Connection & network
Online ping test
Send a few pings from our server to any website or IP address and see how quickly it answers.
Try: · ·
What does ping measure?
Ping sends a small "are you there?" message (an ICMP echo request) and times how long the answer takes to come back. That round-trip time, in milliseconds, is the latency between our server and the host you entered.
Packet loss and jitter
Packet loss is the share of pings that never came back. Jitter is how much the time varies from one ping to the next – important for calls and games. Note that this test runs from our server, so it shows the route from our data centre, not from your home.
Why does a website not answer pings?
Many servers and firewalls ignore ping requests on purpose. 100% packet loss does not necessarily mean a website is down – try opening it in your browser too.
What is a good ping time?
| Round-trip time | What it feels like |
|---|---|
| Under 20 ms | Excellent – same city or country. Ideal for competitive gaming. |
| 20–60 ms | Very good – neighbouring countries. Browsing and calls feel instant. |
| 60–120 ms | Fine for browsing and streaming; noticeable in fast games. |
| 120–250 ms | Typical across oceans. Video calls have a slight delay. |
| Over 250 ms | Slow – satellite links, very distant servers, or congestion. |
To measure from your own connection instead of our server, run ping from your computer: open Command Prompt on Windows or Terminal on macOS and Linux, then type ping example.com.
Distance sets a minimum
Signals in fibre travel at roughly two-thirds of the speed of light – about 200 km per millisecond. A round trip between London and New York (about 5,600 km each way) can therefore never be much faster than around 56 ms, and real routes are longer. If a nearby host shows high latency, the cause is congestion or a poor route, not distance.
Diagnosing a slow or unreachable host
- Ping a well-known, reliable host such as
1.1.1.1. If that is fast, the network in general is fine. - Ping the problem host. Total loss may simply mean it ignores pings – try opening it in a browser.
- If there is loss or high latency, run a traceroute to see where it begins.
- Repeat at a different time of day. Problems only in the evening often point to congestion.
Learn to interpret the numbers in our guide How to read ping and traceroute results.
Ping test – frequently asked questions
Is ping the same as internet speed?
No. Speed (bandwidth) is how much data you can move per second; ping (latency) is how long a single round trip takes. A connection can be fast but laggy, or slow but responsive.
Why is my ping in games higher than here?
Games measure from your device to their server, including your Wi-Fi and home network. This tool measures from our server to the host you enter.
What causes jitter?
Jitter is variation between pings, usually caused by congestion, busy Wi-Fi or other devices uploading. High jitter hurts video calls and games more than a steady high ping.
Can I ping a private IP address?
No. Addresses like 192.168.1.1 only exist inside your own network, so our server cannot reach them. For security, the tool only accepts public addresses.