Network Latency Test — Ping & Latency Reference

Understand what network latency means, what good ping looks like for different activities, and how to test and reduce latency on your network.

What Is Network Latency?

Network latency is the time it takes for a data packet to travel from your device to a server and back, measured in milliseconds (ms). It is commonly called "ping" because the ping command is the standard tool used to measure it. Latency is different from bandwidth: bandwidth measures how much data you can transfer, while latency measures how quickly data makes the round trip.

Low latency is critical for real-time applications like online gaming, video conferencing, VoIP phone calls, and stock trading. Even with a fast connection, high latency creates noticeable delays that degrade the user experience.

How to Test Your Latency

Using the Ping Command (All Platforms)

The ping command is built into every operating system. Open your terminal or command prompt and run:

Windows

ping google.com
ping -n 20 google.com
ping 8.8.8.8

macOS / Linux

ping google.com
ping -c 20 google.com
ping -c 10 8.8.8.8

Look at the average round-trip time in the summary. The lower the number, the better your latency.

Using Traceroute

Traceroute shows the path packets take and latency at each hop, helping identify where delays occur:

tracert google.com        (Windows)
traceroute google.com     (macOS / Linux)

Acceptable Latency by Activity

Activity	Ideal Ping	Max Acceptable	Notes
Competitive FPS gaming	< 15 ms	50 ms	Every millisecond counts
Casual online gaming	< 50 ms	100 ms	Most games playable
Video conferencing	< 50 ms	150 ms	Affects audio sync
VoIP phone calls	< 30 ms	150 ms	Over 150 ms causes echo
Web browsing	< 100 ms	300 ms	Affects page load feel
Video streaming	< 100 ms	500 ms	Buffering compensates
Stock trading	< 10 ms	30 ms	Ultra-low latency critical

What Causes High Latency?

• Physical distance: Longer distance to the server means more latency. Connecting to a server across the world adds 100-300 ms.
• Network congestion: Heavy traffic on your network or ISP network increases latency, especially during peak hours.
• WiFi interference: Wireless connections add latency compared to wired Ethernet due to signal processing and interference.
• ISP routing: Suboptimal routing by your ISP can add unnecessary hops and latency.
• Old hardware: Outdated routers and modems may have slower processing capabilities.
• VPN overhead: VPN connections add encryption and routing overhead, typically adding 10-50 ms.

How to Reduce Network Latency

1. Use wired Ethernet: Switch from WiFi to a wired connection. This alone can reduce latency by 5-20 ms and eliminate jitter.
2. Connect to closer servers: Choose game servers or services in your geographic region.
3. Upgrade your router: Modern routers with QoS (Quality of Service) can prioritize latency-sensitive traffic.
4. Reduce network load: Limit background downloads and streaming on other devices during gaming or calls.
5. Change DNS servers: Faster DNS resolution reduces initial connection latency. Try Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) or Google (8.8.8.8).
6. Restart your router: Clearing the router's memory and re-establishing connections can help with latency spikes.
7. Contact your ISP: Persistent high latency may indicate an ISP-side issue like a congested node.

For more detailed troubleshooting, see our guide: How to Fix Slow WiFi.

Latency vs Bandwidth vs Throughput

Term	What It Measures	Unit	Analogy
Latency	Round-trip delay	Milliseconds (ms)	How long a car takes to drive from A to B
Bandwidth	Maximum capacity	Mbps / Gbps	How many lanes the highway has
Throughput	Actual data transferred	Mbps / MB/s	How many cars actually travel per hour

Video Tutorial

Related Tools and Guides

• How to Fix Slow WiFi
• Internet Speed Test
• Bandwidth Calculator
• What Is My IP Address?
• Cloudflare: What Is Latency?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good ping for gaming?

Under 50 ms is good for most online games. For competitive first-person shooters like Valorant or Counter-Strike, aim for under 20 ms. Casual games like Minecraft or Fortnite are playable up to 100 ms. Anything above 150 ms will cause noticeable rubber-banding and input delay.

Why is my ping high even though my internet is fast?

Ping and download speed are independent. You can have a 1 Gbps connection with 200 ms ping if the server is far away or your ISP routes traffic inefficiently. WiFi interference, network congestion, and background downloads also increase ping without affecting speed test results.

Does a VPN increase latency?

Yes, VPNs typically add 10-50 ms of latency because your traffic is encrypted and routed through an additional server. Choose a VPN server close to your location to minimize the impact. Some gaming VPNs claim to reduce latency by optimizing routing, but results vary.

What is jitter and why does it matter?

Jitter is the variation in ping times between consecutive packets. Even if your average ping is low, high jitter causes stuttering and inconsistency in real-time applications. Ideal jitter is under 10 ms. Wired connections have significantly lower jitter than WiFi.