Low bandwidth MSFS 2024

User Support Hub Install, Performance & Graphics
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1

Game refuses to load the airport or anything else on the map.

2

I have to say that i am very dissapointed with msfs-2024 because it’s fully based on the cloud, i live in a ranch on the outsides of the city so theres no optic fiber here, the only option it’s a Mobile data based internet which is very basic (10 Mbs) so the sim looks horrible, its slow, textures looks like MSFS 2000. So basically i feel like if i don’t have a high speed internet MSFS 2024 Will kick me out of the party. Microsoft should be inclusive and think in people like me that does not have the Best Internet service and give us the option to download more cache data in to the console, i’m using Xbox series X

3

@Zeta8875 Is this still an issue? I was wondering if the recent improvements to the servers had helped you.

It would be nice to hear from other people who are running with a low bandwidth systems:

  • Does FS24 run acceptably on low bandwidth systems?
  • Are there any tips and tricks to getting FS24 to run with low bandwidth systems.

sPK

4

Hi! Well, with the last update now i’m able to fly around VFR, graphics are not the best which i understand because of my low speed internet but still aceptable, some of the airplanes still not work like all the Inibuilds planes, and every time i try to load a IFR flight it CTDs and crash but that has already been reported in other topics i think. I’m hoping the simulator will have a better performance with the months upcoming.

5

For me it is, The loading times are horrible. I have a fast internet connection. This can’t be the problem. Anyone else with this problem?

6

Have you tried setting 1.1.1.1 as the DNS server in Windows options?

7

not yet, but i think i found the sollution. I stil had a edited file from using the Map Enhancement Mod. I deleted the entries and not it seems to work. Here is the tutorial
https://www.reddit.com/r/MicrosoftFlightSim/comments/1h0ctp2/my_top_fixes_for_msfs2024_issues/

8

I’m glad you solved it! However, I foresee a LONG and DIFFICULT Christmas holiday…

9

Yes, same issue. Nearly every time I want to fly I get this message.
Terrible experience.
I really would like to get a refund now because this sim is useless.
Prefer to sim with MSFS2020 that is much better.

11

Definitely a problem. This is getting so frustrating! I have 700meg DL and apparently that’s low!!!

12

1gbps fiber in the middle of Manchester//London UK, using either VPN and changing the servers to get a -hopefully- better connection. 5090 RTX 64 GB ram , 200 GB SSD (4Gb/sec). The 2024 still seems like a bowl of soup. the game is not loading the landscape, and takes 30 min to load a basic map

13

I’ve done some research on my side (my system spec are under my logo, my CPU is lower than deeded).

I am a Steam user. Win 10.

I tested all listed below on clean vanilla installation with no legacy MSFS 2020 mods and I am on a wired Ethernet connection, so my assumption was that the reason of the problem was that this constant bandwidth drop indicates either a local hardware/network configuration bottleneck, server handshake issues, or CPU choke triggering the simulator’s 3-second asset timeout rule

Do all this on your own risk if you decide to follow me. On my side it is about a week since I do not see that message at all.

  1. I disabled Teredo Tunneling and IPv6.

The Microsoft Xbox network layer relies heavily on Teredo interfaces. If your ISP does not fully support IPv6 or has configuration errors, it will persistently choke the cloud streaming packets.

  • Open Settings > Network & Internet > Ethernet.
  • Click Change adapter options.
  • Right-click your Ethernet connection and select Properties.
  • Uncheck Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6).
  1. Lower Terrain Level of Detail (LOD) to a range between 100 and 150 or lower (50-80 for my system)

In MSFS 2024, the “Bandwidth too low” warning triggers automatically if the main CPU thread takes more than 3 seconds to fetch and render a terrain tile. If your CPU chokes on high-density data, the game misinterprets it as a slow internet connection.

  1. Disable Bandwidth Data Limits

Ensure that an accidental frame cap or data budget restriction inside the Sim isn’t artificially triggering the network safety dropouts.

  • Navigate to General Options > Online.
  • Ensure Data Limit is toggled to OFF.
  • Ensure Bandwidth is set to UNLIMITED
  1. Create an Aggressive Rolling Cache

Because MSFS 2024 is heavily cloud-reliant, building a massive local drive cache ensures the game doesn’t drop to offline mode when a single server node lags.

  • Navigate to General Options > Online > Rolling Cache Settings.
  • Turn the setting ON and set the cache limit size to a massive footprint, such as 100GB to 160GB.
  • Note: Ensure this cache path is configured onto your fastest NVMe SSD, never an older mechanical HDD
  1. This is the most importante thing to do.
    Disable Windows Network Throttling

Windows automatically limits non-multimedia network traffic when intensive programs run in the foreground. You can turn this restriction off through the registry:

  • Press Windows Key + R, type regedit, and hit Enter.
  • Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Multimedia\SystemProfile
  • Locate the value named NetworkThrottlingIndex.
  • Double-click it, change the Value Data to ffffffff (Hexadecimal), and click OK. This turns network throttling completely off. [1, 2]

6.Optimize Windows Ethernet Auto-Tuning

Windows operating systems feature a network auto-tuning flag built to regulate packet receiving windows. ISP-issued modems frequently conflict with this optimization feature.

  • Open your Windows Search bar, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt, and choose Run as Administrator.
  • Type the following command and hit Enter to analyze your configuration:
    netsh interface tcp show global
  • If “Receive Window Auto-Tuning Level” is set to anything other than normal, or if your connection is throttling, force-reset it by executing:
    netsh interface tcp set global autotuninglevel=normal
  1. Perform a Hardware Power Cycle

ISP modems experience internal memory leaks over time when handling constant bandwidth loads, freezing up their routing cache. [1]

  • Unplug the power cable from the back of your ISP modem.
  • Leave it completely unplugged for a full 60 to 120 seconds to entirely clear its physical volatile memory.
  • Plug it back in and wait 3–5 minutes for all connection status lights to turn solid green before launching MSFS 2024
  1. Other things I do not mention here as I hope we all do them.
  • Change Your Server Data Center In-Game

Leaving your server selection on “Automatic” can trap your connection in a loop attempting to communicate with unstable, restricted, or distant endpoints.

  • Launch MSFS 2024 and click on your Profile/Gamertag in the upper-right corner of the main menu.
  • Change the Server configuration from Automatic to a static node with the lowest ping, typically Europe West or Europe North
  • Enable Offline Fallback and Pre-Cache Textures

If your connection speed consistently fluctuates, utilize a massive rolling cache so the engine stops triggering safety disconnects. [1]

  • Navigate to General Options > Online > Rolling Cache Settings.
  • Toggle the setting ON and allocate a buffer of 120GB to 160GB.
  • Direct this folder path to your local NVMe SSD.
  • Why this helps: Once you fly through an airspace, its layout saves directly to your hard drive, entirely cutting out real-time streaming demands for subsequent flights.
  • If you are a Steam user

Since you are launching MSFS 2024 via Steam, your connection utilizes Steam’s network sockets and regional download servers to initialize the game before handing off traffic to Microsoft’s Azure servers. In some regions this secondary network layer frequently causes synchronization delays that trip the game’s strict bandwidth safety trigger.

Apply these specific Steam-layer and server configuration steps to bypass the bottleneck:

  1. Shift the Steam Download Region to Europe (or other Region which works best for you, it may happen that you are already on your best region, however you can try to find a better one)

Steam defaults your download and communication region to the nearest local hub. Shifting this forces Steam to use international pipelines that align better with Microsoft’s global cloud infrastructure.

  • Open the Steam client.
  • Click Steam in the top-left corner and go to Settings > Downloads.
  • Find the Download Region drop-down menu.
  • Change your region from your local hub to (if you are in East Europe or Asia or a place where ISP’s are too “narrow”) Germany - Frankfurt, Sweden, or Finland for example.
  • Restart Steam.
  1. Disable Steam Overlay and Cloud Synchronization (I hope you already disabled Win clowds)

The Steam overlay injects a background network hook that monitors game traffic. On restricted ISP connections, this extra handshake can delay texture packet arrival times past the 3-second engine timeout limit.

  • In your Steam Library, right-click Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 and choose Properties.
  • In the General tab, toggle OFF the option to “Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game”.
  • Toggle OFF the option for “Steam Cloud” synchronization to prevent background data uploads during flight.
  1. Clear Steam’s Built-in Network Cache

Corrupted network configuration data cached by Steam can permanently degrade peer-to-peer data transfers.

  • In the Steam > Settings > Downloads menu, locate the clear option.
  • Click Clear Cache next to Clear Download Cache.
  • Steam will automatically restart and ask you to log back in.
  1. Force MSFS 2024 to Run in High Network Priority

You can force the Windows kernel to prioritize MSFS 2024’s Ethernet data streams over all other background OS processes.

  • Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager while MSFS 2024 is running.
  • Go to the Details tab.
  • Locate FlightSimulator2024.exe, right-click it, hover over Set priority, and select High.
  1. Verify the Integrity of Game Files (Steam Version)

If a critical core layout or network authentication file was corrupted during a simulator update, the game will persistently misinterpret your network speed.

  • Right-click Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 in Steam and select Properties.
  • Go to the Installed Files tab.
  • Click Verify integrity of game files. (Allow Steam to scan and automatically fix any fragmented core components).
  • Clear Legacy Map Mods and Fix the Hosts File [1]

If you ever used a Google Maps enhancement mod in MSFS 2020, it likely altered your system’s network routing configuration, which blocks the MSFS 2024 Azure servers.

    • Completely uninstall any map enhancement utilities from your PC.
  • Open C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\ and open the hosts file with Notepad (as Administrator).
  • Look for lines containing references to kh.ssl.ak.tiles.virtualearth.net or khstorereg.azureedge.net.
  • Delete these lines or add a # symbol in front of them to comment them out, then save the file and restart your PC.
  • Change Your DNS Servers [1]

Your Internet Service Provider’s (ISP) default DNS servers frequently struggle to route traffic to Microsoft’s asset servers during peak hours. [1]

  • Open your Windows network settings and change your IPv4 DNS servers.
  • Switch to Cloudflare DNS (Primary: 1.1.1.1, Secondary: 1.0.0.1) or Google DNS (Primary: 8.8.8.8, Secondary: 8.8.4.4).
  • Flush your DNS cache by opening Command Prompt and typing ipconfig /flushdns

Try to find the IPv4 DNS servers for your location, there some tools in the Net that may hepl you. On my side Cloudflare DNS and Google DNS are useless.

  • Use a VPN to Force Better Server Routing [1]

If your ISP is throttling high-volume data streams or routing your connection through an overloaded regional hub, a VPN is the most effective immediate workaround. [1, 2]

  • Launch a high-speed VPN client before opening the simulator.
  • Connect to a major hub location (such as the United States or a neighboring European region) to force the simulator onto a different, less congested Microsoft Azure CDN node.
  • Optimize In-Game Cache and Traffic Settings

Adjusting how the simulator reads data locally can alleviate real-time connection stress. [1, 2]

  • Increase Rolling Cache: Go to General Options > Online > Rolling Cache Settings. Turn it on and set the limit to a larger size (e.g., 32 GB to 128 GB) to store local scenery and reduce active streaming demands.
  • Disable Extra Data Streams: If the error persists, temporarily toggle off Multiplayer and Real-Time Air Traffic under your data options to preserve your bandwidth exclusively for terrain rendering. [1, 2, 3, 4]
  1. Synchronize Windows Time [1]

A mismatch between your local PC clock and the Microsoft authentication servers can trigger artificial streaming dropouts. [1, 2]

  • Go to your Windows Date & time settings.
  • Click the Sync now button under the “Synchronize your clock” section to ensure perfect alignment. [1]
  • Disable Ethernet Power Saving & Green Ethernet

Windows often lowers the maximum throughput of network adapters to save power, which delays the loading of streaming terrain tiles. [1]

  • Right-click the Windows Start button and select Device Manager.
  • Expand the Network adapters section, right-click your primary Ethernet adapter (e.g., Intel Ethernet Connection or Realtek PCIe GBE Controller), and select Properties.
  • Go to the Power Management tab and uncheck the box that says “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power”.
  • Go to the Advanced tab, find Energy Efficient Ethernet or Green Ethernet, and set it to Disabled. Click OK. [1, 2]
  1. Force Global IP and Winsock Reset

Persistent streaming blocks over Ethernet are frequently caused by bad routing tables trapped in the system cache. [1]

  • Type cmd in your Windows search bar, right-click Command Prompt, and select Run as Administrator.
  • Copy, paste, and execute the following commands one by one (press Enter after each):

cmd

netsh int ip reset
netsh winsock reset
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
ipconfig /flushdns

Use code with caution.

  • Restart your PC immediately after the final command.
  • Delete the “UserCfg.opt” File to Reset the Network Hook [1]

If you used a map utility mod in MSFS 2020, the pathing might still be locked inside your user configuration files.

  • Locate your UserCfg.opt file. It is typically found under:
    • Microsoft Store / Game Pass: C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\
    • Steam: C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft Flight Simulator\
  • Delete or move this file out of the folder. When you relaunch MSFS 2024, it will automatically rebuild a fresh configuration file pointing cleanly to the official Microsoft Azure servers
  • Do not forget about Antiviruses - add MSFS to exclusions.
14

ISSUE DESCRIPTION

I keep getting a message saying “bandwidth is too low; this may affect simulator performance”… I have a 1000 Mbps connection… Why doesn’t Microsoft finally change these messages to indicate when the problem lies with their servers—issues that cause not only stuttering but also absurd load times, sluggish menus, and clunky menu navigation?

FREQUENCY OF ISSUE

Once or two when flying, and on the world map menu.

REPRODUCTION STEPS

  1. Message “bandwidth is too low; this may affect simulator performance”.

YOUR SETTINGS

No Developer Mode

Xbox and PC. 1000 mbps connection.