High ping or a lack of proper network connection is one of the most common problems that gamers can face while playing online multiplayer games. This could be even more infuriating than gaming with hackers.
This can occur for a lot of games. But we decided to address the Overwatch FPS video game, developed by Blizzard Entertainment, issue since this game has a huge player base.
And also because there have been some queries about this issue in some forums and we love this game a lot. Hope you find this article helpful!
What causes the Overwatch disconnecting issues?
A network disconnection issue is an obvious statement. This issue occurs for any online multiplayer game and not just Overwatch. These are the factors that can cause the Overwatch game to disconnect, frequently, and ruin the game experience.
- Incorrect IP or DNS server address
- Weak Network
- Old network drivers
- Lower bandwidth or low network speed
- Router issues
- Network compatibility issues
Why do I have a high ping while playing Overwatch?
The HIgher the network latency or ping (ms), the more lagged output the game will produce. A high ping is usually caused by an improper network. If you are a video game live-streamer, you will need a network with higher bandwidth to avoid this extremely uncomfortable situation. This is generally caused by wireless interference or slope network servers.
Fixes for the Overwatch Disconnection issue
- Run the Battle.net Looking-Glass troubleshooter
- Check for wireless interference on your Wi-Fi network
- Reset the network
- Reset the network Winsock data
- Flush the network DNS TCP/IP
- Switch to another DNS server address
- Update the network driver on your PC
- Disable your Windows and antivirus firewall
- Terminate applications that use more bandwidth
- Deactivate the proxy server for the network
Solving the Overwatch Disconnection issue
These are the solutions for Overwatch players to resolve the Overwatch disconnection or high ping issue on their PC.
Run the Battle.net Looking-Glass troubleshooter
The Battle.net Looking Glass is a network troubleshooter that can be used to check the Overwatch servers on your computer. This is developed by Blizzard Entertainment, who are the developers of the Overwatch video-game series.
These are your troubleshooting steps to test the strength of your Overwatch server.
- Go to the Looking Glass site on your web browser.
- Choose the region, which you belong, from the Select the region drop-down menu.
- From the Select the service menu, select the game server – Overwatch.
- Click on the three checkboxes, namely – MTR, Traceroute, and Ping.
- Then, press the Run Test button.
This process will take some time to complete and every internet aspect that is available on your computer will be analyzed and displayed as the test results on the web page. You can share your results with the Overwatch forum or with Blizzard. They might offer you the correct steps to fix this network issue for Overwatch.
Check for wireless interference on your WiFi network
We all know the wireless network’s rule of thumb is that lower the bars on the Wi-Fi signal, slower than usual the network on your device. Wireless interference is a very common issue in every place with a WiFi connection.
This is, generally, caused by a barrier between the modem and the receiving device. If the WiFi router is far from your device or if there are a lot of walls between the router and the device, the network will be slow.
If this is your case, you will have to move the modem to a convenient place, preferably closer to the device that you use to run Overwatch. This is the simplest method to fix a slow network and improve the network bandwidth. If your PC connects to the network wirelessly, you can try using an ethernet cable to get the internet through a LAN connection.
Reset the network
Resetting the network router is a possible solution for almost every network issue. Your network router has a small reset button, that is usually placed inside a tiny hole on its back.
Use a thin object like a tooth pin or a pin to insert inside the hole and push the button. Hold it for around 5 seconds and remove it. All the lights on your router will go off and turn on back again.
The entire process should take about one minute and once it is complete, your device will connect to a refreshed network. Your network issue will most probably be solved with the network reset.
Reset the network Winsock data
The Winsock data of a network is the Windows 10 OS feature that manages network input and output for applications that seek access to the internet. This is the feature that determines the bandwidth allocation for the applications on your computer.
Resetting your network’s Winsock data can help you resolve some network conflicts. So, there is a chance that your Overwatch network issues can be fixed with this method.
Use these steps to reset the network Winsock data on Windows 10.
- Launch the Command Prompt window with administrator privileges. You just have to locate the Command Prompt (cmd.exe) tool, right-click on it and select Run as administrator.
- From the prompt window, click on the Yes button, and the Administrator: Command Prompt window will open.
- In the script window, enter this command and execute it by pressing the Enter key on your computer.
netsh winsock reset
- Once this operation ends, restart your computer to save the changes that were made.
After you finish this procedure, launch the Overwatch game to see if the network issue persists.
Flush the network DNS and TCP/IP
If resetting Winsock data didn’t work for you, raise it up a notch. You can try to flush the DNS server address and the TCP/IP address for your network. These are the elements that provide you with a digital location, network proxy, and are responsible for the websites to load on your web browser.
To clean your network connection’s DNS address & the IP and set them to default, type cmd and execute this command in the Run tool (Press Windows + R at the same time) to launch the Command Prompt utility and execute the following commands, one by one.
ipconfig /releaseipconfig /flushdnsipconfig /renewipconfig /flushdns
Reboot your system and run the Overwatch game to see if the connectivity issues still exist.
Switch to another DNS server address
The Domain Name System (DNS) server address is the feature that helps you connect with websites on a browser. You can change it to a standard address and see if it can let you play Overwatch without any issues.
The following is a procedure for changing the network’s DNS server address.
- Open the Windows Settings (Windows + I key at the same time) and go into the Network & Internet setting tile.
- Select the Ethernet or the Wi-Fi option, depending on the active internet connection from the left panel.
- Select the active network and scroll down to the IP settings section.
- Click on the Edit button at the bottom of the options.
- Under the Edit IP settings drop-down menu, choose the Manual option.
- Check the IPv4 toggle button and two slots for the primary and alternate DNS addresses in a window that appear on your screen.
- In these slots, enter one of the following DNS server addresses and their respective secondary addresses.
These addresses can offer you more security from threats and a network speed boost for your network adapter than your default address. You can also change the DNS through the Windows Control Panel (Type control in the search and open it).
Update the network driver on your PC
An outdated network driver can cause internet-related issues on your PC. It is recommended that you always have the latest version of the network driver software on your computer to provide sufficient internet to the game server.
These are your steps to update the network devices manually on your Windows 10 computer.
- Open the Device Manager (devmgmt.msc) window with the help of the Quick Link menu (Windows + X), Run utility (Windows + R), or the search bar.
- Locate the Network Adapters section and click on it. You’ll be able to see all the network devices on your computer.
- Now, from the list of network devices, right-click on the network device and choose the Update driver option.
- In the Update device wizard, click on the Search automatically for drivers option.
Your computer will be scanned for available updates. If there are any, it will automatically be installed on your computer and you do not have to interact with the interface.
Terminate applications that use more bandwidth
If several applications are accessing the internet, the next application that needs internet will have slower internet than the previously running applications. You will have to check the task manager and end unwanted applications so that the network bandwidth will be prioritized for the Overwatch application.
- Press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys to launch the Task Manager window.
- Check the network column and arrange it in a way that you see the programs that are causing high network usage.
- Right-click on the top-most applications and choose End Task.
Before you kill a program, make sure that the process is not a system process. Do not end it, if it is a system process as it can cause the system to crash.
Disable your Windows and Antivirus firewall
The network firewall can also be very annoying when it comes to security. Though it is quite helpful with helping prevent threats and eradicating existing ones, this tool can blacklist websites and files that are not threats. This could have happened with the Overwatch game server. You will have to disable the Windows Firewall and that of your antivirus to avoid some network issues.
Deactivate the proxy server for the network
If you have an active VPN application on your device, this will show you at a new location, which means that your game server will be changed according to the current region, language, and new IP. Disable this feature and check if the network keeps disconnecting issues on your PC.
These are the procedures to fix the Overwatch disconnection and high ping issues while gaming. You can also try to install and reinstall the game to see if it works without any problem. Happy Gaming!