Troubleshoot Connection Quality

Overview

These guides help you troubleshoot Connection Quality issues by relevant issue type, understand the network metrics that impact your Connection Quality, and learn more about the EA Connection Quality Report and how your EA SPORTS FC™ Connection Score is calculated.

Connection Quality guides

Troubleshoot

Metrics

FAQ

Troubleshooting steps

If you’re not able to connect to the EA SPORTS FC™ servers, check the server status on EA Help or @EASFCDirect for updates on server outages. You can also check your platform's server page to see if a recent outage affected your EA SPORTS FC™ connection.If the servers are online, select your issue below to get troubleshooting steps for improving your Connection Quality.

Restart your platform and router

Difficulty level: Easy | Est. time to complete: 5 min

Restart both your console or PC and router by unplugging them for 30 seconds. This clears network congestion and refreshes connections.

Close background activity

Difficulty level: Easy | Est. time to complete: 5 min

Close any unnecessary background activities (e.g. game downloads, streaming apps, or updates) that consume bandwidth.

Check for game or EA app updates

Difficulty level: Easy | Est. time to complete: 10 minYour game or EA app may be pending an update, which could help resolve connection issues. Try restarting the EA app. If any updates are pending, they will download automatically.In EA SPORTS FC™, you can download the latest updates by selecting Settings (cogwheel icon) in the main menu. Then go to Edit Teams and select Download Updates.

Update network drivers

Difficulty level: Intermediate | Est. time to complete: 15 minIn Device Manager on your PC, find your network adapter and update drivers to ensure optimal performance and bug fixes.

Manage your ISP

Difficulty level: Advanced | Est. time to complete: 30 minIf you think you’re running into issues because of your ISP, consider reviewing the ISP leaderboard and check if another ISP in your area has a more optimal connection score compared to your current ISP.

Switch to a wired connection

Difficulty level: Intermediate | Est. time to complete: 10 minUse an Ethernet cable instead of WiFi for lower latency and reduced packet loss. If Ethernet isn’t possible, try moving closer to the router, or moving any objects that could interfere with WiFi connectivity (e.g. furniture).

Switch to a different WiFi band

Difficulty level: Intermediate | Est. time to complete: 10 minIf you can’t use a wired connection, you can choose between 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands if your router supports it.2.4GHz connections tend to have a longer range, meaning you can sustain a connection further away from your wireless router. However, 2.4GHz is generally slower and leads to higher ping and potential network instability (packet loss and jitter).5GHz is a faster connection and generally provides a more stable Wi-Fi connection. Because 5GHz has a shorter range than a 2.4GHz connection, try to set up your router as close to your gaming device as possible.

Close background activity

Difficulty level: Intermediate | Est. time to complete: 10 minClose any unnecessary background activities (e.g. game downloads, streaming apps, or updates) that consume bandwidth.

Change your Wi-Fi channel

Difficulty level: Intermediate | Est. time to complete: 20 min

If you’re playing in an area with many other Wi-Fi connections or electronic devices, you may end up with overlapping channels. This can lead to slower speeds and network instability.
Changing your Wi-Fi channel to one that doesn’t overlap with others may provide a faster and more stable connection.
If you’re playing using the 2.4GHz band, selecting a non-overlapping channel may be your best option: channels 1, 6, and 11. You might need to try multiple channels to find the best option for you.

Enable QoS on your router

Difficulty level: Advanced | Est. time to complete: 30 minQuality of Service (QoS) is a router feature that allows you to customize how your router prioritizes certain network traffic. Follow the steps in your router's manual for specific instructions on how to set up QoS.

Manage your ISP

Switch to a wired connection

Disconnect from VPN

Difficulty level: Intermediate | Est. time to complete: 5 minVPNs can add extra distance between your device and EA SPORTS FC™ Game Data Centers, increasing ping or causing instability. Try disabling your VPN and connecting directly to your home network.

Close background activity

Difficulty level: Intermediate | Est. time to complete: 10 minClose any unnecessary background activities (e.g., game downloads, streaming apps, or updates) that consume bandwidth.

Check if your router is outdated

Difficulty level: Intermediate | Est. time to complete: 15 minFirmware updates can help fix issues or bugs with your router, including network issues. For specific instructions for your hardware, follow the steps in your router’s manual. However, if your router is outdated, you may want to consider upgrading it to a newer device.

Enable QoS on your router

Difficulty level: Advanced | Est. time to complete: 30 minQuality of Service (QoS) is a router feature that allows you to customize how your router prioritizes certain network traffic. Follow the steps in your router's manual for specific instructions on how to set up QoS.

Adjust Windows network settings

Difficulty level: Advanced | Est. time to complete: 20 minIf you play EA SPORTS FC™ on a PC, go to the Control Panel > Network & Internet > Ethernet/WiFi Properties to disable power-saving mode and adjust MTU settings for stability.

Manage your ISP

Understanding your connection metrics

When you push a button during an EA SPORTS FC™ online match, it sends a game data packet from your home network to an EA SPORTS FC™ Game Data Center. Once we receive it, the data packet travels back to trigger the corresponding in-game action.Any delays and interruptions during this process can cause lag, visual stuttering, or a full disconnection. You may notice the game becoming less responsive.Measuring that trip—and the thousands of other game data packet trips that take place during every applicable EAS FC Online Match—is how we understand and measure Connection Quality.Game data packets travel through three key stages:

Your personal network: Game data packets travel through your personal network before they leave your home and travel over the internet. You have the most control over your personal network, like if you’re using an ethernet (wired) or WiFi (wireless) connection.
The internet: Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) influences this part of the trip. While you don’t have direct control over how an ISP works, you may have the ability to choose between various ISPs in your area.
EA SPORTS FC™ Game Data Centers: Game data packets end the first leg of their trip at EA SPORTS FC™ Game Data Centers, then begin the return leg back to your console or PC.

We measure Connection Quality using three core metrics, which together create the Connection Score. The Connection Score makes it easier to understand and compare different metrics for overall Connection Quality.

To measure "fast", we use ping.Ping measures the time it takes for game data to be sent from your console or PC to the EA SPORTS FC™ Game Data Centers and back.Lower ping means faster data transfer and a more responsive gameplay experience. High ping can cause delays between pressing a button and the corresponding in-game action you want to trigger. At very high ping levels, you may see visual stuttering and even be disconnected from your match.

To measure "consistent", we use jitter.Jitter measures the changes to your ping values over time. If your ping fluctuates greatly, you’re experiencing jitter. This leads to data packets arriving late or out of order, making online gameplay less responsive. If your jitter is high, you may experience visual stuttering, speed-up lag, or a disconnection from the game. Keeping your ping value steady will help maintain low jitter values and ensure a smoother gameplay experience.

To measure "reliable", we use packet loss.Packet loss measures the number, or percentage, of game data packets that fail to make the round trip from your platform to the EA SPORTS FC™ Game Data Centers and back. These packets carry information like button presses and player positions. When packets are lost, they need to be resent, which adds additional time before your submitted actions are reflected in your online match. This can cause delays in subsequent packets being sent, resulting in speed-up lag, visual stuttering, or even disconnects.

For a smooth gameplay experience, packet loss should be as close to 0% as possible.

EA Connection Quality Report explained

Learn all you need to know about the EA Connection Quality Report, including how the Connection Score is calculated, what the different Connection Scores mean, and how yours is compared to similar players.

The EA Connection Quality Report helps you understand your internet connection quality and how it impacts your EA SPORTS FC™ gameplay. It analyzes your ping, jitter, and packet loss from online matches played in the past 7 days and calculates a personalized Connection Score. While EA’s game data centers around the world can affect Online Gameplay Responsiveness, your personal network setup is just as important.The EA Connection Quality Report also compares your connection with similar EA SPORTS FC™ players in your area and provides insights on internet service providers' (ISP) performance in your area, helping you identify reliable options for gaming connectivity.

Your Connection Score reflects the stability of your connection when playing online matches on EA SPORTS FC™ servers. It’s not a real-time test but an average based on your recent gameplay.Each time you play an online match, data travels between your platform and EA’s game servers. Ping, jitter, and packet loss are three key metrics collected in each match and affect your Connection Score differently, with ping carrying the most weight, followed by jitter, and then packet loss. Your Connection Score is calculated based on the weighted average of your ping, jitter, and packet loss values across multiple dimensions, including your location, ISP, network type, and number of played matches. Your personal EA SPORTS FC™ Connection Score ranges from 0 to 100 and is regularly updated each time you play an online match based on 7 days of match data. Your Connection Score helps you understand your overall Connection Quality and identify ways to improve your connection stability.

The Connection Quality is a clear summary of how your Connection Score impacts your online gameplay. EA has analyzed data from hundreds of EA SPORTS FC™ matches to compare different Connection Scores and assign a corresponding Connection Quality value for each score range. These values help you understand what to expect when playing online.

95+ is Great: Your Connection Quality isn’t impacting your gameplay, and disruptions are rare.
80-94 is Good: Your Connection Quality isn’t likely to affect your gameplay that often.
65-79 is Okay: Your Connection Quality might degrade your online gameplay experience, and you may experience more frequent disruptions.
0-64 is Poor: Your Connection Quality is more likely to impact your online gameplay, and you’ll experience disruptions for a longer period of time.

In the Connectivity Dashboard, you'll see a statement showing how your Connection Score compares to similar players. We compare your Connection Score to players who:

are located in the same geographical area
are playing the same EA SPORTS FC™ game title
have match history within the past 7 days
use the same network type, Ethernet and/or WiFi
use the same ISP.

Using these factors, we calculate how your Connection Score compares to players with similar characteristics. This helps you understand where your connection stands and whether there’s room for improvement.

There are a few different reasons why a match may not show in Match History.

It may not have been played in an applicable EA SPORTS FC™ online match.
You may have disabled your Usage Sharing Data setting from within the game.
You’re playing from an unsupported country or region.
The data may not have made it to the tool/site in some cases.

Matches played in the following EA SPORTS FC™ game modes will contribute to both your Connection Score and your ISP’s Connection Score:

Online Seasons
Clubs League
Online Friendlies
Co-op Seasons
Co-op Seasons Cup
Ultimate Team™ RUSH (EA SPORTS FC™ 25)
Clubs Friendlies
Clubs Practice
Ultimate Team™ Friendlies (Play A Friend)
Ultimate Team™ Friendlies (Play Online)
Ultimate Team™ Division Rivals
Ultimate Team™ Champions
Ultimate Team™ Online Ultimate Draft
Online Seasons Cup
Clubs Drop-in
Clubs RUSH (EA SPORTS FC™ 25)
Ultimate Team™ Squad Battles (Co-Op Only).

The EA Connection Quality Report supports all EA SPORTS FC™ platforms except Nintendo Switch™.

The boundaries of your geographical area aren’t strictly defined, but generally, we calculate connection metrics for your FC game data and ISP data using your in-game IP address and identifiable ISP location, which often means your city or broader area.This allows for the most accurate comparison and calculation of connection metrics among players in similar locations.

Your match history is refreshed each time you play a new online match, with new data appearing in your report within five minutes of a recent match ending. ISP data is updated daily at midnight UTC. All data in the report includes data from the past 7 days, and all metrics in the EA Connection Quality Report are recalculated whenever there’s an update to the ISP data or match history data.

Only you can see your Connection Score data. To generate your personalized Connection Score, we capture your metrics based on FC matches you played in the last 7 days on your EA Account. You must be logged into your EA Account to view your score—other players can’t access your connectivity data.We get ISP data from a different database to help you compare your ISP with others in your area and determine if it may be affecting your connection.

Troubleshoot Connection Quality

Overview

Connection Quality guides

Troubleshooting steps

My Connection Quality is normally Good or Great but has dropped

Restart your platform and router

Close background activity

Check for game or EA app updates

Update network drivers

Manage your ISP

My Connection Quality is inconsistent

Switch to a wired connection

Switch to a different WiFi band

Close background activity

Change your Wi-Fi channel

Enable QoS on your router

Manage your ISP

My Connection Quality is often only Okay or Poor

Switch to a wired connection

Disconnect from VPN

Close background activity

Check if your router is outdated

Enable QoS on your router

Adjust Windows network settings

Manage your ISP

Understanding your connection metrics

What is ping?

What is jitter?

What is packet loss?

EA Connection Quality Report explained

What is the EA Connection Quality Report?

How is my Connection Score calculated?

What do the different Connection Quality values mean?

How does my Connection Score compare to similar players?

Why didn’t a match I played show up in Match History?

What game modes and platforms does the Connection Report support?

How is my area defined?

How often is the EA Connection Quality Report updated?

How does EA protect my privacy?