GlobeLatency FAQ: Latency Tests, Ping, Map & Monitor
Short, direct answers to the questions people ask most about GlobeLatency and about latency in general, with links to the full guides. Use it as a quick lookup when you do not need the whole course.
Straight answers to common questions. Each answer links to the guide that goes deeper. If your question is not here, browse the Learning Center or ask in the chat widget on the main page.
Important: ping is not the same number as GlobeLatency's HTTPS latency. The ranges on this page describe round-trip time to the server you actually use (what ping, or a game's own ping display, shows). GlobeLatency times full HTTPS requests from the browser, which include DNS, TCP and TLS setup on a fresh connection (roughly three round trips) plus server and browser time, so its numbers are usually higher than ping to the same server, often 1.5 to 3 times on a cold connection. Judge GlobeLatency results by the colour and the comparison with the world average, and use these ranges for ping or in-game latency. See ping vs HTTPS latency.
About latency
What is latency?
Latency is the time it takes for data to travel between two points on a network, usually reported as a round trip in milliseconds. See What is latency?
Is latency the same as speed?
No. Speed in an internet plan is usually bandwidth: how much data per second. Latency is how long a single request takes to get a response. A connection can have high bandwidth and high latency (satellite) or the opposite. See latency vs bandwidth vs throughput.
What is a good ping?
For ping or in-game latency to a nearby server, under 30 ms is excellent, 30 to 60 ms is good, 60 to 100 ms is playable, and above 150 ms is hard for fast games. For browsing, anything under about 100 ms to nearby servers feels instant. Note that GlobeLatency HTTPS numbers run higher than ping, so use its colours, not these limits. See what is a good latency.
Why is my ping high?
Common causes are Wi-Fi, a busy network, a VPN, a distant server, or ISP congestion. Follow troubleshoot high latency.
What is jitter, and is it worse than high ping?
Jitter is variation in latency. For calls and games, unstable latency is often more disruptive than a steady, slightly higher value. See jitter explained.
What do p95 and p99 mean?
They are percentiles: p95 is the value that 95% of measurements stay at or below. They describe the slow tail that averages hide. See percentiles explained.
What is the physical minimum latency between continents?
Light in fibre travels about 200,000 km/s, so each 100 km of fibre path adds about 1 ms of round-trip time. Europe to the US east coast has a real-world floor of roughly 70 to 90 ms, and Europe to Australia about 250 to 300 ms. See undersea cables and the speed of light.
About the tool
How does GlobeLatency measure latency?
It times real HTTPS requests from your browser to public servers, with cache-busting on every request. See how GlobeLatency measures.
What are the three modes?
Test runs once and saves a shareable report. Map keeps measuring and shows servers on a world map. Monitor keeps measuring and shows cards and graphs. They share one destination selection.
What do the colours mean?
Colours compare your result with the world average for the same destination, not with fixed milliseconds. See Reading your results and the world comparison.
What does Unstable mean?
A destination's worst pass was more than three times its average.
How many passes should I use?
Three for a quick check, five to ten for steadier numbers, twenty for meaningful p95 and p99. See running a test.
How do I share my result?
Copy the report link shown after a completed test. See saved reports and sharing.
Why is a destination marked No reply?
No successful response arrived in time. It may be down, blocked, or unreachable from your network. See troubleshooting GlobeLatency.
Can I test my own server or website?
Yes, add it as a custom destination (https). It stays in your browser and is not saved in reports. See destinations and custom hosts.
Why is the map pin not at the company headquarters?
Pins show where the resolved IP address is located. CDN and anycast services answer from nearby edge servers. See live map guide.
Do alerts work when the tab is closed?
No. The live modes run in your open browser tab. See alerts and thresholds.
Is my data private?
No account is needed; live data stays in your browser; a completed test sends results and IP to create a report. See privacy and data.
How accurate is it?
Accurate for real-world HTTPS response time, with a few milliseconds of normal variation; affected by Wi-Fi, VPNs and extensions. See accuracy and limitations.
Fixing problems
How can I lower my latency?
Use a cable, reduce load on your network, restart equipment, choose nearer servers, and check your ISP. See how to reduce latency.
Does a VPN increase ping?
Usually yes, because of the detour and encryption. See VPNs and latency.
What should I tell my ISP?
Give times, wired versus Wi-Fi comparisons, and report links. See talking to your ISP.
Is packet loss the same as high latency?
No, but they often share causes. See packet loss explained.
What to do next
Check unfamiliar words in the glossary, or run a test.
Frequently asked questions
What is GlobeLatency?
GlobeLatency is a free browser-based tool that measures your latency to servers around the world using real HTTPS requests, and offers three modes: Test, live Map and Monitor.
What is a good latency?
It depends on distance, use and what is measured. For ping (ICMP) or in-game ping to a nearby server, under about 50 ms is excellent and above 150 ms starts to feel slow for real-time use. GlobeLatency measures HTTPS requests, which are higher than ping, so it judges results against the world average of each destination instead of fixed milliseconds.
Is GlobeLatency free?
Yes. There is no account and no install. The test runs in your browser.
Does GlobeLatency measure download and upload speed?
No. It measures latency (response time), not bandwidth. See the guide on latency vs bandwidth.
Why is my result different from ping?
GlobeLatency times HTTPS requests, which include DNS, TCP and TLS setup and server response, so they are usually higher than ICMP ping.
Are results saved?
A completed Test is saved with a shareable link. Map and Monitor data stay in your browser.