GuideTweak tabs

Network tweaks

Tune the NIC and the Winsock/TCP stack for lower latency, then prioritize game traffic with DSCP.

Network adapter optimization that turns off unused Windows networking features and tunes your NIC and the Winsock/TCP stack for lower latency and steadier throughput under load. The toggles below are safe on a typical home setup; the NIC Features and DSCP cards beneath them go further.

Adapter and stack toggles

  • Tweak Network Adapter Advanced Settings tunes advanced NIC properties (checksum and large-send offloading, RSS, priority/VLAN tagging, and wake-on-LAN) for minimum latency.
  • Disable Network Power Saving Features turns off Energy-Efficient Ethernet (EEE), Ultra Low Power (ULP), Green Ethernet, and similar power saving features on every adapter.
  • Apply Hidden Network Registry Tweaks applies a curated set of per-NIC registry tweaks that may lower network latency and boost speeds.
  • Disable Hidden Network Power Saving turns off NIC power saving features not exposed in the adapter properties UI.
  • Tune AFD Parameters tunes the Winsock kernel-mode driver for lower socket I/O latency and steadier throughput under load.
  • Tune NDIS Parameters tunes the NDIS network-driver layer for lower overhead and steadier behavior under load.
  • Disable TCP Window Scaling Heuristics stops Windows' scaling heuristics silently overriding the manually set TCP autotuning level.
  • Disable NetBIOS over TCP/IP turns off NetBIOS on every interface, reducing broadcast noise and attack surface.

NIC Features

A separate card below the toggle list unbinds network protocols and services from every adapter, covering LLDP, the Network Adapter Multiplexor, LLTD Responder/Mapper, IPv6, File & Printer Sharing, and Client for Microsoft Networks. Tick the ones you want gone and click Apply. Each is its own toggle, so disable only what you don't use (leave IPv6 on if your ISP needs it, for example).

Game traffic priority (DSCP)

DSCP marks your game's outbound packets as high-priority so QoS-aware routers and ISPs favour them over background traffic.

  1. In the Network tab, find the DSCP card.
  2. Enable both QoS requirements if they aren't already: QoS Packet Scheduler driver and QoS Packet Scheduler component (each has its own Enable button).
  3. Under Create policy, enter a descriptive policy name (you'll use it to find the policy later).
  4. For executable file name, enter the game's exact filename, including .exe. Examples:
    • Fortnite: FortniteClient-Win64-Shipping.exe
    • Valorant: VALORANT-Win64-Shipping.exe
    • Don't know the name? Launch the game, open Task Manager, right-click the game's row → Open file location. The highlighted file is your target.
  5. Click Add, then test in-game. Results vary depending on your network and ISP.
  6. To revert: find the policy under Existing policies and click Delete.

On a wired desktop you can also shut down the Wi-Fi and VPN service stacks entirely from the Services tab.