How to Improve Internet Speeds on Your Nintendo Switch

Feb 13, 2024

Is your Nintendo Switch internet speed lacking? Try these tips to help boost your online gaming experience.

The Nintendo Switch isn't exactly a powerhouse of a console, but when it comes to ensuring fast internet speeds, your Nintendo Switch features 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 speeds of your Nintendo Switch? Let's find out.

One quick way you can increase the internet speeds of your Nintendo Switch is by manually altering the Maximum Transfer Unit, or MTU, of your Nintendo Switch.

By manually increasing MTU, your Nintendo Switch can move more data between itself and your internet source whenever. This helps to increase download speeds while ensuring your Switch allows for the fastest speeds possible.

To manually increase the allowed MTU of your console, ensure your Nintendo Switch is connected to the internet, and follow these steps:

By setting the MTU value to the highest available value, 1500, on your Nintendo Switch, you guarantee that your console can transfer the maximum amount of data. And with the MTU value of your Switch maximized, you should hopefully experience improved internet speeds.

Similarly to using the internet settings on your Nintendo Switch to alter the MTU preferences of your console, you can also fine-tune the DNS settings of your Switch to improve internet speeds.

In terms of what a DNS server is, regarding your Nintendo Switch, 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 your Switch uses isn't necessarily the fastest. On average, the public DNS server provided by Google is faster. To alter the DNS server on your Nintendo Switch then, and potentially increase your internet speeds, follow these steps:

Your Nintendo Switch will then disconnect and reconnect to your internet source, having switched to the public DNS server provided by Google. And, with your DNS settings fine-tuned, you should be able to see sharper internet speeds from your Switch.

Aside from altering settings on your Switch, you can also change how your internet source wirelessly connects to your Nintendo Switch.

Your Wi-Fi hub likely connects to your Nintendo Switch using 2.4GHz or 5GHz Wi-Fi bands, but there are certain differences between 2.4GHz or 5GHz Wi-Fi bands regarding internet speed. Each band's relation to internet speed can be defined as follows:

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 ensure that your connection is suited to your needs.

By fine-tuning whether your Switch is connected via a 2GHz or 5GHz connection, you should see an immediate increase in the internet quality for your Nintendo Switch. Although, only if done in the right circumstances.

If all the adjustments to your Switch and Wi-Fi settings, don't seem to be increasing your internet speed on your Switch, you might want to contemplate a more drastic change to your setup.

Specifically, if you haven't already, you can switch from a wireless connection to a wired one using an Ethernet cable. While this will only work in docked mode, it will guarantee that your Switch utilizes 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 in your Ethernet cable to the port located on the back of your Nintendo Switch dock and 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.

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 in-built features that support internet and Wi-Fi adjustments, a lot of internet boosting tools come as a welcome surprise.

And with your Nintendo Switch tuned up for faster internet, you should have no problem downloading new games and services or playing online from your Nintendo Switch, barring any internet provider issues, of course.

Josh Free has had a passion for gaming and writing since childhood. Securing a Master's Degree for his studies in creative writing, Josh has started a career as a gaming writer, using his passions and skills to produce articles on everything gaming related.