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What are packet bursts and what causes them?
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Everyone knows about packet loss, but packet bursts are just as common and can impact your online games just as much. Here’s all you need to know about packet bursts, including what causes them and how they impact your game
By Virgin Media Edit
- Published
- 26 June 2025
What is a packet burst?
A packet burst happens when the small chunks of data traveling through a network, called packets, get sent or received all at once in a rather of in a smooth and steady stream. Data packets are meant to move smoothly and evenly, but when you have connection issues, the data can sometimes get delayed and then arrive all at once in a "burst."
When you’re gaming online, packet bursts can cause problems like lag, stuttering, or freezing, since the game can’t keep up with all the data it suddenly has to process. This may cause other players to "teleport," or delays in your actions on-screen, making playing online more difficult than it needs to be.
Packet bursts are more likely to happen when a lot of data needs to be sent quickly, like video streaming, large file downloads, or software updates. They can also happen when many devices try to send data at the same time, like during a video call with many participants.
What causes packet bursts?
Packet bursts can be caused by problems with your internet connection, your device, or how your network is set up. Here’s some of the most common causes:
Network congestion happens when too many people or devices try to send or receive data at the same time. Just like a traffic jam on a busy road, the network gets overloaded, causing packets to pile up. When the network finally clears, many packets may be sent together in bursts, which can cause delays and interruptions when you’re gaming.
Wireless connections can be affected by interference from other devices, walls, or the distance of your device from the router. When interference or weak signals disrupt communication, packets can get lost or delayed. To catch up, devices may send bursts of packets all at once the connection stabilises, leading to sudden spikes in data flow.
Networking hardware like routers, modems, and switches use memory buffers to temporarily hold data packets. If the hardware’s processing speed or storage capacity is limited, it can cause packets to build up and then be released in bursts. Older or slower devices are more likely to cause this because they can’t handle a steady stream efficiently, leading to bursts.
Online games often have settings that affect how data is sent and received. Certain graphics settings, like on-demand texture streaming or shader pre-loading, can change packet delivery to reduce lag or synchronise player actions. While these settings can work great in some games, they can also cause sudden lag spikes or stuttering when you’re online, especially during intense moments when lots of information needs to be updated quickly.
Lots of other things can cause packet bursts, from software bugs and network protocols to sudden changes in internet speed. Sometimes updates, downloads, or background apps running on your device can also cause packet bursts as they send large amounts of data unexpectedly, creating bursts that affect your connection.
Most packet bursts happen when there’s a problem with your connection. Whether it’s because too many people are using the network at once, interference is messing with your WiFi, or your broadband can’t keep up, bursts show that your network is struggling to handle data properly.
If you’re struggling with packet bursts and other connection issues like lag and packet loss, it may be time to upgrade your broadband.
How can I check for packet bursts?
If you’re on Windows of Mac, the easiest way to check for packet bursts is to use Task Manager on Windows or Activity Monitor on macOS, which show how much data your computer is using over time. If you see the network graph jump up quickly and then drop, that could be a burst of packets.
Gamers can also use in-game network graphs (many online games have these options) by enabling them in your game settings. These graphs often show things like ping, packet loss, and bandwidth. If you notice large, quick spikes in the “bandwidth” or “packet rate” sections, it’s a sign that packet bursts are happening during gameplay.
If you’re unsure if your connection issues are caused by packet bursts or other problems like high ping or slow broadband speeds, use our broadband speed test to test your broadband speed and check for connection issues.
How do packet bursts impact gaming?
When packets arrive in bursts, the game has to wait to get all the information before it can update what’s happening on your screen. This delay can make your game feel slow or choppy, and sometimes, you might even get disconnected if the bursts are very bad.
Even minor packet bursts can make playing online games more difficult than it needs to be. Your game can freeze or lag for moments at a time, and your actions might happen later than when you do them, making it hard to play well in fast-paced games like first-person shooters or racing games.
Preventing packet bursts when you’re gaming
Packet bursts might be frustrating, but there’s plenty you can do to prevent them and keep your gaming experience running nice and smooth:
While it’s simplest option for getting connected, WiFi can be affected by distance, walls, and other wireless devices connected to your router. If you’re serious about gaming, using an Ethernet cable to connect your gaming device directly to the router gives a more stable and consistent connection. This helps reduce sudden bursts of data and keeps your packets flowing smoothly.
Many programs on your computer or console might be using your internet connection without you realising it. When these apps suddenly send or receive large amounts of data, your internet connection can become congested, forcing your game’s data packets to queue up and then be sent in bursts once bandwidth is available.
By closing unnecessary applications and pausing downloads during gameplay, you free up bandwidth and allow your game data to travel smoothly and steadily.
Network drivers are the software that helps your device communicate with your network hardware, while firmware is the software inside your router that controls how it operates. Both can have bugs or performance issues that affect data flow if they’re not updated regularly, and running outdated drivers can cause packet bursts or packet loss.
Regularly updating your network drivers and router firmware will help your devices run efficiently and handle data more smoothly, reducing packet bursts.
When you play online games, your device communicates with a game server that processes your actions and sends back updates. If this server is located far away, data packets have to travel a longer distance, which increases latency and the chance of packet loss or delays. This can cause your game to receive bursts of packets as the connection tries to catch up.
Selecting a game server closer to your physical location shortens the travel time for data packets, allowing for more consistent and timely delivery. This reduces the likelihood of packet bursts and improves responsiveness when you're gaming online.
If multiple devices like smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, or other computers are all connected and actively using the internet, they share the same bandwidth. Heavy usage by one device—such as streaming videos, downloading large files, or video conferencing—can cause congestion on your network.
This congestion can delay the transmission of your game data, leading to packets being sent in bursts rather than smoothly. By limiting or scheduling heavy internet use on other devices when you’re gaming, you reduce network traffic spikes and help maintain an even flow of packets to your gaming device.
If you notice you get more packet bursts in certain parts of your home, you might be dealing with weak WiFi coverage. A WiFi booster can extend the existing signal to reach further, while a mesh WiFi system uses multiple nodes placed around your home to create a seamless, stronger network.
These are especially useful in larger homes or places with thick walls that block signals. With better coverage, your gaming device or console won’t struggle with signal strength, which means less chance of packet bursts and all-round smoother gameplay.
Still having packet burst issues?
If you’ve tried everything and still experiencing packet burts, the issue might be with the broadband package you’ve got rather than the equipment itself.
Some broadband plans simply don’t offer enough speed or bandwidth for heavy use, especially in homes with lots of devices connected at the same time. For example, if you're trying to stream 4K videos, play online games, and have video calls all at once, a basic internet package might not keep up with it all, leading to packets bursting when you're online.
If you're looking for an upgrade, we’ve got a range of ultrafast broadband options with average download speeds ranging from 136Mbps with M125 all the way to 1130Mbps and beyond when you go gigabit. Check out all our gaming broadband deals and enter your postcode to see all of the speeds you can get in your area.
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