What is ping measured in? A detailed comparison of latency and jitter

May 29, 2024 - Views: 6462

Rating:4.6 - 53Votes

What is ping measured in

How is ping different from latency and jitter? 

Any gamer will likely claim that high ping is the most significant hindrance to their games. 

This is because it’s the most common source of video game lag. 

All of these concerns will be addressed in this post, along with the top 3 practical methods for checking ping. 

After that, you’ll have a better grasp of internet speeds and can pick the ideal internet plan for your online needs. 

Let’s get started!

What is used to measure ping?

What is used to measure ping?

What is ping ms in speed test?

In an internet speed test, aside from important specs download speed and upload speed, ping is also vital. 

Ping term is used to measure how fast a digital data signal delivers from one place ( eg. a computer) to another (eg. a website). 

It is used to troubleshoot your connection and measure response time.

How does ping work?

Ping works by sending and replying to an ICMP request to a specified interface on the connection. 

A ping signal is transmitted to a specified address if a ping command is created. 

Once the target host gets the echo request, it’ll respond by sending an echo reply. 

How does ping work?

How does ping work?

Through this approach, we can verify whether the target host is available and measure round-trip time at the same time. 

The reaction time is a measurement of how long it took to obtain a response.

Ping in online games

While ping time is not vital for many internet users, it is appreciated in online games a lot. 

It measures the amount of time required for a signal to travel from a computer or console to a game server. 

Thus, it can be considered an essential factor affecting seamless gameplay.

Role of ping in online games

Role of ping in online games

Whether you’re shooting through sights in MW or rating every player to Elite in Smash Ultimate, the poor ping has put its fair share of yours on edge. 

Besides, whichever devices you play a video game, LTE ping latency or ping rate is also important. 

Ping ms meaning

"Ping is a measurement of your connection's response time or how quickly you obtain a response when you make a request. The ping time is measured in milliseconds (ms)."

If your ping is 100ms, it takes 100 milliseconds from when you pressed a button for the console to get that information and the display to respond. 

Simply said, it takes 100 milliseconds from input to action.

Ping is measured in milliseconds

Ping is measured in milliseconds

Ping is critical when using real-time applications such as video streaming or online gaming.

The lower the ping value, the quicker your network connection. 

To check your ping, read on more…

Ping vs Latency

While understanding ping results, you need to distinguish some common confusing technological terms. 

“Latency is the time it takes for data to move from your device to the server and is defined as the reaction speed of your internet connection.”

It’s vital to realize that latency, rather than speed, is measured by the quality of your internet connection.

Latency and ping are frequently used interchangeably. 

Ping vs latency

Ping vs latency

Ping is the signal delivered from the device to the server.

Whereas latency is the time it takes for the ping to return to the device.

Ping rate and latency are both used to measure the time it takes an information packet to reach point A to point B. 

Low ping rates are thus good for games since they eliminate latency and increase gameplay smoothness.

Ping vs Jitter

The fluctuation or change in latency across time is referred to as jittering. 

Simply put, there is no jitter if every information packet takes the same amount of time to travel from point A to point B. 

Ping time is the amount of time it takes for a ping packet to be sent to and received from a remote system.

Jitter is a measure of how constant that time is.

Ping vs. Latency vs. Jitter

Ping vs. Latency vs. Jitter

What is a good ping ms speed?

That said, the lower the ping is, the better the network connection is.

Jitter is different from ping

Jitter is different from ping

What is a good ping ms speed?

That said, the lower the ping is, the better the network connection is. 

But what is the threshold of it? What is a good ping test result? How about 17 ms ping? 

When finding answers to what is a good ping speed for the internet, you often hear the words “high ping” and “low ping”. 

In general, a "low ping" is better, especially in games where time and position are critical.

The lower the ping is, the better it is

The lower the ping is, the better it is

Both "low ping" and "high ping" have values that fall within a certain range

Ping times of 100 ms or less are typical for most broadband connections. 

“In gaming, pings of 20 ms or less are regarded as excellent low ping. Pings of 50 ms to 100 ms are considered very good to average. Pings of 150 ms or more are considered less desired and high ping."

How to check ping in gaming?

You may measure internet latency in a variety of methods without installing many applications or software.

Let’s check!

Use ping test websites 

Simply, use MySpeed as an illustration:

MySpeed provides a wifi speed test

MySpeed provides a wifi speed test

Use the ping test app

Instead of using a web browser, you can also use the speed test app to measure ping.

Using the Speedtest by Ookla app as an illustration. 

Perform the actions listed below:

  • Download Speedtest from the Google Play Store or AppStore.

  • Launch the app.

  • Press the "Go" button.

Speed test Ookla app

Speed test Ookla app

Use web extensions

You may also use a browser plugin to measure the ping of the internet. 

The Chrome plugin MySpeed lets you check the latency measurement steps.

  • Search “MySpeed extension for Chrome” on Google.

  • Click MySpeed. 

  • Hit “Add to Chrome.”

MySpeed extension for Chrome

MySpeed extension for Chrome

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

If you are interested in the topic of “What is ping measured in?”, don’t ignore the following common-asked questions:

1. How is ping calculated?

Simply said: 

Ping = Packet time to travel to server + Packet time to travel to client-server frame time - client frame time so far

A packet is known as a block of data sent across a network from a client to a server or from a server to a client. 

It's the method of communication used by clients and the server.

Also, a frame on the server is how frequently the server will carry out all of its operations. 

Besides, it refers to how frequently the screen image is changed on the client.

2. Is 2ms ping good for gaming?

In applications where timing is crucial, a low ping indicates a more responsive connection (like video games).

The lower the ping is, the better it is.

Anything 20ms or less is typically regarded as excellent. 

So, 2ms ping is ideal for a smooth gaming experience.

3. What does 350 ms ping mean?

As previously mentioned, a ping lower than 20 is ideal. 

Well, it also means that your ping is too high if it is measured at 350ms.

Consequently, your game will lag and you’ll be shadowbanned, even worse.

4. I have a good internet, but why is my ping so high?

High ping does not have a single cause. 

A fault with the gaming server, your ISP, or the location of your server could all be reflected by a high ping.

Let's look at each one and determine which one you fall into.

  • Quality of internet service provider(ISP)

  • Internet speeds

  • Internet speeds

  • Distance from server

  • A high number of connected devices

  • Background network services

  • VPN services

Wrapping up

As said above, ping is measured by milliseconds (ms) and a good ping speed is under 100ms. In case your result is higher, you should find ways to reduce it by using a ping test website, test app, or web extension. If you are interested in our post about “what is ping measured in?”, comment below to let us know!

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    Xavier Davis

    So full of great value for the reader! Thank you

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      MySpeed

      You are welcome

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    Travis Garcia

    What is ping 1ms time?

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      MySpeed

      Ping measures how quickly you receive a response after making a request over your connection. Ping 1ms refers to one millisecond.

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    Norah Newman

    Will a gaming router lower ping and increase Internet speed?

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      MySpeed

      I've tried one but the effectiveness is questionable. It's a marketing concept, I think

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    Raelyn Waters

    I tried MySpeed as you suggest. And it worked so fast. I got the results in less than 10s, I think

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      MySpeed

      Nice! Keep updated for other interesting information

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    John Kelly

    Finally I got a writing showing how to run a ping test. It's easier than I imagine. I'll try it

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      MySpeed

      Yes, try it! It's a useful tool

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