Both ping and jitter are measured in milliseconds.
Latency is the time it takes a ping (a signal or packet of information) to travel to its destination and back. A ping is actually used to measure the latency, though it’s used to refer to latency, as well. Lower latency means your signal is performing better.
Latency is influenced by:
- Your modem/router and other equipment connecting you to the internet – so DSL or dial-up modems will experience more latency than cable modems.
- The distance your data is traveling, meaning if you connect to a website based thousands of miles away, your latency will be higher.
Jitter is the variation in latency for information passing through a network when you perform multiple ping tests. Wired connections will always have a lower latency.
If you’re experiencing high latency, it could be caused by any of the following:
- Poor signal to a cable modem/router
- Heavy internet traffic
- Slow network routers/modems
- Other interference on the network connection
If you’re having high latency results or are experiencing unexpected jitter, check for obvious cable or networking connection damage, and confirm your connections are tight. If that doesn’t help, contact us for further troubleshooting.