Ping and jitter explained
What latency and jitter mean for gaming, calls, and cloud apps.
What are ping and jitter?
Definitions
- Ping (latency) is the round‑trip time (RTT) for a small packet to go to a host and back, measured in milliseconds.
- Jitter is the variability of that latency between packets — how steady (or shaky) those times are.
Lower latency feels snappier. Low jitter means responses arrive at a steady cadence. Real‑time apps care about both.
How ping is measured (RTT)
Tools send a sequence of probes and time the responses. Classic ICMP ping uses echo requests; application‑level tests may use TCP or HTTP.
Typical metrics
Minimum (fastest observed RTT)
Average (mean RTT over the sample)
Maximum (slowest observed RTT)
Jitter (variation, often stdev or median absolute deviation)
Packet loss (percentage of probes without reply)
What causes jitter
- Queueing and congestion: busy routers and Wi‑Fi access points delay some packets more than others.
- Wireless interference: contention, signal fade, and retries add variability.
- Power saving and bufferbloat: devices waking or oversized buffers introduce spikes.
- Long paths: more hops increase the chance of variable delays.
Why jitter matters
Interactive experiences prefer steady delivery over occasional highs:
Gaming
Stable 30–60 ms beats erratic 20–150 ms. Jitter causes rubber‑banding and desync.
Calls & video
Inconsistent arrival forces jitter buffers to grow, causing delay, stutter, or drops.
How to reduce latency & jitter
- Prefer wired Ethernet over crowded Wi‑Fi.
- Move closer to the access point; choose a clear channel.
- Pause large downloads/uploads during calls or matches.
- Pick servers closer to you geographically.
- Enable SQM/Smart Queue Management on supported routers to fight bufferbloat.
Test your connection with our Ping tool and watch the jitter and loss while you change things.
Useful tools & next steps
- Ping test — RTT, loss, and variability.
- Speed test — throughput under load may reveal bufferbloat.
- What affects internet speed?
- How to improve your Wi‑Fi speed
Key Takeaways
Remember:
- Latency is the one‑way responsiveness you feel; jitter is how much that responsiveness wobbles.
- For real‑time apps, consistent 40 ms is better than erratic 20–150 ms.
- Packet loss and bufferbloat amplify jitter — manage queues and avoid congestion.