Internet Quality Test

Similar to VoIP, video streaming is negatively affected by poor connection quality in the form of high packet loss, latency, and jitter. You’ve probably seen when video quality suddenly becomes pixelated or stops altogether. This is caused by the speed and success information packets are transferred between the video source and your device.

Having enough bandwidth isn’t the only thing to consider in a VoIP quality test. The quality of your connection and the speed at which information can be exchanged is also critical since VoIP service and other applications that run over your broadband connection need to be delivered accurately and in real-time for good performance. Quality metrics like latency, jitter, and packet loss measure the accuracy, completeness and success of information being sent and received over your connection. Poor quality bandwidth will result in low call quality, lag, choppy conversations, overlapping conversations, and dropped calls.

Packet Loss, Latency, and Jitter Explained

Packet Loss

Packet loss occurs when packets of data do not reach their intended destination – usually because of network congestion. A test to measure packet loss will determine a percentage of loss. A high percentage indicates you are moving more information than your network can support. This causes packets to be dropped. You’ve experienced packet loss during a VoIP call when someone cuts in and out, or when a video becomes choppy or glitchy since the information isn’t reaching its intended destination. For the purposes of our test, we assume no packet loss.

Latency

Latency is the measure of time it takes for information to be encoded and delivered to the intended destination. High latency is oftentimes referred to as lag. High latency causes the timing of VoIP conversations to be off. Words and phrases may overlap, causing users start talking over one another unintentionally. In video streaming and conferencing, videos move slowly or take long times to buffer. This is why gamers are in particular watchful of high lag connections. High latency can also impact businesses who use instant messaging or rely on data-intensive applications such as those in the financial and medical industries.

Jitter

Jitter is the variation in packet / information arrival time. High jitter, or high variation in delivery time, results in choppy voice calls or glitchy-sounding looking video quality for businesses using cloud-based phone systems. But, the impact of jitter doesn’t stop there. Jitter can affect applications that rely on very accurate timing, such as those in manufacturing or other automation-based industries.