What Is Latency on the Internet? Meaning, Good Ping & How to Reduce It

Internet latency is the time it takes for data to travel across a network, usually measured in milliseconds (ms). A lower latency generally means a more responsive connection, which is especially important for online gaming, video calls and other real-time activities.

Latency is different from internet speed or bandwidth. While bandwidth determines how much data your connection can transfer, latency measures how quickly data travels between points. A broadband connection can have high download speeds but still feel slow to respond if its latency is high.

It’s now more than ever that we are dependent on our internet, whether it is video calls or video games, if your network has high latency, it will result in slow internet. No, we aren’t talking about bandwidth here which is different from latency. Do your video calls sometimes get disconnected abruptly? Does a video start buffering while steaming content? That is due to a high latency rate. Latency affects your internet speed. Bandwidth is the amount of data that transmits over a connection in a leased amount of time.
So let us get to know exactly what latency means and what we can do to address it.

What is Latency?

Network latency is the time it takes for data to travel between the source and destination. The lower the latency, the better it is. The Unit to measure both Ping and Latency is milliseconds. While ping refers to the signal sent from the device to the server, latency is the time it takes for the ping to return to the device. A high-speed broadband connection should ideally give you a ping rate of below 50 ms.

The first thing you need to do to check whether you are getting a low ping rate; is to do an online internet speed test. There are many free websites where you can do that, for example www.speedtest.net.

In case you find your network has a high latency rate, don’t fret, there are a few things that might be causing that and if you tackle them, you can reduce your ping rate.

• Using Wireless Internet connections cause a higher latency than wired connections. When possible, use a wired connection.
• Old equipment: Routers can wear out from heat-stress so make sure you change your router every three to four years.
• Too many devices using the same network at the same time for doing things like downloading and streaming can cause a high latency rate.
• Bad or poor network drivers. Drivers may need to be updated or replaced.

While you can take certain measures to reduce latency, the biggest factor in determining your latency is the choice of your ISP and the technology they use to offer broadband services. Hathway offers versatile packages that can suit your work and entertainment needs so you can get the kind of low latency you want. Visit https://www.hathway.com/Broadband/HomeBroadband to learn more about our plans.

Frequently Asked Questions About Internet Latency

What is latency in an internet connection?

Latency is the time taken for data to travel between two points on a network. It is measured in milliseconds (ms). Lower latency means faster response times, which can make activities such as online gaming, video calls and web browsing feel more responsive.

What is good latency for internet use?

A ping below 50 ms is generally very good for most everyday internet activities. For competitive online gaming, lower latency ideally below 20–30 ms to the game server can be beneficial. Higher latency may still be acceptable for browsing and video streaming, depending on network stability and other conditions.

Does latency affect internet speed?

Latency affects how quickly your connection responds, but it is not the same as download or upload speed. A connection with high bandwidth can still feel sluggish when opening websites, playing online games or using interactive applications if latency is high.

What causes high latency in a network?

High network latency can result from long distances to servers, network congestion, inefficient routing, WiFi interference or overloaded networking equipment. Some delays may also come from the destination server. Identifying the cause helps determine whether changes to your home network will improve responsiveness.

How can I reduce latency on my home WiFi connection?

Try connecting through an Ethernet cable, moving closer to the WiFi router, reducing heavy downloads during gaming or calls, and restarting networking equipment if it is experiencing a temporary issue. You can also test different servers to see whether the delay is specific to one service. If latency remains consistently high, contact your broadband provider.

What is the difference between latency and ping?

Latency refers to the delay experienced as data travels through a network. Ping is a commonly used tool for testing connectivity and measuring round-trip time between your device and a destination. People often use the terms interchangeably, but ping is a measurement method rather than a synonym for every type of latency.

Is 100 ms latency good for gaming and video calls?

A ping of 100 ms may be manageable for casual gaming and video calls, but delays can become noticeable, particularly in fast-paced competitive games. Stable latency and low packet loss are also important. A connection with consistent 100 ms ping may perform better than one that frequently fluctuates between low and very high values.

How do I check my internet latency?

Run an internet speed test that reports ping or latency in milliseconds. For a more detailed check, use a ping test to a reliable server and observe the average response time, variation and packet loss. Test using both WiFi and Ethernet where possible to identify whether the issue is related to your wireless connection.

Why is my internet latency high even with a fast broadband plan?

A high-speed broadband plan does not guarantee low latency. Distance to the destination server, network routing, congestion, WiFi interference and device performance can all influence response time. Testing through Ethernet and comparing results across different servers can help narrow down the cause.