Ping, latency and jitter
Ping (or latency) is the time, in milliseconds, a small packet takes to travel to the server and back. Jitter measures how much that time varies: high jitter means an unstable connection. Both matter more than speed for online gaming and video calls. Detailed explanation: ping, latency and jitter.
Values to aim for
| Ping | Quality | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Under 20 ms | Excellent | Competitive gaming |
| 20 to 50 ms | Very good | Online gaming, video calls |
| 50 to 100 ms | Fair | Browsing, streaming |
| Over 100 ms | High | Visible lag in games and calls |
Ping also depends on the distance to the server. Our test uses the measurement server closest to you, and its name is shown above the gauge.
Measure your connection now. Start the test
Lowering your ping
- Use an Ethernet cable: Wi-Fi adds latency and jitter.
- Pause downloads and cloud backups while playing.
- Avoid crowded 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, see 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz.
- Pick the closest game server.
All our tips in how to lower ping for online gaming.
Frequently asked questions
Does high speed guarantee good ping?
No. A 500 Mbps connection can have high ping if Wi-Fi is congested or the server is far away. They are two different measurements.
Why is my ping better over cable?
Wi-Fi shares the radio channel, retransmits packets and suffers interference, all of which add latency and jitter.
