What is a Good Latency?

Latency, ping, bandwidth, internet speeds – what does it all mean? You may have run into these words while you were searching for internet service or troubleshooting your  internet connection. Each describes a different aspect of your internet performance, but the differences can be subtle.

If your web pages take a long time to load, or your online video games freeze in the middle of the action, that could be latency. Read on to find out why it happens and what you can do about it.

Latency, Ping, and Bandwidth

Internet latency is the measure of whether there’s any delay in your internet signal. Think of “latency" as springing from the word “late," and you’ve got the picture. The more latency you have, the “later" your internet signal will be.  

But what causes latency? It’s simpler than you think. Latency often happens when an internet signal has to travel a long way. So, you will get more latency with a satellite internet connection that has to travel 22,000 miles from space than you will from a cable internet connection that travels only 10 miles. Latency could also happen if you have outdated devices in your home network, or if you get interference from other devices.

Latency is usually a tiny delay that isn’t noticeable in most casual internet use. But latency gets more noticeable when you’re doing a real-time internet activity like online multiplayer gaming or videoconferencing.

“Ping" is a word for the test used to check latency. A ping happens when your computer sends a signal to a specific internet address, which then sends a return packet of data back to your computer. The Round Trip Time (RTT) shows the latency of your internet connection. Latency is measured in milliseconds (ms), which shows you how small the delays from latency are. A ping is the basic test used for all kinds of network troubleshooting.

“Bandwidth" refers to how much data can fit on your internet connection at any given time. Higher bandwidth allows more data to pass through freely. Bandwidth is the maximum possible performance your connection could deliver, without congestion or other issues to slow it down. But even more importantly, bandwidth is also determined by whether other people are sharing your network. For most residential internet–even fiber internet–you will share your network with neighbors. So, the network’s total bandwidth will be divided up between you and others on the network if you are all online at once.

Latency vs Bandwidth and Speed

Often, internet providers use the phrase “internet speed" to describe your potential bandwidth, as when providers tell you that your internet plan will give you “up to 100 Mbps" in speed.  Those providers are telling you the maximum potential data capacity per second of your connection, which is a way of describing bandwidth.

But just as often, you’ll hear “internet speed" used to refer to the real speed your internet connection is giving you at any specific time. A more accurate word for your real internet speed as measured by a ping test is “throughput." Throughput means the actual speed of your connection after all the factors such as latency or network congestion or slow Wi-Fi have been factored in.

Why Latency Matters

Latency, or a small delay in your signal, won’t show up in many internet activities. Basic functions like browsing and email don’t need split-second reactions to work well. But browser games, streaming, video chat or additional networked devices add more burden to the connection and more need for a smooth, low-latency connection. 

Good throughput and low latency are necessities for gaming.  Console games often download a lot of data while requiring instant upload capability so players can execute their moves. Fast action gaming requires signals from your game controller to be sent in real time. With videoconferencing, you also need your uploaded data (the video of you talking or responding to others) to pass almost instantly back through your connection, without delays from latency.

Troubleshooting Latency Issues

What can you do about latency problems? How do you know if your glitch in gaming or videoconferencing is caused by latency?

Your first step should be an internet speed test. Many free online speed tests include not only your upload and download speed, but your “ping," which will tell you your latency. The best latency or ping for gaming would be under 40ms. Any latency over 100 ms will cause a noticeable lag or glitching. For videoconferencing, you may have a little more wiggle room, but under 100 ms is still ideal.

If you find that your ping is fine and measures no more than 40-60 ms at most, then your problem may be from a low upload speed. So your first step to check on your latency should definitely be that free internet speed test that will tell you all three of the crucial components of your internet speed: download speed, upload speed, and latency.