What is Ping and Jitter, and Why Are They Important for Calls?
Introduction
If sound lags during a call or your conversation partner "freezes" — the problem might not be internet speed, but latency (Ping) and signal fluctuations (Jitter). These parameters determine connection stability and directly affect video communication quality.
What is Ping
Ping is your connection's response time, meaning how many milliseconds it takes for a signal to reach the server and return.
Simply put — how quickly your computer "responds" on the network.
Example:
- Ping 20 ms — excellent connection (almost instant).
- Ping 100 ms — noticeable delay.
- Ping 300+ ms — lags and freezes in video and audio.
During a video call, every millisecond spike is felt as voice "lag" or picture interruption.
What is Jitter
Jitter is ping variation, meaning how much the response time fluctuates. Even with high speed, if jitter is unstable — video will stutter and "break up".
Example:
- Ping: 30 ms → 35 ms → 28 ms → 32 ms — Jitter 3–5 ms (normal).
- Ping: 30 ms → 100 ms → 45 ms → 200 ms — Jitter 80+ ms (bad).
Jitter is especially noticeable in Zoom and Discord — voice "jumps" or lags behind video.
Normal Values for Video Calls
| Parameter | Excellent | Acceptable | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ping | < 50 ms | 50–100 ms | > 150 ms |
| Jitter | < 20 ms | 20–40 ms | > 50 ms |
Even with good internet, a 100 ms delay creates a "conversation through pause" effect.
How to Measure Ping and Jitter
- Open DoCam.io.
- Run the connection test.
- The service will show Ping, Jitter, and Packet Loss values.
- Compare results with the table above.
How to Reduce Ping and Jitter
- Use a wired connection (Ethernet) instead of Wi-Fi.
- Close background downloads and torrents.
- Switch to 5 GHz band.
- Disable VPN and proxies.
- Restart your router — this clears cache and restores connection.
Simple Analogy
Imagine Ping is the courier's speed, and Jitter is how punctual they are. If the courier travels fast but arrives with different delays each time — that's Jitter. And if they travel slowly overall — that's Ping.
Conclusion
Ping and Jitter — two hidden parameters that decide everything. They affect clarity, smoothness, and synchronization of video communication. Keep Ping below 80 ms and Jitter below 20 ms — and your calls will be lag-free.
Check your Ping and Jitter right now on DoCam.io.