Guild Wars 2

I need to know what minimum down load speed I could have and still play the game effectively??? Right now I have up to 50Mbps according to my cable provider but this is getting expensive. I am not sure I totally understand what is required. Thank you.

Use http://www.speedtest.net to get a more accurate measurement. Preferably, select a server near Texas if you want NA or Frankfurt, Germany if you want EU.

It’s not only your download speed that matters but also your upload speed and latency. Your download speed will affect how many people you can see active, your upload speed affects how active you can be and your latency will determine how quick you see something happen.

You don’t need a very high upload speed compared to your download speed and you don’t need a very high download speed unless you’re surrounded by hundreds of players. 50 Mbps is ~6 MB/s. GW2 will require far less than that, like 100 KB/s DL, 1KB/s UL tops. As for latency, you want around 100-150ms or less. The higher the number, the more noticeable your actions will be delayed by your latency. For example, with a 100ms latency, using a skill will be delayed by that much.

Are the other items you mentioned determined by my own computer??

AshBlade.5279:

Are the other items you mentioned determined by my own computer??

Generally, no.

Download and upload speed are dependent on your ISP and your latency is dependent on how far away you are from GW2’s servers and what type of internet connection you have. Latency can also be affected by your ISP, depending on if/how they prioritize your connection.

Your hardware can be a factor, but really only if you’re using wireless. A wireless connection has a slight increase in latency and a lower transfer speed compared to a wired connection. The worse your signal is, the worse it gets. A wired connection can have the same problem due to a strong electromagnetic interference, but that’s generally not a problem.

Your network usage is also a factor. For example, if you’re downloading or uploading something in the background at max speed, that will cause lag spikes as the game has to fight for bandwidth. This could be a problem if you’re sharing a home network with other people, in which case, if it’s an option, you can prioritize your own computer using your router’s QoS.