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MTU (Maximum Transmission Unit) is basically the max amount of bytes allowed per packet that your router can handle.

If it is set too high you will not be able to receive any information online through your connection.

If it is set too low you will receive information online at a less than optimal rate.

So basically: If your MTU is lower than the highest it can go, you will have a slower internet connection overall.

I will explain it even simpler terms just to make sure this was not a waste of time on my part:

You have 3 trains making trips from Boston to New York.

Train 1 is loaded with so much stuff that it cannot hold any more. It tries to make the trip but cannot because its bogged down.

(This is if you have too high MTU.)

Train 2 has the most it can carry without bogging down and hindering the train, it goes the fastest it can and carries the most it can without slowing down.

(This is optimal MTU setting.)

Train 3 on the otherhand has been underloaded with the least amount of stuff, it makes the trips at the same speed as Train 2 but is carrying less goods and overall has a less efficient trip.

(This is a low MTU setting. It will work, but you will get less information at the same speed as optimal. You do not want this, because overall it will slow you down. Just like how train 3 would have slowed down the effeciency of goods travelled, by carrying less goods per trip.)

You want optimal. If you want optimal, determine through DOS on your computer,

(to get into DOS go into start menu, run, then type command and hit enter)

is by pinging www.Google.com with this command:

ping www dot google dot com -f -l XXXX

XXXX = a number from 1000 to 1999 or higher.

If you are too high, you will notice none of the "pings" are being received. This means your router cannot handle the packet size. So go lower, and keep going lower until you find the highest number that it will let you use. This is your optimal MTU.

Right now I am trying to optimize my PS3 the same as you might have been, and this might be helpful to others.

(I suggest you try 1492 as your first # to see if it is the optimal rate, in many cases it is.)

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Wiki User

11y ago

What else can I help you with?