6 Tips to Reduce Internet Lag When Gaming

If you enjoy gaming, internet speed is a big deal. There’s nothing more irritating than being in the middle of a great game when all of sudden your internet connection starts to lag. A slow internet connection is annoying in general, but it’s even more frustrating when you’re gaming. Internet lag can completely ruin your game. If you’ve ever yelled at the internet during a game, we have some tips on how to reduce internet lag when gaming.

Internet lag is when there is a delay between when you do something with your controller and when it actually happens on the game server. This can be extremely frustrating because even if you press a button first or move your player first, it doesn’t matter. What you do doesn’t happen on the game server immediately because there is a lag. This can cause you to lose even if you’re faster than other players.

What causes internet lag?

You might think internet lag is caused by a slow internet connection, but your internet speed is not always the cause of the lag. When it comes to gaming, you need both a high-speed internet connection and low network latency. Latency is the amount of time it takes for your game system to send data to the game server and receive it back.

If your WIFI network is configured incorrectly, your router is out-of-date, or your game system is too far away from the router, you could experience internet lag.

Tips to Reduce Internet Lag When Gaming

If you are frustrated, yelling at the game won’t fix it. But, there are a few things you can do to reduce lag and latency when you’re gaming.

Check your internet speed and bandwidth

One of the first things you should check is your internet speed. Look at Fast.com or Speedtest.net. These will tell you how fast your internet is. You need at least 10 Mbps to have a good gaming experience. However, if other people are using the internet while you are gaming, this can significantly affect your gameplay.

Make sure you have a fast enough internet plan to support the number of users in the home. If several people are streaming movies or surfing the web, you might need a high-tier plan that offers faster download speeds and more bandwidth.

Reduce the number of connected devices

If several people are using the internet in your home, you may experience some lag. Not only does it affect your gaming, but the other devices connected to the network may also slow down. Try to choose a time when no one else is using the internet to play a game. This will allow your game to have all of the bandwidth it needs.
Move closer to the router

Moving your game console closer to the router, or moving the router to a more central area of your home may reduce game lag. This can be an issue if you have a larger home. Wifi signals can be blocked by walls and furniture, and cause a laggy game experience. If you can’t move the router or the console, you can try adding a wifi extender to help improve the range of your router.

Replace your router

If you’ve tried moving your game system closer to the router, you may need a better router. A good router can make a big difference when it comes to network connectivity. This is especially important for gaming. An outdated router may be what’s causing your internet lag.

If you are looking for a better gaming experience, it may be time to upgrade your router. A new router will provide better speed and lower latency. If you want to have a lag-free gaming experience, upgrading your router may be the best option.

Use an ethernet cord

The purpose of wireless internet is to not have to hook up your devices to wires. However, a wired connection may be better for gaming. If you experience lag frequently, connecting your game system to the internet with an ethernet cord may solve the problem. A wired connection is faster, more consistent, and less prone to interruptions and internet lag.

Check your TV settings

If you’re having lag issues with a game, it may not be the internet. Many newer smart TVs come with display settings that can cause delays. The issue is not with your internet connection, but with the television. Basically, it’s taking too long to show you the picture. You may have a high refresh rate that is causing your lag. Change your refresh settings to a standard 60 Hz.

If you want to make sure you have the best wifi for gaming, consider consulting with a professional. Intuitive AV offers wifi networking services. We can troubleshoot any networking issues so that you can enjoy your gaming without lag.

Automate Your Life with Smart Home Scenes

If you’re just getting into home automation, you might not know all the cool things you can do with a smart home system. Smart homes can do a lot more than just turn your lights on and off. With a smart home system, you can create scenes that automate everything in your home, from your lighting to your HVAC system.  If you want to get the most out of your smart home, you need to learn how to create smart home scenes that can be used in your daily life.

What are smart home scenes and how do they work?

A smart home scene is a preprogrammed configuration of settings for lights, outlets, and devices in a given room. It tells the lights, outlets, and devices to turn on (or off) and to what level. You can activate a smart home scene with a voice command, by pressing a button on your smart home app. You can also program a scene to happen automatically. For example, you can program your lights to turn on at a certain brightness when it’s time for dinner. You can also set the connected devices or outlets to turn off at a certain time.

Types of Smart Home Scenes

You can use smart home scenes in two different ways to make your life easier. The first way is to set up routines that use voice commands. This is possible when you connect your smart home with an app like Alexa, Siri, or Google Home. Saying a voice command can initiate a programmed scene. For, example “Hey Alexa. Make my coffee.” Or, ”Hello Siri. Let’s cook dinner.”

Remember the sci-fi shows where dinner just popped out of a food slot? Well, a smart home can’t make your dinner magically appear in a food slot, but it can help you make dinner. You can create smart home scenes that help you prepare dinner. Each time you say a voice command, your home will respond by completing a preconfigured set of tasks such as preheating the oven or turning on the kitchen lights.

Using voice commands around your house is pretty cool, but automated scenes can really simplify your life. Automated scenes are scenes that happen automatically. It’s possible to automate every area of your home with a smart scene. You can use scenes to help you wake up in the morning, to remind your children to do their chores, or to keep your home safe at night.

How to set up Smart Home Scenes

Getting a smart home set up and learning how to use all the features can be confusing. If you want to use all the features in your smart home, it’s best to work with a professional. A fully connected home automation system that controls all of your devices will require a professional installation.

There are smart home devices that you can install on your own, but there are some drawbacks to a DIY smart home. A professional will make the setup and process of learning to use your system so much easier.

Setting up a scene is pretty similar no matter which smart home system you use. Your app will have a place to add or create a new scene. Although each system is slightly different when you create a scene you tell the app what to do and in which room.

What can you automate with smart home scenes?

There are virtually endless possibilities when it comes to creating smart home scenes with your smart home. Any light, outlet, or device that connects with your smart home app can be programmed with a scene. Scenes can be programmed to make any device do what you want — like turn on or off, brighten or dim, or increase or decrease the volume. There are limitless possibilities for scenes.

You can create a scene to wake you up in the morning. For example, you can set your window shades to slowly rise when the sun rises to gently wake you up. You can talk to your home, too. Instead of hearing an annoying alarm beep over and over, you can program your speakers to talk to you in the morning in a soft voice saying, “It’s time to get up, sleepyhead.” Your smart home can even start your coffee brewing, warm up the house, and turn on the morning news for you.

At night, your smart home can automatically turn off all the devices in your child’s room. It can also turn off lights throughout the house and lock the doors. The more scenes you created, the more automated your life will be. Once you get the hang of creating smart home scenes, you’ll want to automate everything in your house.

If you are interested in getting started with smart home automation in your home, get in touch with Intuitiv AV. We can answer any questions you have and help you find the smart home system that’s right for you.

Home Theater Lighting Ideas

Is your home theater dull and uninspiring? A great home theater requires the right setup. Although there are many ways to make your home theater more fun and exciting, great lighting makes the biggest impact. The right lighting can turn your home theater into an incredible, immersive movie theater-quality experience Here are a few home theater lighting ideas to make your home theater more exciting.

7 Home theater lighting ideas

Your home theater lighting should enhance your movie-watching experience. You don’t want the room to be too bright or so dark you can’t see. You want the lighting to create the right mood for relaxing and watching a movie. The immersive sound in the room should be matched with immersive lighting. There are several things you can do with the lighting in your home theater to make watching movies more enjoyable.

Eliminate Natural Light

To create a cinematic experience in your home theater, eliminate any natural light. How you go about this will depend on where your home theater is located. If it’s in your living room you may not be able to eliminate all the natural light from the room. But, if your home theater is in a separate room, use black shades or curtains to reduce the amount of natural light entering the room. If your home theater is in your living room, you can close the curtains and turn off any lights in the surrounding rooms.

Overhead Ceiling Lights

Overhead ceiling lights are essential for any home theater room. These are the main source of lighting in the room. When nobody is watching movies, they should be able to illuminate the entire room. The best way to use ceiling lights in a home theater room is to install two rows of dimmable LED lights along the ceiling. This makes the room bright enough for everyone to see when nobody is watching movies. Then, when you want to watch a movie, all you have to do is dim the lights.

Column Lighting

If you want to recreate the feeling of being in a theater, use column lighting in your home theater. You can buy theater columns to put in your room or use LED strip lights to make it look like there are columns. Simply place the lights along the wall of your home theater, spacing them out evenly so they create the illusion of theater columns.

Wall Sconces

Wall sconces are a great way to create ambiance in your home theater. Attach them to the walls of your theater room. They can cast light on the walls and floor, or they can be used to direct light at different angles. These lights can provide soft lighting during movies and are a great way to add dimension to your home theater. They can also remain on without distracting you while watching a movie.

Recessed Lighting

You can add a nice touch of elegance to your room by using recessed lighting. These lights can be seamlessly integrated into the ceiling, so you don’t notice them. They can provide ambient light or accent lighting to the room, depending on how they are installed. Installing recessed lighting in your theater room will give you better control of the lighting in the room. If you need extra lighting, you can turn on the lights and make the room brighter. But if you want a darker room, you can dim them.

LED Strip Lights

LED strip lights can be used in several different ways in your home theater. You know how a movie theater has lights along the floor to light your path? You can use LED strip lights to create the same effect in your home theater. Place them along the floor to create a path on both sides of your seating area. They are a great way to make your home theater look like a real movie theater.

Smart Lighting

Smart lighting is a great addition to any home theater. If there was ever a cool place to have smart lighting, your home theater is it. Adding smart lighting to your theater room allows you to have complete control of the lights. You can dim the lights all at once, or set up scenes to create the lighting experience you want when you watch a movie or entertain guests.

If you are interested in implementing any of these home theater lighting ideas in your home theater room, get in touch with us at Intuitive AV. Our professional installers can take your ideas and bring them to life.

Don’t Miss The Recent Redfin Article We Were Featured In | 13 Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint at Home

The science behind climate change can be overwhelming and complex. When it comes to its impact on the future, much is still undetermined. So how can you take control and do your part to help slow the impact of climate change? While a lot of factors are out of our control, simple changes at home can decrease greenhouse gas emissions and reduce your carbon footprint. Whether it’s insulating your home, planting a garden, or composting food scraps, every effort counts. Or, if you live in a hot climate that receives a considerable amount of sunlight – like El Paso, TX or Oahu, HI – switching to solar power may be the right option for you.

Read on to find out what a carbon footprint is and how to reduce your carbon footprint at home.

13 Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint at Home