Internet Latency: How to Get a Good Connection?
Internet latency is a key factor in the quality of your network, and there are several actions you can take to optimize your connection.
What exactly is latency? Why is it important? How can you maximize the stability and performance of your connection?
Ikonek, your ally in the world of service providers, explains everything. In addition, we offer affordable residential internet plans, with fast transmission delays, that are otherwise hard to find on the market.
What is Internet Latency? Why is it Important?
Latency refers to the speed at which data is transmitted from your device to a web server, and then back from the server to your device.
In other words, latency represents the communication delay of your network. Therefore, the longer or slower the latency, the more it hinders your connection. A good internet latency would be quick, meaning it sends and returns data packets within a short frame of time.
It is important to understand that even a fast internet connection can suffer from poor latency, which ends up slowing down your network. The good news is that there are ways to optimize it!
The Difference Between Latency and Ping
If you have never heard of internet latency, you might have encountered the term “ping,” which is sometimes used as a synonym for latency.
In reality, a ping test is used to evaluate your network’s transmission delay and to determine if your internet latency is acceptable.
This test measures how long it takes for a data packet to be sent and for a “response” to be received from the server. The result is measured in milliseconds, or “ms.”
A good latency will be between 5 and 30 ms. Just to give you a general idea, snapping your fingers is estimated at 7 ms, whereas blinking takes about 150 ms.
Main Causes of High Latency
There are several causes for high latency and knowing them well can help you reduce network delay and increase speed. Here are the main causes.
The Quality of the Connection
The quality of the network (fibre optic, ADSL, LTE, satellite) will have a significant impact on the overall quality of your internet network.
It is essential to learn how many Mbps are needed for a good connection depending on your usage, the number of users, and your requirements.
Ikonek offers numerous high-speed plans that are very affordable, catering to different needs and budgets.
Installation and Equipment
Firstly, outdated equipment will do nothing to improve response time and the speed of your connection. Sometimes updating your devices is enough.
But even if you have the proper equipment, if it is poorly positioned, you will still experience issues with delays.
For example, if the distance to the servers is too great or if the equipment is positioned in a way that causes interference with the Wi-Fi signal, your network will be affected.
A poorly configured network results in high latency.
Heavy Usage
The number of devices connected simultaneously or intensive usage (streaming, cloud gaming, massive transfers) can saturate your bandwidth.
In this case, look into selecting the appropriate plan for your needs, such as the right internet connection for gaming.
How to Test and Measure Latency?
It is very easy to conduct a speed test and check your internet latency. You can run an online test yourself using free tools. For reliable results, ensure that you close all tasks on your computer so that the speed test is the only open task drawing from your internet connection.
Solutions to Reduce Internet Latency
As you have seen, it is possible to improve the latency of your internet connection by following a few guidelines.
Selecting a Good Provider and Technology
An LTE and 5G internet connection offered by a trustworthy provider can be sufficient to ensure fast speeds without slowdowns. Be sure to choose a plan that suits the number of users who use the network simultaneously, in order to prevent overloading your bandwidth.
Home Optimizations
There are several measures you can take to optimize your connection. Here are some suggestions:
- Ensure that the distance from your router is not too great (for example, a router in the basement is not recommended).
- Avoid physical obstacles as much as possible (stone or brick walls, metal objects, thick glass, and even aquariums).
- Reduce interference from appliances (microwaves, baby monitors, etc.).
- Avoid bandwidth congestion with users outside your household (protect your network from your neighbours by using a password, for example).
Internet Latency: What Thresholds for Which Uses?
Below is a comparison table of the recommended latency according to various uses:
|
Usage |
Recommended latency |
|---|---|
|
Web browsing |
< 100 ms |
|
Video streaming |
< 100 ms |
|
Online gaming |
< 50 ms |
|
Video calls |
< 100 ms |
|
Working Remotely/Cloud |
< 80 ms |
