Ping, also called latency, is the round-trip time for a small packet of data to reach a server and return, measured in milliseconds (ms). Unlike download and upload, where higher is better, lower ping is better — it means your connection reacts more quickly.
Ping vs. jitter
Jitter is the variation between consecutive ping measurements. You can have a low average ping but high jitter, which causes stutter in calls and games. A great connection has both low ping and low, stable jitter.
How it's measured
Our test sends several lightweight requests to the server and times each round trip. The representative ping is the median of those samples, and jitter is the average difference between consecutive samples. The first sample is discarded to exclude connection warm-up.
What's a good ping?
- Under 20 ms — excellent, ideal for competitive gaming
- 20–50 ms — good for gaming and video calls
- 50–100 ms — acceptable for most activities
- Over 150 ms — noticeable lag in real-time applications
How to lower your ping
- Use a wired Ethernet connection instead of Wi-Fi.
- Connect to servers geographically close to you.
- Close background apps using bandwidth.
- Restart your router and keep its firmware updated.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good ping?
Under 20 ms is excellent, 20–50 ms is good, and 50–100 ms is acceptable for most uses. Above 150 ms you may notice lag in gaming and video calls.
What is the difference between ping and jitter?
Ping is the round-trip time of a single request. Jitter is how much that time varies between requests. Low ping and low jitter together mean a fast, consistent connection.
How can I lower my ping?
Use a wired Ethernet connection, choose a server geographically close to you, close bandwidth-heavy background apps, and ensure your router firmware is up to date.
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