What a ping test measures and how to read it
A ping test measures how many milliseconds it takes a small packet to travel from your device to a test server and back. On its own, though, a single average says little about how your connection actually behaves under real use. That is why this test shows latency alongside jitter, packet loss and an overall stability score on the same screen, so you can see not just how fast your connection responds, but how consistently it does so.
How our test works
Most browser-based ping tests send HTTP requests. HTTP runs over TCP, which quietly retransmits any lost packet: you see a slightly higher number, and the real problem, packet loss, stays hidden. Games and video calls mostly use UDP, where a lost packet is simply gone and shows up as stutter, rubber-banding or a dropped syllable.
To measure the traffic that actually matters, the test works like this:
- Your browser opens a WebSocket connection to the test server. It is used only for setup (signaling).
- A WebRTC data channel is then created, configured as unordered with no retransmissions (maxRetransmits: 0), so it behaves like UDP.
- Traffic is relayed through the server's own TURN service, which lets the test run regardless of your router's NAT or firewall settings.
- Packets of the size you choose (32–1200 bytes) are sent at the rate you choose (1–100 per second) for the duration you choose (5 seconds to 5 minutes). The server echoes every packet back.
- When the test ends, the server reports which packet IDs it received. That allows loss to be split into upload loss (lost on the way out) and download loss (lost on the way back).
The numbers in your report
- Average, minimum and maximum ping: the overall latency level and its extremes. The minimum is close to what your line can do when it is idle.
- Median and 95th percentile: the median ignores occasional spikes, while the 95th percentile tells you the latency that 95% of packets stayed under. The sudden lag you feel in a match usually shows up here first.
- Jitter: the mean absolute difference between consecutive round-trip times. The higher it is, the less predictable your latency.
- Late, out-of-order and duplicate packets: late packets hurt real-time apps as much as lost ones; reordering and duplicates can point to routing issues along the path.
- Stability percentage and grade (A–F): a quick summary of everything above.
- MOS score: an estimate of voice call quality on a 1 to 4.5 scale, calculated with a simplified version of the ITU-T G.107 E-model.
Target values by use case
A connection that is fine for one task can be poor for another. Use these rough targets as a guide:
| Use case | Ping | Jitter | Packet loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Competitive shooters | under 40 ms | under 5 ms | 0% |
| MOBAs and other online games | under 80 ms | under 10 ms | under 1% |
| Video calls and VoIP | under 150 ms | under 30 ms | under 1% |
| Streaming and browsing | under 200 ms | not critical | under 2% |
Buffered applications like video streaming can absorb short fluctuations; games and calls cannot. Even with plenty of bandwidth, high jitter or loss will still cause problems in anything real-time.
Tips for more accurate results
- Pick the server closest to you.
- Connect with an Ethernet cable if you can.
- Pause downloads, updates and cloud backups.
- Run the test for at least 30 seconds.
- Test at different times of day.
- Compare Wi-Fi with a wired connection.
- For gaming, use small packets at a high rate.
- Save results as CSV or JSON for later.
For longer, more detailed measurements, use the packet loss test. To check latency to a specific game's server regions, try the CS2 ping test or one of the other game pages.
Sharing results with your ISP
If a problem keeps coming back, download the report and attach it to a support request. It includes the date, the server used, packets sent and received, and loss for each direction. Several tests over a wired connection at different times of day make a strong case that the issue lies with the line rather than your home network. If you mostly see upload loss, check your router, cables and Wi-Fi setup before contacting your provider. Test servers are available in several locations, including Istanbul, Falkenstein, Frankfurt and Gravelines, so you can also check whether a problem affects every route or only one.