The Tool Desk
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What “lag” in Dead by Daylight actually means
Players use “lag” to describe several different symptoms. High ping makes actions arrive late. Rubber-banding moves your character backward because the game corrected your position. Packet loss causes brief freezes, missing inputs or sudden disconnections. A crash or an error code is a separate PC or game-install problem, even though it may appear during a laggy match.
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A speed test measures a short burst between your device and the test server. It does not prove that the route to Dead by Daylight is stable throughout a match. The most useful comparison is your actual play experience before and after each change, especially when you switch from Wi‑Fi to a wired connection.
First determine whether the game or your connection is at fault
Check for Error Code 107
Behaviour Interactive’s September 25, 2025 Error Code 107 guidance states: “Error 107 happens after a network disconnection/re-connection.” That disconnection can come from your connection or router, but it can also occur when the platform’s online services are unavailable. Do not assume that restarting the game alone identifies the cause.
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Check the service status for your platform
Before changing DNS, NAT or firewall settings, check the service-status page for the platform you use:
- Steam
- Epic Games and Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC)
- Xbox and Windows
- PlayStation
- Nintendo
- GeForce NOW
If the relevant service is reporting an outage, local changes will not restore matchmaking. Wait for the service to recover and test again. If the status is normal, continue with the local troubleshooting steps below.
Run the quickest connection test
- Move closer to the router if you are on Wi‑Fi. Walls, distance and competing wireless devices can make the connection fluctuate even when the advertised speed is high.
- Test Ethernet. If the router is close enough, connect the gaming device directly with a Cat6 Ethernet cable. A wired connection is normally more stable than Wi‑Fi and gives you a meaningful before-and-after test.
- Play a short match or training session. Judge whether rubber-banding, delayed inputs or disconnects continue. Do not rely on the speed-test result alone.
- Run a speed test while no other device is using the connection heavily. Record the delivered result and compare it with the service you pay for. If the delivered speed is consistently wrong, contact your internet service provider (ISP).
This test separates a wireless-path problem from a broader service or game problem. If Ethernet is stable while Wi‑Fi is not, keep using a cable where practical or troubleshoot the wireless network before changing game settings.
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Remove common local causes before advanced changes
Close competing applications
Close downloads, video streams, cloud synchronisation, launchers and any other application that can consume bandwidth while you play. On a shared connection, ask other users to pause large transfers temporarily. Re-test the same mode after closing them so you can tell whether the change helped.
Power-cycle the modem and router
- Exit Dead by Daylight and shut down the gaming device.
- Unplug the modem and router from power.
- Wait briefly, reconnect the modem, and allow it to finish starting.
- Reconnect the router, wait until its normal connection lights return, then start the gaming device.
- Launch Dead by Daylight from your platform’s game library and test again.
A power cycle clears a temporary router state and forces a fresh connection. It does not fix a platform-wide outage or a persistent line fault; those require the status check or your ISP.
Launch from the platform library
Start the game through the installed library for Steam, Epic Games, Xbox/Windows, PlayStation, Nintendo or GeForce NOW rather than an old shortcut. This ensures the platform starts the current installation and applies its normal authentication and update checks.
Update every layer involved in play
Out-of-date software can create connection, compatibility or performance problems that look like network lag. Apply updates in this order, restarting when an installer requests it:
- Update Dead by Daylight through its platform library.
- Update the platform client or console system software.
- Install pending Windows updates if you play on PC.
- Update your graphics and audio drivers on PC.
- Update DirectX on PC when the system or the game reports a related problem.
After updating, test a match before making another change. Changing several settings at once makes it impossible to identify which step affected the symptom.
Refresh Windows networking
Use these commands when ordinary restarts and updates have not helped. They apply to Windows PC play; open Command Prompt with administrator rights if Windows requests elevation.
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- Open Command Prompt from the Windows search results.
- Run
ipconfig /release. - Run
ipconfig /renew. - Run
ipconfig /flushdns. - Close Command Prompt, restart Windows, launch the game from the platform library and test.
These commands release and renew the local address and clear cached DNS entries. They cannot repair a damaged cable, a failing router, an ISP fault or an outage at the game platform.
Check NAT, firewall and proxy configuration
NAT
Review the NAT status shown by your router, console network settings or platform network test. A restrictive or unavailable NAT can interfere with online communication. If the status indicates a problem, follow the router manufacturer’s documented NAT guidance and avoid changing multiple forwarding rules without recording the original settings. If you are on a managed, campus or workplace network, the administrator or ISP may control the relevant settings.
Windows Firewall
Confirm that Dead by Daylight and its platform client are allowed through Windows Firewall on the networks you actually use. A firewall exception should apply to the legitimate installed game and launcher, not to an unknown executable. If a recent security change coincided with the problem, temporarily reviewing the rule can reveal the cause; restore protective settings after testing.
Proxy
Check Windows and platform proxy settings. An unintended proxy can send game traffic through an unsuitable route or prevent authentication. Disable a proxy only if you do not need it for your network, then restart the platform and test. On a work or school connection, ask the administrator before changing a required proxy.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.PC-only escalation for crashes, error codes and persistent performance problems
When lag is accompanied by crashes, an error code or severe stuttering on PC, use Behaviour Interactive’s PC Crash and Error Code Master Fix sequence rather than treating every symptom as ping.
Confirm the hardware requirement
Verify that the PC meets Dead by Daylight’s published minimum hardware requirements. The support guidance does not establish a single lag number that applies to every computer, so compare your actual components with the current requirements for your game version.
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Verify game files
Use the repair or verify-files function in your platform library. It checks the local installation and replaces files that are missing or damaged. Restart the platform after verification and launch the game from the library.
Perform a clean boot
A clean boot starts Windows with only essential services so you can identify a conflicting background program. Record which services and startup items you disable, restart and test Dead by Daylight, then re-enable items in groups. Restore normal startup when finished; the clean boot is a diagnostic step, not a permanent gaming requirement.
Reinstall only after the earlier steps
If hardware, updates, drivers, DirectX, file verification and a clean boot do not resolve the problem, uninstall and reinstall Dead by Daylight through the platform. Reinstallation takes longer and may not help a router or platform outage, which is why it belongs at the end of the PC path.
Quick Recap
Choose the next remedy by symptom and scope
| Observed situation | Most useful next action | Scope and effort |
|---|---|---|
| Wi‑Fi lags but Ethernet is stable | Use Ethernet where possible; improve router placement or wireless conditions | Local connection; basic |
| All devices lose service or delivered speed is wrong | Power-cycle equipment, then contact the ISP | Router or ISP; basic to moderate |
| Error Code 107 after a reconnection | Check platform status, then follow network troubleshooting | Could be local or an outage; basic |
| Connection is stable but PC crashes or stutters | Update drivers, DirectX and Windows; verify files; clean boot | Local PC; moderate |
| Windows PC remains broken after diagnostics | Reinstall Dead by Daylight | Local game installation; highest effort |
How to tell when to stop changing settings
- If a platform status page reports an outage, wait rather than repeatedly changing your router.
- If Ethernet and Wi‑Fi show the same problem while other online services are also affected, document the times and contact your ISP.
- If only Dead by Daylight is affected and the platform reports normal service, complete the game-file, update and firewall checks.
- If the problem began immediately after a driver or system change, prioritize the corresponding update or rollback guidance from the device manufacturer instead of changing DNS and NAT at random.
- Keep a note of each change and the result from the next match. This gives support staff a reproducible timeline.
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- Check Steam, Epic Games/EAC, Xbox/Windows, PlayStation, Nintendo or GeForce NOW status if you see Error 107 or a sudden disconnect.
- Move closer to the router, then test with Ethernet and a Cat6 Ethernet cable if you can run one.
- Close bandwidth-heavy applications and power-cycle the modem and router.
- Run a speed test and contact the ISP if delivered speeds are wrong.
- Update the game, platform, Windows, graphics and audio drivers, and DirectX on PC.
- On Windows, run the release, renew and flush-DNS commands.
- Check NAT, Windows Firewall exceptions and proxy settings.
- For PC crashes or persistent performance faults, verify files, clean boot and reinstall only as a last resort.
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