Fix League of Legends High Ping and Lag Spikes

Lag spikes and high ping in League of Legends are usually caused by background apps eating your bandwidth or local service conflicts. You can typically clear this up by isolating your network and disabling specific traffic-throttling background services.

Why this happens

Traffic prioritization software or background downloads often compete with your game data for bandwidth. DNS lookup delays or router cache issues can also cause stuttering during matches.

What you'll need

You will need administrator access to your Windows account to modify system services and network adapter properties.

Steps

1. 01
   Disconnect any active VPNs and press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager. In the Processes tab, sort by the Network column and end any high-bandwidth tasks like cloud syncs or active downloads.
2. 02
   Unplug both your modem and router from power for at least 30 seconds. Plug the modem back in first and wait for the signal to stabilize before reconnecting your router.
3. 03
   Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter. Locate Killer Network Service or Rivet Bandwidth Control, right-click them, and select Properties to set the Startup type to Disabled to stop traffic throttling.
4. 04
   Navigate to Control Panel/Network and Sharing Center/Change adapter settings. Right-click your connection, select Properties, open Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4), and set your DNS to 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4.
5. 05
   Right-click your Start menu and select Terminal (Admin). Type ipconfig /flushdns and press Enter to clear your local DNS resolver cache.

Still not working?

If you are still experiencing latency, visit the official Riot Games status page to check for regional outages. If the status is green, the issue likely lies with your ISP routing, in which case using a different network or a gaming-specific VPN may provide a more stable path to the game servers.

Frequently asked questions

Will disabling Killer Network Service break my internet?

No, it only stops the proprietary software that tries to prioritize traffic. Your network adapter will continue to function normally using standard Windows drivers.

Why does changing DNS help with ping?

While it does not change your physical distance to the server, it can speed up how quickly your computer translates server addresses, which helps reduce connection hiccups during the initial handshake.