The MTU (Maximum Transmission Unit) defines how data is broken into individual packets before communicating between two devices on the network. If a packet exceeds the size you’ve set up, it is fragmented and sent in several packets instead. This can have an adverse effect on latency and throughput.
In this article, we will discuss the best MTU settings for PS4.
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Best MTU Settings for PS4
Finding the best MTU settings is useful if you are experiencing connection issues such as slow download speeds or high latency. The vast majority of people have no reason to change MTU settings on PS4 as the default settings are generally good.
Let me tell you upfront that there is no best setting for MTU that will work best for everyone. It depends on a variety of factors, including network latency, router configuration, type of data traffic, etc.
However, if you want to try some different MTU settings on your PS4 listed below are a few suggestions to try.
| MTU Settings | Who It Best For |
| 1500 | Users with fast, and stable internet connections. Default setting, good for most people. |
| 1473 | Users who experience some issues with latency (ping). |
| 1450 | Users who are having trouble with packet loss and connection drops. |
1500
The default MTU on PS4 is 1500, which generally is a good choice for most situations. This is especially true if you have a high quality router and a stable internet connection with low latency.
1473
1473 is a good option if you want to attempt to lower your latency (ping) at the expense of slightly slower downloads. 1473 is a good starting point for many people looking to experiment with changing their MTU settings on PS4.
1450
1450 is a good choice if you are willing to sacrifice even more download speeds in exchange for better ping stability. This is especially good for FPS games such as Call of Duty, which depend on low latency.
Latency is much more important than speed for gaming on PS4.
Once again, changing MTU settings is more of an art that an exact science. Most people have no reason to change their MTU settings. The default settings are generally ideal.
What is MTU
The maximum transmission unit (MTU) is the max size of a data packet that will be permitted. The MTU is a field in the header of a packet that indicates how many bytes can be contained within a single packet.
MTU settings can impact performance. Too small of MTU will reduce your bandwidth, and too large will result in packet loss and latency problems due to fragmentation.
What Do MTU Settings Do on PS4
The MTU settings on the PlayStation 4 set the maximum transmission unit (MTU) that your console will accept. The MTU is a value that specifies the size of packets that can be sent and received through a network connection.
The MTU settings on the PlayStation 4 set the maximum transmission unit (MTU) that your console will use. The MTU is a value that specifies the size of packets that can be sent and received through a network connection.
This setting affects how large of a packet your PlayStation 4 can send or receive.
Does MTU Setting Matter
When it comes to gaming, the MTU (maximum transmission unit) setting is important as it can impact the stability and performance of your network. The MTU setting tells you how big a piece of data can be transmitted from device to device.
Routers use MTU as an essential factor in choosing the best network link for data traffic delivery and also drop communication errors. But what is going on behind the scenes? Here are some of the reasons why MTU setting matters.
Improves Network Performance
When the MTU (Maximum Transmission Unit) setting is set to too large of a value, data packets may be fragmented and lost.
If the MTU is set too small, it will reduce the amount of available bandwidth for your devices to use.
It Helps in Avoiding Fragmentation
Fragmentation occurs when packets from different sources get separated from each other and are put into different parts of a data packet. This can cause packet loss, latency, and other issues if you don’t have an excellent way to fix this. When setting up your MTU, you must take care of fragmentation because it can cause many problems with your network connection.
It Helps in Reducing Congestion
When there is heavy congestion on your network, it can slow down traffic coming through your routers and switches, leading to severe issues with your business or home network connection if left unchecked for too long. If you set up an MTU that’s too small, then more data will be sent through individual packets, which will only worsen congestion issues on your network connections.
Other Ways to Speed up PS4 Downloads
Downloads for PS4 can be huge in size. Here are a few techniques that can help to speed up your downloads.
Turn Off Background Downloads in Settings.
Another way to speed up your PS4 downloads is by turning off background downloads in Settings under Services & Support options on your PlayStation 4. This will prevent apps from downloading while playing games or watching videos on Netflix or Hulu Plus (if you use those services).
You can also turn off background downloads if you’re downloading files from a USB drive and don’t want them downloading while you play games or watch movies/TV shows on Netflix or Hulu Plus (if you use those services).
Switch To A Wired Ethernet Connection
The Wi-Fi chipset used on the PS4 is notoriously slow. In fact, some of the older PS4 models do not even support the 5 GHz Wi-Fi band. This can reduce download speeds substantially. Fortunately, you have the option of connecting your Sony PlayStation 4 using an ethernet cable. This is going to result in faster downloads and lower latency in games.
Contact Your ISP
There may be a problem with your connection. Your ISP will be able to determine if the signal levels you are receiving to your modem are within spec. This can have a huge effect on your download speed. Also, ask your ISP about the possibility of bumping up the bandwidth of your internet plan. Often times you can get a bump in speed for little to no additional monthly cost.
Wrapping Up
The best MTU values on your PS4 will depend on your internet connection. The default settings are generally the best choice for most gamers. If you want to try different MTU settings, it is usually best to choose a few different values, test them out and see which ones most consistently give you the best results.
If you have followed these steps and still have issues reaching MTU values that work correctly, then it may be time to contact your ISP for more assistance.