Periodic ping spikes — 20ms normally, then 200ms for a second, back to 20ms — are different from consistently high ping. Here's a systematic approach to finding the cause.
Step 1: isolate to your PC or your network
Run a continuous ping to your router (not the game server):
ping -t 192.168.1.1
(replace with your router IP)
If this ping is clean (no spikes), the issue is upstream (ISP or server).
If this ping also spikes, the issue is local — your PC or router.
Common local causes
Windows Update background download: check Task Manager → Network tab during a spike. If Windows Update services show high network usage, that's the cause. Pause updates.
Antivirus cloud lookup: real-time AV sends file hashes to cloud for verification. Can cause 100-500ms spikes when a new file is encountered.
NIC power management: the NIC entering a low-power state causes a reconnect delay. Disable power management on the NIC in Device Manager.
USB interference: a USB device reconnecting (USB power management) can cause a brief NIC interrupt delay on shared controllers.
DNS: periodic DNS cache expiry causes a new lookup. This looks like a ping spike to the game server but is actually DNS latency.
Network driver
Outdated NIC drivers are a common cause of periodic spikes. Update from manufacturer's website (not Windows Update which often has older versions).
Measuring
PingPlotter (free tier) shows ping history graphically. Run it to your game server for 30 minutes while gaming to see when spikes occur and what the pattern is.
IzanagiOP addresses NIC power management, USB selective suspend, and DNS cache settings. https://terweb.lt/
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