Factorio FAQ — Ping, Servers, Network

Yes. Factorio has no anti-cheat software, so PingAim's WFP driver can route factorio.exe through any network interface without restrictions. PingAim routes Factorio's UDP traffic (port 34197) through your chosen second connection — phone 5G tethering, a second Ethernet adapter, or any other available interface — so the game uses the lowest-latency path available on your machine. Since Factorio's lockstep engine makes every factory interaction delay proportional to your ping, and since jitter spikes can pause the entire co-op session, a stable second connection directly improves the co-op experience for you and your teammates.

Two separate things cause lag in Factorio multiplayer. First, the game measures latency in ticks, not milliseconds — at 60ms ping you still have a ~4-tick command delay, meaning every interaction (placing a building, opening a chest, picking up an item) waits ~67ms for the server to confirm it. This is normal and expected. Second, the server's UPS (updates per second) affects everyone: if the server or any player drops below 60 UPS because the factory is too large, the whole session slows down. Check the debug overlay (F4 → show-multiplayer-statistics) and look at both the tick latency and the UPS. Network tools help with the first problem; UPS requires CPU-side solutions.

Instead of sending game state (positions of thousands of machines and items) between clients, Factorio sends only player inputs. Every client runs a full, identical copy of the simulation and applies the same inputs at the same ticks. Because the simulation is deterministic, all machines produce identical results without synchronisation. The downside: your ping determines how far in the future your inputs are scheduled (command delay in ticks), and if any client's simulation diverges even slightly, a desynchronisation occurs and that client is disconnected. This is why Factorio is very sensitive to packet loss and latency spikes but has extremely low bandwidth requirements.

A desync (desynchronisation) occurs when a client's simulation state diverges from the server's. The diverged client is immediately disconnected and receives a desync report file. Other players continue unaffected. Desyncs have two causes: network issues (severe packet loss causing missed inputs, or the custom UDP reliability layer failing to recover in time) and software issues (mods with non-deterministic code, game bugs). Network-related desyncs are caused by sustained packet loss or extreme latency spikes — not by high average ping alone. Reducing jitter and packet loss on your connection (via a more stable interface) addresses the network cause.

Both matter, but for different reasons. Low average ping reduces the command delay — every factory interaction responds faster. Low jitter (consistent, stable ping) prevents session pauses and desync risk. In practice, jitter is more disruptive for co-op play: a steady 120ms connection feels much smoother than a connection that fluctuates between 20ms and 400ms. The lockstep engine buffers inputs to handle jitter, but large spikes exhaust the buffer and cause the session to stall while waiting. If you have to choose, prefer the connection with less jitter over the one with slightly lower average ping.

Primarily cooperative. Factorio's multiplayer is designed for friends building a shared factory together — all players work on the same map, share resources, and contribute to the same rocket launch. The game also supports PvP modes and competitive scenarios via mods, but the vast majority of multiplayer is cooperative. There is no matchmaking, ranked system, or official competitive mode. The community runs its own servers for factory challenges, speedruns, and modded co-op campaigns. Because it is not competitive, the impact of ping is about comfort (interaction feel) rather than win/lose outcomes.