What is Latency?

13 Sep, 2021
What is Latency?
Being simple latency means whenever you have given input to the system and the total time period it takes to give output so that particular time period/interval is known as latency.
Actually, latency is the in-between handling time of computers, as some of you may think that whenever some system connects with another system it happens directly but no it isn’t, the signal or data follows the proper traceroute for reaching its final destination.
Nowadays fiber optic cables are used for transmitting the signals/data from one place to another with the speed of light but obviously before reaching to the final destiny the data/signal has to pass from many checkpoints or posts and follow a proper traceroute so it takes some time to get respond from the receiver and that total round of time is known as latency.
If you want to know the fastest possible network connection you could have from one place to another then we will suppose light as a medium because light just takes 100milli seconds(approx.) to take a round of earth. So according to the data if you let light as a medium then you can send 20 packets per second across the other sides of the world.
What is Ping?
To make you all more clear with that we will use ping here, ping is nothing just a concept or a solution to check the value of latency generating there in the connection between the systems. Ping checks the value of latency by just sending 4 packets of data to the address provided by the user to check the ping and then calculates the total time when the response comes to it, that total time is called latency.
Ping is checked up for windows from command prompt and for MAC from terminal using the syntax “ping<space>website name”.
Example –Let’s take a real-world example, so here we will ping up 2 websites one near me that is in India named “Tata Consultancy Service” and one overseas that is “Goldman Sachs”, let’s see what happens.
TCS ping with respect to UP(India)
Goldman Sachs ping with respect to UP(India) 
Now as you can observe that the maximum latency for “Tata Consultancy Service” is coming up to 44milli seconds and for “Goldman Sachs” the maximum latency is 53milli seconds, this is because of the location from where the ping is being originated to be measured. You can also say that the ping of any particular website is directly proportional to the distance. 
Some common reasons for latency :
Transmission Medium –The material/nature of the medium through which data or signal is to be transmitted affects the latency.Low Memory Space –The low memory space creates a problem for OS for maintaining the RAM needs.Propagation –The amount of time signals takes to transmit the data from one source to another.Multiple Routers –As I have discussed before that data travels a full traceroute means it travels from one router to another router that increases the latency, etc.
Transmission Medium –The material/nature of the medium through which data or signal is to be transmitted affects the latency.
Low Memory Space –The low memory space creates a problem for OS for maintaining the RAM needs.
Propagation –The amount of time signals takes to transmit the data from one source to another.
Multiple Routers –As I have discussed before that data travels a full traceroute means it travels from one router to another router that increases the latency, etc.
Methods to reduce latency are as follows :Increase Internet Speed & Bandwidth –To run the internet smoothly, you’ll need a network connection speed of at least 15mbps. Now, when it comes to bandwidth, if other members are playing online games, live streaming, or video calling, it will have an impact on your performance, so you’ll need a lot of it to handle everything.
HTTP/2 –It reduces the amount of time it takes for a signal to travel between the receiver and the sender by reducing the signal’s path or route.CDN –If you use a CDN, it will cache all of the data or resources near the user from around the world, allowing signals to retrieve data from nearby resources rather than going to the origin.Be close to your router –Signals flow wirelessly from one router to the next, but they can be interrupted or resisted by objects such as walls, furniture, and so on. Place your system in an area of your home with good connectivity.Upgrade Broadband Package –Sometimes the broadband connection provider is a problem, so if you find a better deal than the one you’re currently using, switch.Restart Your Router –If your router has been on for a long time, restart it to refresh it and relieve the constant strain on it.Close Background Running Application –If you’re using Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hotstar, YouTube, or live streaming, turn them off because they significantly slow down your system’s ping rate.Play Games On Local Server –To ensure good connectivity, always try to play online world games on your local servers.Use Ethernet Cable –Using a wired connection for internet connectivity is always a good option, but you will be the only one who can use the internet; others will be unable to do so. Actually, it’s beneficial because the signals have access to your system’s exact clear path through the wire, which means they don’t have to travel everywhere and encounter obstacles, reducing latency.
HTTP/2 –It reduces the amount of time it takes for a signal to travel between the receiver and the sender by reducing the signal’s path or route.
CDN –If you use a CDN, it will cache all of the data or resources near the user from around the world, allowing signals to retrieve data from nearby resources rather than going to the origin.
Be close to your router –Signals flow wirelessly from one router to the next, but they can be interrupted or resisted by objects such as walls, furniture, and so on. Place your system in an area of your home with good connectivity.
Upgrade Broadband Package –Sometimes the broadband connection provider is a problem, so if you find a better deal than the one you’re currently using, switch.
Restart Your Router –If your router has been on for a long time, restart it to refresh it and relieve the constant strain on it.
Close Background Running Application –If you’re using Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hotstar, YouTube, or live streaming, turn them off because they significantly slow down your system’s ping rate.
Play Games On Local Server –To ensure good connectivity, always try to play online world games on your local servers.
Use Ethernet Cable –Using a wired connection for internet connectivity is always a good option, but you will be the only one who can use the internet; others will be unable to do so. Actually, it’s beneficial because the signals have access to your system’s exact clear path through the wire, which means they don’t have to travel everywhere and encounter obstacles, reducing latency.
There are numerous other tricks and methods for reducing latency that you can find on YouTube and try at your own risk.
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