What is latency, ping, jitter…and how did they help PCMag name Pulse the #1 Gaming Network?
In today’s online gaming world, the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat can be determined by the speed and efficiency of your internet connection. As the proud provider of PCMag’s 2024 Best Gaming Network in the United States, we are here to shed light on the crucial concepts of latency and ping. Both latency and ping are critical for a lag-free gaming experience, and our network is finely tuned to minimize delays and provide optimal conditions for gaming.
LATENCY
In the gaming universe, latency is the total time takes for data to travel between the sender (your gaming device) and the receiver (the game server). It includes various potential delays, such as data processing, buffering, and network congestion. Picture it as the sum of all the waiting time your gaming signals endure on their journey. Industry-wide, latency under 75-100 milliseconds is considered ideal for gameplay. Pulse’s residential latency is a screaming-fast 2 milliseconds.
PING
The unsung hero of responsive gaming, ping measures the time it takes for a signal to travel from your gaming device to the game server and back. It’s like sending out a signal and waiting for its echo. Lower ping values, ideally around 40ms to 60ms or lower, mean quicker communication between your device and the server, resulting in a more seamless gaming experience. Whether you’re into first-person shooters or massively multiplayer online games, maintaining a low ping is key to staying competitive and enjoying a smooth gaming session. Most online games display ping in real-time, or you can use online ping test tools or built-in commands in your operating system.
JITTER
Jitter is the variation in the delay of data packets arriving at their destination. So, it’s related to latency, but jitter specifically refers to the variation in the delay between data packets arriving at their destination, while latency focuses on the overall time taken for data transmission.
OPTIMIZING YOUR GAMEPLAY
To ensure your gaming ping and latency are at their best, consider using a wired connection, closing background applications, updating drivers, and optimizing network settings. Additionally, choosing a server closer to your location and investing in quality hardware can further enhance your gaming experience.
FOR GAMING, PULSE KEEPS SHINING
Our multigigabit fiber optics, the backbone of the best gaming network in the county, ensures that your data travels at the speed of light, providing latency in the single digits. Unlike traditional copper wires, our fiber is designed for optimal speed and efficiency. So, while others may face game stuttering, low frame rates, and overall poor performance, you’ll be gliding through the gaming world with ease with Pulse.
On our network, symmetrical speed means that download speeds and uploads speeds are the same. Further, the “full-duplex” nature of fiber optics means that the download and upload transfers can happen simultaneously. Upload speed is essential for gaming to send your actions and commands to the game server. A higher upload speed ensures that your inputs are transferred quickly and efficiently, contributing to a smoother and more responsive gaming experience.
But it’s not just about bandwidth, it’s about quality. In the gaming realm, a higher download speed won’t necessarily translate to a better experience unless the majority of available bandwidth is being utilized. This is where our community-owned network shines – delivering a high-quality connection with 99.95% uptime tailored for gaming traffic.
Check out Pulse’s performance characteristics here.
