Is a 4g router/modem sufficient for gaming?

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acewing905@reddit

Entirely depends on how good your reception is. Where I live, out of four available options, not one single service provider gets me more than 5 Mbps speed to most services and with abhorrent latency on top of that. So it wouldn't work for me at all

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Hrmerder@reddit

Nope… not live nor downloading

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FederalGanache@reddit

no, plus ull probably hit the data cap before u even finish downloading ur first game.

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misoscare@reddit

Not if it's unlimited

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t90fan@reddit

"unlimited" plans still have a cap, they call it "fair use" and its bullshit

The "unlimited" plans fair use is is 20gb/day on my operator

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misoscare@reddit

I know I'm on unlimited and the speed drops but then again I average almost 100gb plus a day

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t90fan@reddit

Man your lucky my operator just cuts you off when you exceed it rather than capping your speed

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misoscare@reddit

I'm talking like early internet days like an update from the play store at 100mb will take 2 hours

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Apprehensive-AR@reddit

3 years ago I was using a 4G Router (ADSL was crap as hell and really expensive and fiber wasn't there yet)
I pay like 12 euros for 200GB data cap, BUT, I also pay 8 euros more for unlimited data during the week end
So it make like 10GB for each week days for youtube and else, and download all the thing the week end

I have to re download my steam library and other stuff btw, so I DL 1,2TB the first month lol, for 20 euro flat fee, nice

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Zidern@reddit

What is this "data cap" you speak of?

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Apprehensive-AR@reddit

In most country the 4G / 5G datas are limited to a certain point (they all say unlimited but after that they ether overcharge like it's pure gold or slow it down to the point you can't even load an text only email...)

In my country you basically pay around 25 euros for unlimited calls and 100GB data (even if you can find something way cheaper like mine which is 6 euros for this, and before that I was having a 12 euros 250GB data)

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t90fan@reddit

depends on the data cap on it

generally the data caps are really low (like 4-64gb)

and games are huge (80-150+ GB)

so you might blow right through a months allowance before you've even got it installed

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Ok-Hotel-8551@reddit

I think usually these are about 600g

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Mango-is-Mango@reddit

It will not be a good experience for online games

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Serberou5@reddit

Disagree. I used 4g tethering on my phone for online games for 7 years without issue.

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stringstringing@reddit

Playing what games?

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Sic_Sic_Six@reddit

Speed is half the battle. Who cares if you get 1PB down and up consistently if your latency/ping is 200ms.

The answer is for NON competitive or fast paced shooter games, sure, a 4g/5g tether will work... But if you wanted to play any online FPS, you will most likely suffer from high ping.

30ms is fine, 60ms is pretty much the threshold.... It's OK but 0ping players will roll you. Anything more than 60ms is very noticeable.

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Serberou5@reddit

My ping is 25ms.

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Apprehensive-AR@reddit

I have test it last time and I obtain around 30ms in 4G, not optimal for competitive game, but enough to play games like Arc raider without any noticeable lag or stuttering

In the end even if you don't notice it, the game is probably a bit harder because you are 2 frames late or something, but not enough to make it unplayable or something

My TV alone have 60-80ms input lag at least, so.... (not a good one for gaming, but really nice image quality, and my PC screen is dead)
I have fiber 11ms but with this TV I'm at least 70-90ms late (a LOT) and I play Arc Raider a lot, and it's fine and fun. That been say I wouldn't try SF6 or competitive game

But I'm probably way more late than you with your 25ms so yep, I agree with you, it's feasible for most games until you don't try to goes into the "pro gaming" side

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dtmaik@reddit

As long as you have no data cap or can arrange with it you should be more than fine. I did play back then on 3G, 4G and now sometimes on 5G net and except 3G I always had a nice experience with my ping.

3G = 70-120ms ping was unstable af. 4G = 50-60ms (in the game I played), stable af and super nice playable. 5G = 30-40ms also stable af.

Even competitive games are fine with that Ping unless you are an esport pro

Buuuut the main thing for you will be the quality of the signal in ur area, if you have only 2 bars then your experience will be obviously way worser than it would be with 5 so you gotta check that before investing

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Apprehensive-AR@reddit

Hello, last time my fiber connection was down a few days so I use my smartphone in USB as a 4G router on my PC to have internet

I forgot about it so I play Arc Raider a few times, it play fine with no noticeable problem, no stuttering or lag

That been say, I have 11ms delay on my fiver connection, but 33ms on my 4G connexion
So on a slow paced game like Arc Raider it's fine, but for a competitive game like SF6 of Counter Strike it could make it bad for you like a disadvantage VS peoples with low latency

And other point, 4G bandwidth is totally fine, and ping is okey...but if the 4G cell is not saturated. I live countryside with almost no one on the cell tower but me! So I always have max speed / ping possible
But if you live in a crowded place like big city, pretty sure at some hours in the day the perfs would god down if the Cells antenna are saturated

But good thing is you can already test it, just plug your phone with USB to your computer (and nope, no Wifi or Bluetooth, USB I say) and test a few hours (if like me in France you have really cheap big data envelop 4G, I pay like 6 euros / month for unlimited calls and limited 100GB 4G datas)

A 4G router is basically a phone in a box (sort of) and won't offer that much performance than a good smartphone like a Samsung or Huawei, it won't be quicker (it could just reach away more easily with bigger antenna or external antenna, but bandwidth speed and ping would be the same)

5G connection are better btw (phone or 5G box)

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Zidern@reddit

Depends what you play.

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Synicism77@reddit

That will give you between 25 and 40 mbps. Not sure if that's enough or not.

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EpicWaller@reddit

Not my ass thinking what the fuck is a 4 gram router : how do they get this light :)

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misoscare@reddit

If you are forced to use 4G/5G op then look at an outdoor router for maximum connection.

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DimaZveroboy@reddit

It depends on where you live. If the signal is stable, everything will be fine

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CtrlAltDesolate@reddit

Will be ok for downloading but horrible for playing.

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psycho-Ari@reddit

It heavily depends on where you are. I am in a situation where I could only get 16Mbit "normal" Internet for my apartment so I decided to test out unlimited data plan from phone and I played on 4G for almost 2 years without any problems at all, usually I had 80-100Mbit download and around 30-40ms ping. Now I am using the same system but with 5G and it's 150Mbit download and 18-28ms ping.

For comparison I have a trouble looking up websites with 4G when I am at my in laws.

So yeah, it's definitely possible but it vary very much by where you live and how good the signal is.

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