#Ping to test internet connection how to

High latency can often result in laggy gameplay in online games (where what you're seeing onscreen doesn't seem to line up with what's happening in-game), constant stream buffering, and long page load times. Most people desire a faster, more responsive experience, and latency is a major contributor. Latency is one of the primary indicators of network performance quality. To be specific, latency (or ping) is the measure of how long it takes (in milliseconds) for one data packet to travel from your device to a destination and back. It takes time to get data to and from locations, especially when they're separated by hundreds or thousands of miles. If you're looking to go from so-so to stellar, you may need to dig a little deeper.Īs much as we wish it was, data transmission isn't instant.

Packet loss below 5% within a 10-minute timeframeĪ bandwidth speed of.let's talk about that one.īut that's just a C- network.

Latency of 200ms or below, depending on the connection type and travel distance.

These values are based on our own tests, IT industry quality standards, and a little bit of old-fashioned science and math. Here are the stats we often look for when evaluating a connection. Understanding each metric, how it impacts your network, and what you should expect to see can make finding the root cause of any problem a ton easier. Each tells a slightly different story about what problems might exist and how they contribute to the lackluster experience you're having. The best network tools test a number of metrics you can use to evaluate the quality of a connection. To find a problem or get someone else to take action (like an ISP), you need hard data.

While you may feel like things aren't quite right, feelings aren't a great way to measure network quality. It would be nice if network connections were so simple.

#Ping to test internet connection how to

Latency? Packet loss? You might know the numbers, but what are they showing you? Here's how to tell if your internet connection's ok.