Telstra Game Optimiser is a new add-on service for NBN customers designed to allow gamers to re-route their internet to the nearest server, reduce ping and speed up their gameplay response time on the fly. This is achieved through integration of DumaOS, a network manager with a variety of ‘custom internet’ features. It’s becoming part of Telstra’s existing online hub to give customers better gaming options.
Here’s how the major DumaOS features operate within the Telstra Game Optimiser hub.
Telstra Game Optimiser: GeoFilter
GeoFilter lets you set custom boundaries for servers around the world. With it, you can select the exact server you want for a game (there’s multiple presets for popular online games), draw custom shapes around the areas you want to search for servers in, or block servers with poor performance.
It’s ideal for when you’re gaming with an overseas mate and want to be on similar servers for equal latency. If you’re playing someone in the U.S. you might want to select a server between the two of you, or just have one player connecting to their closest server and the other biting the dust. Depending on how cruel you want to be.
Telstra Game Optimiser: Ping Heatmap
Ping Heatmap is another handy tool. It lets you ping local or overseas servers to measure their response rate and determine which servers will be best for your gaming usage. You can also search for particular (popular) games and then prioritise these servers for gameplay.
Telstra Game Optimiser: QoS
QoS, which stands for Quality of Service, lets you prioritise how much bandwidth devices or applications can use on your home network. Because internal congestion is a major problem for home internet (particularly as many are still working from home), so this helps those on shared internet connections, or those using multiple internet-sucking devices.
By clicking and dragging nodes in the QoS dashboard, you can change the percentage of bandwidth allowed to each device or application and limit those causing major congestion. Telstra Game Optimiser automatically provides rules for QoS which prioritise gaming traffic, but you can set your own preferences based on your internet use — it doesn’t have to just be for gaming.
Telstra Game Optimiser: Traffic Controller
Think of Traffic Controller like parental controls for your internet. With this tool, you’ll be able to block internet access to devices or applications, including individual streaming services or games like Minecraft. You likely won’t need this tool unless you need a bit of self-control (or to block someone else from draining the internet).
You’re able to add rules or remove them as needed to free up bandwidth, including timers for when you want to block certain programs. (No Minecraft after 8pm, for example.)
In addition to the above services, Telstra Game Optimiser also offers internal device management, ad blocking and network monitoring.
It’s important to note DumaOS is available as a third party interface in Netgear’s Nighthawk routers. If you currently own a Nighthawk or similar gaming router you may already have access to the features offered by Telstra Game Optimiser, so check your router before you sign up.
For everyone else, Telstra Game Optimiser is available as an add-on to existing Telstra NBN plans for $10 a month (with your first trial month being free). You will need a Telstra Smart Modem 2.0 and an eligible nbn plan to subscribe. Visit the Telstra Game Optimiser hub for more.
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