What do ping, jitter and packet loss mean?
- Ping (latency) is how long a message takes to travel to a server and back, in milliseconds. Lower is better and matters most for gaming, video calls and remote desktop.
- Jitter is how much the ping varies from one measurement to the next. High jitter causes choppy voice and video even when average ping looks fine.
- Packet loss is the share of requests that never return. Even 1–2% loss causes noticeable glitches in games and calls.
What is a good ping?
| Ping | Rating | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Under 30 ms | Excellent | Competitive gaming, everything |
| 30–60 ms | Good | Gaming, video calls, streaming |
| 60–100 ms | Fair | Video calls and browsing; noticeable in fast games |
| 100–200 ms | Poor | Browsing and streaming; laggy calls and games |
| Over 200 ms | Bad | Typical of satellite links or congested networks |
How this test works
Your browser sends a series of tiny HTTPS requests to our server and times each round trip with a high-resolution timer. The first request is discarded because it includes connection setup. Because this measures HTTP round trips to our servers (hosted in the eastern United States) rather than ICMP ping to a nearby server, absolute values will be higher the farther you are from there. Jitter and packet loss readings remain a good indicator of connection quality wherever you are.
How to lower your ping
- Use a wired Ethernet connection instead of Wi-Fi, or move closer to the router and use the 5 GHz or 6 GHz band.
- Stop large downloads, cloud backups and streams on other devices while gaming or on calls.
- Enable QoS or "gaming mode" on your router if it has one.
- Choose game and VPN servers close to you.
- Restart your modem and router, and check for ISP outages with our internet troubleshooter.
Want to diagnose where delays happen? Learn how to use ping and traceroute.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the same as an internet speed test?
No. Speed tests measure bandwidth (Mbps). Latency and jitter are separate: a fast connection can still have high ping.
Why is my ping higher here than in my game?
Game servers are usually close to you and measured with lightweight UDP packets; this test measures HTTPS round trips to our servers in the United States.