Ping test
Ping is the response time: how long your request takes to reach the server and come back. Here it is measured twenty times in a row, so you see not just the average number but the thing that matters for calls and games — how steadily the connection holds.
Press the button — twenty samples take a few seconds.
How to read the result
- Average latency — the headline number: how long the trip to the server and back takes;
- Minimum and maximum — the best and worst sample of the series. A wide gap between them means an unstable link;
- Jitter — how much the latency jumps between samples. For calls and meetings it matters more than the average;
- Loss — the share of requests that never came back. Zero is normal; anything else is audible in a conversation;
- The bars under the gauge are the whole series: an even picket fence means a stable connection, while the odd tall bar is exactly the stutter you hear.
Ping and a VPN: what changes
With a VPN on, data takes a slightly longer path — through a protected server — and the latency grows by a few tens of milliseconds. For messaging, video and ordinary calls that is invisible. Something else is visible though: when a provider throttles particular services, the ping to a server can look excellent while the video still buffers forever. That is why this page pairs well with the speed test: latency and speed answer for different feelings.
If calls drop while the ping looks fine
That happens often, and it is not about your network: access to calls in messengers is restricted separately, so a perfect ping does not help the connection go through. What to do about it is covered in the guide on WhatsApp calls, and the general picture is in “The VPN is on but the site won’t open”.
Set up BrodVPN in a couple of minutes
7 days free, no card needed. Install the app and press one button — video calls, YouTube and the sites you know work again.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as a good ping?
Up to 60 ms is excellent — good enough for games and calls alike. Up to 100 ms is good: calls and video run smoothly. Up to 150 ms is average: invisible in video, already noticeable in fast-paced games. Above 150 ms is high: meetings may stutter and people start talking over each other because of the delay.
What is jitter, and why does it matter more than the average?
Jitter is the spread: how much the latency jumps from one sample to the next. A steady 90 ms is better for a call than “20 one moment, 200 the next” — those jumps are what turn a voice robotic and a picture into blocks. That is why we show a series of twenty samples and the average change between neighbours, not a single number.
Why is the number higher than in the command line?
We time a full web request to our server and back, not the low-level network packet the ping command uses. A few milliseconds of request handling are added on top, so the number here is usually slightly higher. In exchange it reflects what your browser actually deals with.
Does a VPN increase the ping?
A little — the data travels through a protected server, which adds a few tens of milliseconds depending on the distance. In everyday use the difference is barely noticeable: voice and video stay smooth. See for yourself: measure with the VPN off, switch it on and press “Run again”.
What should I do if the latency is high and jumpy?
Start with the simple things: use a cable instead of Wi-Fi or move closer to the router, close downloads and spare tabs, restart the router, disconnect idle devices. Then measure again. If the jumps stay with the VPN both on and off, the problem is in the link or the Wi-Fi, and it is one for your provider.
Does it show packet loss?
The “Loss” figure shows the share of samples that never got an answer. Zero is normal. Steady loss on an otherwise quiet network is a reliable sign of Wi-Fi or provider trouble, and it usually hurts calls more than download speed.