What is ping?
Ping (or latency) is the time it takes data to travel from your device to a server and back, measured in milliseconds (ms). The lower it is, the more responsive your connection feels. Unlike download speed, ping is what matters most for online gaming and video calls.
What ping do I need?
- Under 20 ms — excellent, ideal for competitive gaming.
- 20–50 ms — very good, fine for most games.
- 50–100 ms — acceptable, may be noticeable in fast games.
- Over 100 ms — high, visible lag in gaming and calls.
Frequently asked questions
How do I lower my ping?
Use Ethernet instead of Wi-Fi, close background downloads, pick nearby game servers and restart your router. Fiber usually gives better ping than cable or DSL.
Are ping and speed the same?
No. Speed (Mbps) measures how much data passes per second; ping (ms) measures how long it takes to arrive. You can have high speed and bad ping, or vice versa.