaming purposes in many locations. However, this is problematic because Tether’s customer service and connection quality vary by location, and it is possible that more dependable providers can be found at the same price point. Before subscribing, it is best to do extensive research on the time, focusing on your specific area.
