What does ping measure?
Ping measures the round-trip time between your device and a server. When your computer, phone or console sends a small request, ping records how long the response takes to come back. It is measured in milliseconds, usually shortened to ms.
Lower ping means your connection responds faster. This is different from download speed. A connection can have very fast download speeds but still feel delayed if ping is high.
What is a good ping?
Below 30 ms is usually excellent, 30 to 60 ms is good, 60 to 100 ms is usable, and above 100 ms can feel delayed for gaming, video calls and remote desktop use.
For normal browsing, ping is less noticeable. For competitive gaming, live calls and real-time tools, ping can matter more than raw download speed.
Why is my ping high?
High ping can be caused by weak Wi-Fi, router congestion, background downloads, VPN routing, server distance, ISP congestion or a busy home network.
Ping also depends on the server being tested. A nearby UK server will usually produce lower ping than a server in another country.
How can I reduce ping?
Use Ethernet where possible, move closer to your router, pause downloads, avoid VPNs for gaming, restart your router and close apps using bandwidth in the background.
If ping is much worse in the evening, local congestion or provider congestion may be part of the issue.