The Nintendo Switch isn’t exactly a powerhouse of a console, but when it comes to ensuring fast internet speeds, your Nintendo Switch offers a surprising amount of support.
So if you want to improve how long it takes to download a game or how smoothly you can play online games, you can fine-tune the features available on your Switch and your internet settings. But how can you improve the internet speed of your Nintendo Switch? Let’s find out.
1. Change the Internet MTU settings on your Nintendo Switch
A quick way to increase your Nintendo Switch’s Internet speed is to manually change the Maximum Transfer Unit, or MTU, of your Nintendo Switch.
By manually increasing the MTU, your Nintendo Switch can move more data between itself and your internet source at any one time. This helps increase download speeds while ensuring that your Switch allows for the fastest possible speeds.
To manually increase your console’s allowable MTU, make sure your Nintendo Switch is connected to the Internet and follow these steps:
- From your Nintendo Switch home screen, select System settings.
- Highlight options for Internetand select Internet settings.
- Select your wired or Wi-Fi connection and press Change settings.
- From here, select MTU.
- Change the value for MTU from 1400 to 1500.
By setting the MTU value to the highest value available, 1500, on your Nintendo Switch, you ensure that your console can transfer the maximum amount of data. And with your Switch’s MTU value maximized, you should hope to experience better Internet speeds.
2. Change the DNS settings on your Nintendo Switch
Similar to using the Internet settings on your Nintendo Switch to change your console’s MTU preferences, you can also optimize your Switch’s DNS settings to improve Internet speed.
In terms of what a DNS server is, as far as your Nintendo Switch is concerned, the DNS settings refer to the server your Switch connects to. By default, your Nintendo Switch will use the DNS server associated with your network provider.
However, the default DNS server used by the Switch is not necessarily the fastest. On average, the public DNS server provided by Google is faster. To change the DNS server on your Nintendo Switch and potentially increase your internet speed, follow these steps:
- Again, enter the file System settings from your Switch’s Home screen.
- Make evident Internetand select Internet settings.
- Reselect your internet connection and select Change settings.
- To select DNS settingsand choose Manual.
- From here, select Primary DNS and set the value to 008.008.008.008.
- Similarly, select Secondary DNS and set the value to 008.008.004.004.
- Finally, strike Save.
Your Nintendo Switch will disconnect and reconnect to your internet source, after switching to the public DNS server provided by Google. And, with your DNS settings optimized, you should be able to see sharper internet speeds from your Switch.
3. Connect your Nintendo Switch to 2.4GHz and 5GHz connections
In addition to changing the settings on your Switch, you can also change how your internet source connects wirelessly to your Nintendo Switch.
Your Wi-Fi hub probably connects to your Nintendo Switch using the 2.4GHz or 5GHz Wi-Fi bands, but there are some differences between the 2.4GHz or 5GHz Wi-Fi bands in regards to internet speed. The relationship of each band to Internet speed can be defined as follows:
- A 2.4GHz Wi-Fi connection is better over long distances but provides a weaker signal to your devices.
- A 5GHz signal is much stronger and provides a better and faster connection, but it only works well over short distances with little interference.
So, depending on how far your Nintendo Switch is from your Wi-Fi hub or where you use it most of the time, you may want to make sure your connection is right for you.
By optimizing whether your Switch is connected via a 2GHz or 5GHz connection, you should see an immediate increase in internet quality for your Nintendo Switch. Although, only if done under the right circumstances.
4. Use a wired Ethernet connection on your Nintendo Switch
If all the changes to your Switch and Wi-Fi settings don’t seem to increase the internet speed on your Switch, you may want to consider a more drastic change to your setup.
Specifically, if you haven’t already, you can switch from a wireless to a wired connection using an Ethernet cable. While it will only work in docked mode, it will ensure that your Switch is using the fastest internet connection possible.
To use an Ethernet cable to create a wired connection between your Wi-Fi hub and Nintendo Switch, you need to plug the Ethernet cable into the port located on the back of your Nintendo Switch base and into a port on your Wi-Fi hub.
From here, your Nintendo Switch can take advantage of how Ethernet connections allow for faster internet speeds and provide you with consistent and faster internet for your console.
Get more out of your Nintendo Switch by boosting your internet speed
With these tricks for faster internet speeds, you should be well on your way to improving your online experience with your Nintendo Switch. And with a surprising amount of built-in features that support Internet and Wi-Fi adjustments, many Internet boosting tools are a welcome surprise.
And with your Nintendo Switch optimized for faster internet, you shouldn’t have any problems downloading new games and services or playing online games from your Nintendo Switch – barring any issues with your internet provider, of course.
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