Latency/Ping/Ping is a time indicator, one of the most important network parameters. A high ping value leads to a long response time for servers and programs to user actions. The ping test is measured in milliseconds.
A long delay looks like this: the user presses a button or gives a command, after a while the program or website responds to the action. The higher the ping value, the longer this wait time will be. When using sites in a browser, high ping is hardly noticeable and is almost not felt, but in programs and games where reaction speed is important, ping plays a huge role.
What is ping
Ping is a system utility used to evaluate the integrity of connections running over the TCP/IP protocol. In everyday life, ping is the time required for a packet sent by a client to reach the server and return.
If you don't fully understand what was written above, that's okay. Now we will try to explain in simple words. Have you ever played table tennis? Well, or have you seen how they play it? There are very simple rules:
Using the racket, the first player must send the ball to the opponent's half. And the opponent must return it to the first player. Now imagine that the first player is your computer. And the opponent is the server. So, the time it took for the ball to reach your opponent and return back is that very ping.
Internet speed and ping - what's the difference?
Internet speed refers to a certain amount of information transmitted over a certain period of time. For example, if the speed is 50 Mb/s, this means that it will take you only 1 second to receive or transmit 50 Megabits of information.
And ping, as we said above, is time. The time it takes for a transfer request sent by your device to reach the server and return to you.
Unlike internet speed, which is measured in MB/s, ping is measured in milliseconds (ms). And the higher the ping value, the worse:
- 0-40 ms – if your ping fits within these limits, then most likely you will be able to safely play any shooter – no lags are guaranteed.
- 40-100 ms – online games are still available to you, but not those where you need to make a quick decision.
- 100 ms and above – don’t even try to play online. Most likely, it will end with a broken keyboard.
What is the optimal ping delay
It all depends on the tasks assigned. For example, with a latency of 80 milliseconds and surfing the Internet through a browser, the response time will not even be noticed. In an online game, such a delay will lead to a loss in any fight with an opponent who has a lower ping. Latency plays a dominant role in software where response speed is important.
When it comes to latency, the rule is: the lower the better, the standard is 0-1 milliseconds, but this almost never happens on Russian providers. On average, the optimal ping is considered to be 40-45 seconds. Almost any ping is suitable for watching videos, listening to music, visiting social networks.
For whom is ping important?
Gamers are the ones who are most affected by ping. The longer the server response time, the more difficult it is, for example, to aim at an enemy. The situation is similar with racing simulators that can be played online: a sharp turn, you furiously turn the steering wheel, the picture freezes for a second and... This race is over for you.
High ping can make it difficult to organize and conduct a stream or other form of broadcasting. It is also destructive for those who place bets or play on the stock exchange. In a word, if you need to respond to certain events as quickly as possible, you need to have as little ping as possible.
On the other hand, if your time on the Internet is limited to viewing Instagram, FB and VKontakte feeds, then you won’t even notice that anything wrong is happening with the ping. However, you can always find out if everything is fine with your connection. How to do it? You need to perform a ping test.
Recommended ping values
Optimal ping values may vary depending on your goals. There is only one axiom - lower ping, faster connection. But there is still a certain gradation:
- less than 45 ms. Such numbers mean that no matter what you do on the Internet, from the ping side, everything will be perfect;
- 45-120 ms. During normal Internet surfing, you will not experience any discomfort. But for online games or broadcasts, such values are not suitable. Constant delays may occur. You will constantly experience lag in games over the Internet;
- 120 ms and above. Such values indicate problems with the server or with your Internet connection. It is not recommended to use the Internet at such high values.
Checking ping using ping.exe
For advanced users using a computer running Windows OS, you must complete the following steps:
1. Press the “Win” key and the “X” key (Latin letter) on the keyboard at the same time.
2. In the window that appears, select launch command line. It is better to do this as an administrator.
3. A window will open in front of you in which you need to enter the “ping” command and, separated by a space, indicate the address of the site that you want to ping.
4. After pressing the Enter key, the exchange of packets with the selected server will begin. In this case, it is mail.ru.
After a few seconds, the connection quality check will be completed and you will see its results. In our case they are satisfactory. None of the 4 packets were lost, and the average response time did not exceed 90 ms.
You can supplement the check using various additional keys:
How to perform a ping test
On the AIDS-TEST.rf service, ping testing is carried out quickly, and the number of attempts is not limited.
Testing algorithm:
- Connect the Internet connection for which the test is being carried out;
- Open a browser with 1 tab, enter the AIDS-TEST.rf service;
- Start testing using the large “Test” button;
- Evaluate the result.
For more reliable testing, it is recommended to follow simple rules. When checking, disconnect other devices from the same Internet; only a PC or smartphone should be connected to the network. Try to connect to the network via cable if possible.
Close unnecessary programs and applications that also use network traffic. Various launchers, torrent trackers and other software consume the network in the background and affect scan rates.
In total, three types of data are shown on AIDS-TEST.rf. In addition to the delay, you can find out the download and upload values; these indicators are also important for high-quality Internet. Many users mistakenly only pay attention to downloading and uploading, but latency is also very important.
How to check Ping via command line
The ping test function is built into all versions of the Windows operating system. It allows you to measure latency without using any services or programs. The method is suitable if the connection is unstable or so bad that even a simple website cannot be loaded. For testing:
- Launch the “Run” window using the Win+R key combination or through the Start menu and search in it;
- Enter the command “cmd”, confirm, this will launch the command line;
- The command line looks like a black window with a cursor for entering entries; in this window you need to enter the “ping ip address” of the connection;
- Press the enter key and wait for testing to complete.
An IP address consists of numbers separated by dots. Checking through the operating system functionality is quite long, it can take up to 10 minutes. The window will display the response time, delay and the number of lost packets if the connection was lost during testing.
If the ping is good, but the Internet is not working well, you can view information about the connection in real time in the “Network and Internet settings” section. On the line with the desired connection, you need to right-click and call the “Properties” menu.
Checking ping without utilities
If for some reason you do not have such a utility on your computer or, for example, you want to carry out diagnostics from your phone, it will be more convenient for you to check your ping online.
To do this, go to the address and click on the big red button.
After a few seconds, the scan will be completed and you will see the results:
As you can see, our connection with the site is better than with mail.ru. Why does this depend? Read on. The answer is below.
Checking ping online through services
If the search for the required address described in the process causes difficulties for the user, then he should conduct a ping test online. To do this, just select a suitable portal, for example:
- speedtest.su or speedtest.net;
- 2ip;
- pingtest.net.
There are other services that help you check your ping. In addition, owners of PCs and smartphones can install special widgets and applications that allow them to display the results on the monitor. As a result, they will be able to constantly know when the ping is high and when it is low.
Gaming services deserve special attention. They are designed to select suitable servers and measure the delay in data transfer for several servers at once. After that, gamers just have to study the result and configure the game.
At speedtest.net
Speedtest.net is one of the most popular ping testing sites. It stands out for the completeness of the information provided (users find out the delay time, the number of lost packets and traffic speed) and the ease of use of the service. To take an online test, you will need:
- visit the specified website;
- select the server with which you want to establish a connection;
- run testing;
- After which you just have to wait a little.
An important feature of the mentioned service is the ability to independently select the required server.
To do this, visitors are offered a map indicating cities and servers.
Via 2ip service
To check ping online via 2ip, you should perform almost the same steps as described above:
- visit the specified portal;
- select a server for testing;
- start the testing process.
After which users will find out the waiting time, connection speed and quality of packet transmission.
It should be taken into account that online checking via 2ip has an important difference from changes via other services. It lies in territorial restrictions. 2ip is intended for tests within Russia; communication with foreign servers is not carried out.
What does ping depend on?
Here are some of the main reasons that can have a negative impact on server response time:
- Provider. Whatever they say, the provider’s equipment has the greatest influence on ping. If it is not configured correctly or serves a number of users that exceeds its capabilities, the ping will be high.
- Modem, router, network card, computer hardware. And we are no longer talking about the provider’s equipment, but about yours. An ancient modem, concrete walls, damaged cable - all this can significantly reduce the speed and increase the ping.
- Server. Did you notice that the ping to mail.ru was higher than the ping to the pings.ru site? There is no magic here. The closer the server you are trying to contact, the less time it will likely take you to do so.
Ping: impact on speed, checking and eliminating lags
...and 7 more ways:
Click on the button and the test will open in a new window.
The speed of an Internet connection depends on many factors and has many indicators by which it is assessed. One of the most important criteria is “Ping”. This parameter directly affects the quality and speed of the Internet. But still, let’s figure out what exactly this indicator affects and how to check ping and Internet speed.
Ping and its importance for the connection
Ping is the response time of your Internet, its “reaction”. This is the time it takes for your PC to send a response signal. The unit of measurement is milliseconds (ms). When setting up an Internet connection, it is almost always recommended to measure the ping first.
Most often, good ping indicators are necessary for those who spend a lot of time in online games and make money from virtual entertainment. You cannot play or stream comfortably with high ping rates. Therefore, if you are one of these people, then take care of the prevention and measurement of ping in advance. You will be unpleasantly surprised if, in the middle of an important match or game, your ping readings drop below normal. For those who do not play games, but simply surf the Internet, absorbing new content, ping indicators are not so important.
How to “ping” a computer or server?
For this purpose, many services and tools have been created to measure ping and Internet speed. Starting from the “PING” command built into Windows, to specialized services and sites that allow you to find out your ping. Let's look at the best options for checking ping.
Console command
If your PC is running Windows OS, then you can check the ping using the command line. Let's look at the entire sequence of actions step by step:
- launch the command line (press the “Win” and “R” keys at the same time, in the window that opens, enter “cmd” without quotes);
- in the console, enter the following command: “ping X” (instead of “X”, substitute the IP or address of any site to which you want to trace). Make sure the command is entered correctly, and then press "Enter";
- all of the above actions start the process of exchanging data packets between your computer and the IP addresses of other hosting providers. Then, the numbers will be displayed on the screen: packets of lost data (ideally there should be 0) and ping (the lower the better).
This method is the fastest and most efficient. But it’s far from the most accurate, since for different hosting sites in different countries you will have to enter the exact address (and this is an extra waste of time). Use this method if for some reason you cannot or do not want to use special online services.
How to check ping through the console (video):
Speedtest.net
The site ranks high (if not first place) in the list of services for checking speed, ping, performance and everything else related to the Internet connection. Here you can “ping” your computer to any server.
- First, enter the website https://www.speedtest.net/ru into the address bar;
- make sure that the server closest to you on the map is selected;
- then click on the “start” button;
- then the testing itself will begin.
Ping will depend on the remoteness of the server, speed - on your Internet performance.
The service is ideal for checking all the necessary Internet connection parameters.
2ip.ru
The service is in no way inferior in functionality to the favorite, but has one drawback - all servers are located in Russia. This means that if you decide to trace to a foreign site or server, then this service is not for you. How to perform a ping test:
- go to the website 2ip.ru;
- select your city or the one closest to you from the list provided;
- click the “Start testing” button;
- wait until the measurement process is completed.
Conclusion: the service provides comprehensive information about hosting sites located in Russia. But it is not suitable for foreign servers.
Pr-cy.ru
A minimalistic and easy to use test to check your ping and internet speed. A nice addition is the necessary theoretical information about the parameters of the Internet. It is located on the main page of the service. Checking ping and internet speed:
- go to the page - https://pr-cy.ru/speed_test_internet/;
- click the “Start testing” button (you can change the testing server if you wish).
A good and convenient service for inexperienced users. Nothing extra.
What affects ping and how to reduce it
As with Internet speed, ping is the same parameter that depends on various factors. Let's start with the most important ones.
Internet company
First of all, the indicator is influenced by your Internet provider. Pay attention to what tariff you have and what equipment the company has installed and where the servers are located. It often happens that when setting up your router (router), a company employee made a mistake in the parameters. Then you should contact technical customer support and ask to remotely reconfigure your equipment. Usually, Internet providers are willing to accommodate the client halfway and are ready to explain in detail and tell how to lower the ping.
Game server
The Internet server you are interacting with may also be causing problems. Only after you have made sure that everything is normal on the provider’s side, take a closer look at the server with which the data is being exchanged.
Find out the following points: how busy the server is, whether technical work is currently being carried out, the location of the server (how far away), what equipment supports the server, etc. It may happen that everything is fine on the server, but the ping is still higher. This means that you should return to the point above or simply change the server.
Other negative factors and ways to reduce ping
Having dealt with the external and main reasons for high ping, let’s move on to less significant and local factors:
- drivers for the network card. If you haven't updated them in a while, now is the time to do it. Outdated software can significantly increase the ping, which adversely affects the quality of the connection. Often, the Internet begins to lag precisely because of this;
- programs that take away Internet resources. Be sure to turn them off;
- check whether unwanted users are connected to your Internet;
- disable all third-party downloads (operating system updates, Torrent downloads, downloading movies from the Internet, and so on);
- Be sure to scan your PC with an antivirus program. There are viruses that can take up significant resources of your computer and the Internet. Before you start, get rid of them, otherwise the Internet will lag;
- computer malfunctions. If any components of your PC are damaged, do not count on normal Internet operation. Damage to the network card leads to network malfunctions, or even a complete lack of Internet access on your device.
Recommended ping values
Optimal ping values may vary depending on your goals. There is only one axiom - lower ping, faster connection. But there is still a certain gradation:
- less than 45 ms. Such numbers mean that no matter what you do on the Internet, from the ping side, everything will be perfect;
- 45-120 ms. During normal Internet surfing, you will not experience any discomfort. But for online games or broadcasts, such values are not suitable. Constant delays may occur. You will constantly experience lag in games over the Internet;
- 120 ms and above. Such values indicate problems with the server or with your Internet connection. It is not recommended to use the Internet at such high values.
How to reduce ping
Obviously, to reduce ping time, it is necessary to eliminate the problems that we wrote about in the previous part of our article.
- Try changing your tariff plan, and if that doesn’t help, then change your provider.
- Make sure that the cable going to the computer or router is well crimped and has no physical defects anywhere. This is often difficult to judge by eye, so calling a representative from your provider is a good idea.
- When choosing a game server, pay attention not only to the number of players, but also to where it is located. Let us remind you that the further the server is from you, the higher the ping will be. For example, when in Russia, try to avoid servers located in China - the ping will be sky-high.
Factors that affect ping
High latency occurs due to one of three factors:
- The provider cannot provide a quality channel. This happens even on high speed connections. If testing constantly shows that the Internet is pinging, it is better to contact the company’s technical support.
- Servers are located far away or do not work. Distance from servers and the quality of their work also affects the stability of the connection and the speed of exchange of data packets. In such cases, VPN services are often used, which allow you to connect directly to a remote server, reducing the distance for data packets.
- Internal factors. Incorrect settings, outdated drivers or broken hardware are the first things that all users usually pay attention to.
Once you can identify the exact cause of connection delays, eliminating high ping will be quite easy. The AIDS-TEST.rf service offers to find out the ping at any time, with an unlimited number of attempts. While searching for the root cause of the pinging network and debugging the equipment, you can run checks to see if the problem has been resolved.
