Two connections can both show 100 Mbps on a speed test and feel completely different. The difference is usually latency. How quickly data makes the round trip, and jitter, how much that timing varies. Our speed test reports both.
Ping: the round-trip time
Ping (measured in milliseconds) is the time a tiny message needs to travel to a server and back. It is set mostly by distance and network quality, not by how fast your plan is. As a rule of thumb:
- Under 20 ms: excellent. Competitive gaming feels instant.
- 20 to 50 ms: very good for gaming and calls.
- 50 to 100 ms: fine for calls and casual play; fast-paced games feel slightly delayed.
- Over 150 ms: noticeable lag in anything interactive.
Jitter: the consistency of ping
Jitter is the variation between individual pings. Voice and video are streams of tightly timed packets; when timing wobbles, apps must buffer (adding delay) or drop packets (causing robotic audio and frozen frames). Jitter under 15 ms is good; over 30 ms, calls and games start to suffer even when average ping looks fine.
Latency under load: the hidden problem
Many connections have good idle ping that collapses the moment someone uploads photos or streams video. This is called bufferbloat. MyRealSpeed measures latency during the download and upload phases of the test; if loaded latency is hundreds of milliseconds above idle ping, your router queues too much data. Routers with SQM or "smart queue" features largely fix this.
How to improve ping and jitter
Use a cable instead of Wi-Fi for gaming and important calls. Wireless adds both delay and variation. Choose game or call servers in your region. Stop large uploads and cloud syncs during matches and meetings. If problems persist on a wired connection, ask your provider about congestion or consider a plan on a different technology (fiber typically has the lowest latency).
Frequently asked questions
Does more download speed lower my ping?
No. Speed is capacity, ping is distance and quality. Upgrading from 100 to 500 Mbps rarely changes latency.
What is packet loss?
The percentage of packets that never arrive. Even 1 to 2 percent causes stutter in games and calls; consistent loss is worth reporting to your provider.
