Before you get further into the nitty gritty, let’s clear up some keywords and phrases...
Mbps
Mbps stands for megabits per second, and defines how much data is flowing per second between you and the web service. The bigger the number, the greater your internet speed. This indicates how much you can download or upload at any one time. Learn more about bits vs bytes.
It’s like filling up a swimming pool with a hose. You’ll need a good-sized nozzle and enough water pressure to fill the pool quickly, otherwise you’ll be there all day. The faster your data flows, the better your online activities will run.
Download speed
This refers to how many of those Mbps it takes to fill the pool, i.e. to transfer data from a server to your device, or between devices. You may be watching Netflix, listening to music on Spotify or streaming online games on Twitch. It doesn’t matter whether it’s video, audio, text or images – more Mbps equals faster downloads. Learn more about download speed in our helpful guide.
Upload speed
On the flipside, upload speed tells you how many Mbps it takes to empty the pool, i.e. to transfer data from your device to another device or server. Taking part in MMOs or live gaming tournaments demands fast upload speeds. Even emailing or video calling requires you to send data elsewhere. You can check your upload, and download speed using our Broadband Speed Test.
Ping
Ping is the time it takes for the signal sent out when a player types a command to get a response. The four keystrokes commonly used in video game movements are W and S to go forward and back, plus A and D to go left and right. So when you press A, having good ping means a quick move left for your character, and so on. A high ping ping signifies a delay after you press the key. Your character takes too long to move, and this may impact badly on your manoeuvring ability.
Latency
Many gamers get confused between ping and latency, as they’re both measured in milliseconds (ms) and only slightly different. Ping refers to the time taken by a signal sent in one direction from one device to another on the same network. Latency measures the time it takes for the ping also to come back to the originating device. So ping measures the one-way journey time of a signal, while latency measures the round trip. Your device is literally pinging the server, and measuring the response time.
Lower ms is always better for your response times. 15-45ms is optimal for ping, and 15-60ms for latency, but you can go up to 100ms on either without too much trouble. Higher than that? Games may become unplayable due to lag, and you could easily lose out in fast-paced action. Find out how to improve latency.
Lag
Lag is what happens if you have high ping or latency – i.e. your internet connection is slower or of a lower quality than you need to play effectively. The main effect of lag is that you’ll suffer delays in your gameplay, so when you press a command key there’s no immediate response. A delay of even a few seconds could lose you a critical position in the game, when your commands are not acted on instantly. Even worse, if lag builds up in the middle of a match it can cause huge problems. Your screen may suddenly freeze up, perhaps jumping back to your most recent play, or even ejecting you from the game altogether.
