The terms such as latency, jitter, and internet connections, are some of the most popular in the internet community. While performing an internet connection diagnosis, such as via Sonic Speed Test, some people mix up latency with jitter, while others confuse it with something that maintains internet connectivity.
Let’s find out what is the role of latency in internet connectivity.
What is Latency?
The time taken to transfer data from one source to another and return to the initial source is called latency. It is usually described as ping and lag. Millisecond (ms) is the unit of measuring the latency. You can use the sonic speed test to check your network latency.
For example, if your network latency is 50ms, and you have clicked on a website, then it will take 50 milliseconds to load the website. The same goes for all other internet activities. However, ping or latency plays the most significant role in watching videos, live streaming, and gaming. If you have ever played popular online games, then you may have seen a number along with an ms unit or wifi sign at the corner of the screen.
The latency is inversely proportional to download and upload speeds. If the latency is low, the internet will work more efficiently and smoothly. On the other hand, on high-latency networks, the websites will take longer to load, the videos will buffer, and the games will lag. Mainly online games are impossible to play with high-latency networks.
What Is The Best Latency?
As we have already discussed, the lower the latency, the better the internet because it will take less time to transfer the data over the internet. But here is the list of different pings for better understanding. You can check your network latency with the sonic speed test and match it with the list provided below.
- Ping over 150 ms is insufficient.
- Ping between 60 and 150 is okay.
- Ping between 25 and 60 is decent.
- Ping under 25 is exceptional.
Latency and Internet Connection
You may think that bandwidth or internet speed is the major thing affecting latency. A device with a wired internet connection has lower latency compared to devices with wireless connections. It is because latency is the time taken by the data to travel a distance across the network. So if the distance increases with the same speed, the latency will also increase. No matter what’s the quantity, latency affects all types of internet connections, such as satellite, cable, and wireless internet connections.
How to Measure Latency?
The latency of your network can be measured using any online internet speed testing tool. You can easily access hundreds of speed test tools on the internet, but the sonic speed test is one of the best. It provides the most accurate results at a very quick speed.
Moreover, it is totally free of cost, and you can test your internet speed as many times as you want. Other than that, you can also sign in to get more details and stay updated. There is a support facility as well which will assist you to solve your issues.
Now, let’s jump into the process. Checking the latency with a sonic speed test is very straightforward because the user interface and user experience are very simple:
- Firstly, go to the internet speed test tool.
- There will be a “GO” button in the middle of the screen.
- You just have to click or tap on that “GO” button.
- The tool will find your network server and start to check the network.
- After completing the test, it will show the results.
- The results will include downloading speed, ping, jitter, and uploading speed.
What is Jitter?
Many people confuse jitter with ping. Both of these are represented using the same unit, ms. However, there is a difference between these two terms. We know, ping is the time taken to transfer data on the network. However, jitter is the amount of variation in the ping over time. It is used to tell you about lows and highs in the ping. The use of a jitter is the same as ping. so the lower the jitter, the better the internet.
For example, if you ping the IP address two or more times, there will be a difference between these pings. And that difference is called jitter.
Bottom Line
In this article, we had a look at definitions of latency, jitter, and the relation between latency and internet connection. You can find both ping and jitter using the sonic speed test tool.
