Online sim racing has – in theory and popular forum opinion – always required a hard-lined Ethernet cord to your PC to ensure no issues.
But is this really the case? I say no.
While hard-lined is the sure fire way to race online, you may not have that luxury depending on your living situation. This is something I’m very familiar with, living in eight different places the past seven years, not including my current house. Along that journey, there’s been times when it hasn’t been possible, or practical, to run an Ethernet cord to my rig.
So I’ve raced wirelessly…with no issues. This dates all the way back to 2009, even when wireless technology was pretty “meh”.
With that said, there are things that you can do to help yourself out when it comes to racing via your wireless router. First, buy a decent wireless adapter. Decent doesn’t mean expensive. I’ve been using the TP-Link Wireless N Nano USB Adapter and works like a charm for $8.
Second, and this is a tougher one because many people only have one option where they live, you need a decent internet provider and plan. You don’t necessarily need fast internet, 10 mbps download speed is plenty and you can probably race online with less, but you need one that’s consistent to avoid latency and connection issues. Even me running Time Warner, voted worst company in the US, have been able to race online without issue.
Lastly, it would behoove you to try to keep the wireless router – or router/modem – as close to your PC as possible. I have mine in my studio only 25 feet away from my gaming PC. The closer you can keep it, the stronger the signal.
You shouldn’t be afraid of racing online wirelessly. The technology is there, and if your Ethernet cord can’t be, take these steps and come race with us.
