Packet Loss Test
Test the reliability of your internet connection and quickly detect packet loss problems
Packet Loss Test
Test Progress
Sent Packets 0 / 0 packets
Received Packets 0 / 0 packets
Test Time 0s / 0s
Test Results
Upload Packet Loss
0.0% (0 / 2500)
Download Packet Loss
0.0% (0 / 2500)
Total Packet Loss
0.0% (0 / 2500)
Late Packets
0.0% (0 / 2500)
Average Latency
192.52ms
Average Jitter
89.82ms
Error!
Unfortunately, your browser doesn't support WebRTC or WebSockets and therefore we cannot perform a packet loss test for you.
Please, update your browser and try again.
How to test for packet loss?
Using our online tool, you can test your internet connection’s packet loss without downloading any additional software.
Step 1. Choose the settings you want to use for your packet loss test. If you don’t have any preferences, you can use the default settings or pick one of the presets created for you.
Step 2. Click the “Start Packet Loss Test” to begin.
Step 3. In a few moments, you will get a comprehensive overview of your upload and download packet loss, as well as the average latency (ping) and jitter that you had.
If your connection had packet loss, read the section below on fixing your packet loss problems.
Settings Description
Network Packet Size – the size of each packet that will be sent during the test.
Sending Frequency – how many times per second a packet gets sent from your computer to our servers.
Test Length – the time in seconds for how long the test will run.
Maximum Delay Between Packets – time in milliseconds after, which the packet gets classified as late.
What is packet loss?
First, to understand packet loss, we have to know what packets are. Packets are small pieces of data that computers all over the world use to communicate with each other. Packet loss happens when one of those tiny pieces of data (packets) doesn’t reach its destination. In other words, sometimes, during data transmission, some of the information gets lost for various reasons.
Packet loss appears as a slow or unreliable connection for the person using the computer (such as you). Any application can suffer from packet loss. However, most commonly, you will feel packet loss when using real-time applications such as playing online video games or watching a live stream.
What causes and how to fix packet loss?
Many different things can cause packet loss. Here are the most common problems that cause packet loss.
Outdated Drivers
One of the leading causes of packet loss is having outdated drivers for your network card. Find out the name of your network card and go to the manufacturer’s website to find the newest drivers for your network card. If that seems like too much work, you can use an automated software to update all your drivers at once, we recommend using DriverBooster.
Network Congestion
Sometimes packet loss can be caused by using a network that is under a lot of load. In other words, too many people are trying to download files, watch movies, or surf the internet simultaneously. It can be helpful to disconnect any devices from the network that aren’t necessary or ask the other people using the network to throttle their downloads.
Using a Wireless Connection
Using a wireless connection is another common cause of packet loss. First, because wireless connections aren’t that reliable and can be interfered with by other radio signals, another common problem with wireless connections is that you are located too far away from the router, which causes the connection to be poor.
Outdated Router
Perhaps you have recently upgraded your internet speed, and now your router cannot handle the traffic. It might be time to upgrade your router.
Quality of your Internet Service Provider (ISP)
Sometimes, the issue is out of your hands, and the reason your packets are dropping is that your internet service provider is having issues. It can be helpful to contact them to get advice or see if they are having any temporary problems.
How do we test for packet loss?
We test for your packet loss using a combination of WebRTC and WebSocket servers. First, we establish the connection between your browser and our Websocket servers to have a reliable connection over TCP. Next, we set up an unreliable WebRTC connection to imitate unreliable connections such as those in computer games or video streaming. After establishing both connections, we start sending packets and record which packets arrive and which don’t.
