Latency is the time lag between when a user performs an action on a network or web application and when they receive a response.
What do you mean by latency?
Latency in networking refers to the time it takes for a data packet to move from one network to another. The word is also used to describe the delays that can occur when data transfers between the RAM and the processor of a computing device.
High latency causes bottlenecks and is connected with low quality of service, jitter, and poor user experience (UX). The impact of latency can be temporary or permanent, depending on the delay’s reason.
On the Internet, latency is frequently monitored using a network tool called ping or a diagnostic command. Developers can use cache engines and buffers to reduce latency in application performance.
What is a good latency speed?
Anything under 100 milliseconds (ms) is sufficient for general browsing and streaming. Aiming for a maximum of 50ms for professional gameplay would be best, but less than 30 (ms) is preferable.
Latency (sometimes known as “ping” speed) is typically used as a more technical name for lag, which occurs when there are reaction delays during gaming. High latency causes increased lag, which everyone knows reduces the game’s enjoyment. Low latency results in less lag and more fluid gaming. This is important when playing high graphics games like Hogwarts Legacy or Pubg.
When testing your ping, an acceptable number is often between 40 and 60 ms, with a speed of more than 100 ms, usually indicating substantial latency in gaming. Essentially, you want the latency between your gaming apparatus and the internet server to be as near to 0 ms as feasible, as this means that one device responds to another in little to no time.
How can I reduce my latency?
There are many ways in which you can reduce your latency. Here are just a few:
- Increase Internet speed and bandwidth: A network connection speed of at least 15 Mbps is required to run the Internet smoothly. When it comes to bandwidth, if others are playing online games or live streaming, it will affect your performance, so you’ll need a lot of it to keep up.
- Stay close to your router: Wireless signals travel from router to router, but they can be interrupted or rejected by objects such as walls, furniture, etc. Place your system in a well-connected location of your home.
- Upgrade your broadband package: Sometimes the supplier of your broadband connection is a problem, so if you locate a better bargain than the one you’re now using, switch.
- Restart your router: Restart it if it has been on for an extended period to renew it and reduce its ongoing strain.
- Use ethernet cable: A wired connection is always an excellent alternative for internet connectivity. It’s advantageous since the signals directly access your system’s exact clear path through a wire, minimizing latency and enhancing stability.
- Use a VPN server closer to the target server location, mainly used by gamers to reduce ping.
Wrapping up
It’s vital to remember that while creating a network with latency as low as a few milliseconds is feasible, it’s impossible to have a network with zero latency due to how data flows.
