How to Run a Ping Test & What It Reveals About Your Network

In a world where connectivity is central to work, a fast and reliable internet connection is essential for everything from remote work to online gaming and smart home devices. But how do you know if your network is performing at its best? 

One essential tool for diagnosing network health is the ping test—a simple yet powerful way to measure responsiveness across your network. By sending small data packets to a server and timing how long it takes for them to return, a ping test reveals valuable information about your network’s latency, stability, and potential issues.

Below, you’ll learn how to run a ping test and what it reveals about your connection, whether you’re troubleshooting slow connections, optimizing your home or business Wi-Fi, or improving gaming performance.

What Is a Ping Test?

A ping test is a basic networking utility that measures latency—the time in milliseconds it takes for data packets to travel from your device to a server and back. This round-trip time (RTT) indicates how responsive your connection is, which influences everything from web browsing to real-time applications like online gaming and video calls.

The term “ping” comes from sonar technology and works by sending a series of small data packets using the Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP). When the destination server replies, the utility records how long it took for the exchange to complete. 

Lower ping times generally reflect better network responsiveness, while higher values can lead to delay and lag in interactive applications.

Why Ping Tests Matter

Understanding your network’s performance is essential for both casual users and professionals. Here’s why ping tests are so valuable:

1. Measures Latency and Responsiveness

Latency is an important factor that determines the communication speed between servers and devices. In certain areas of the Philippines, the average latency over broadband connections is around 30 ms, but some telecom companies can still provide either a higher or lower latency depending on their routing and infrastructure.

2. Helps Diagnose Network Problems

High pings may also be indicative of such problems as network congestion, long server paths, misconfigured routers, or connection issues with the user's devices. A ping test can help you to find out exactly which component is causing the latency and then apply the appropriate solutions, like moving antennas or upgrading to a TP-Link router.

3. Improves Real-Time Experiences

Latency is one of the most important factors for online gaming, real-time trading, VoIP calls, and video conferencing to function properly. The standard ping for regular cellular and fixed connections worldwide is about 30–38 ms on average, but it is still very much dependent on the region and technology used.

4. Reveals Network Stability

Ping tests can also show how reliable your connection is. A bad connection might be indicated by the presence of frequent spikes or huge gaps in the results of different tests—this might be true even if the average ping is considered acceptable.

How to Run a Ping Test (Step-by-Step)

Performing ping tests using various devices and platforms is possible. Below is a simple guide to do this:

On Windows

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog.

2. Type cmd and press Enter to open Command Prompt.

In the prompt, type:
ping google.com

3. You can replace google.com with any valid server or IP address.

4. Press Enter to begin the test.

Running the command will display the lowest, highest, and average response times (in milliseconds). A summary indicates if any packets were lost. You can also use:

ping -t google.com 

to run a continuous ping until you stop it with Ctrl + C.

On macOS

1. Open Terminal from Applications > Utilities.

Type:

2. ping google.com

3. Press Control + C to stop the continuous test.

On Smartphones & Online Tools

There are certain mobile and web applications that can imitate ping tests, but it is possible that the measurements they report are based on HTTP latency rather than actual ICMP ping due to security measures, taking that into account.

How to Interpret Ping Test Results

After you’ve performed a ping test, it is important to interpret the results to understand what they mean for your network.

Latency (Ping Time)

• < 20 ms: Excellent—ideal for gaming, remote work, and video calls.

• 20–50 ms: Very good—suitable for most online activities.

• 50–100 ms: Fair—acceptable for general use but may impact precision tasks.

• > 100 ms: Poor – noticeable delays, especially in real-time applications.

Packet Loss

Packet loss occurs when data fails to return. Even a 1–2% loss can degrade voice quality and gameplay. Some tools can measure packet loss percentage over time to pinpoint reliability issues.

Jitter

The word "jitter" is associated with the difference in time between the pings. High jitter can still have a negative impact on both the video and gaming performances in terms of quality and consistency, even if the average latency is good.

Network Stability

A consistent network displays consistent ping results throughout time. Huge spikes or irregularities—even if the average ping remains low—may still signal problems with the connection route or wireless interference.

Common Uses for Ping Tests

Gaming & Streaming

Latency is a crucial factor for online gaming. A ping lower than 30 milliseconds is considered the best for competitive games; however, a lot of players have to deal with higher numbers that depend on the server's distance and their location.

Remote Work & Video Conferencing

Most of the time, video conferencing services run in optimal condition if the ping is below 100 ms. Higher latency can cause voice delays and video stutters.

Network Troubleshooting

A ping test is useful in determining if the problem lies with your local network or the internet path whenever the webpages load slowly or there are frequent disconnections.

Internet Service Evaluation

By checking the difference between ping results of an old and an upgraded network system using the same TP-Link router, quantified improvements in network responsiveness could be identified.

What Are the Limitations of Ping? 

The ping command is used to check connectivity and latency in networks, although several drawbacks may be pointed out. Here’s a detailed breakdown:

1. Measures Only Latency, Not Bandwidth: Ping tells you how long it takes for a packet to travel to a server and back (latency), but it does not measure your internet speed or bandwidth. You could have a fast download/upload speed but still a high ping due to other factors.

2. Doesn’t Show Packet Loss Causes: When you get packet loss in the ping results, it raises a red flag for a problem, but it doesn’t point out the cause—be it a router malfunction, ISP issue, or network clogging.

3. Limited to ICMP Packets: Ping uses ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) packets. Some servers block ICMP traffic for security reasons, which means ping might fail even if the server is working fine.

4. Affected by Firewalls and Security Settings: Firewalls, VPNs, or security software may filter or delay ping packets, giving misleading results about network performance.

5. Single Metric: Ping solely determines the round-trip time and nothing more. It cannot tell you the latency's variations (jitter), throughput, or the overall network stability, which are the main concerns for such applications as gaming or VoIP.

6. Geographical Limitations: Ping results are influenced by distance to the server. A high ping to an international server doesn't mean that your local network is slow—it just implies how far the data had to travel.

Ping is an excellent tool for performing a quick connectivity and latency check but it cannot fully troubleshoot the network or assure its performance. But, it would be best to use it in combination with other methods such as traceroute, speed tests, and network monitoring software.

Practical Tips to Improve Ping

After running a ping test, you may want to improve your network performance. Here are effective strategies:

1. Use Wired Connections

When Ethernet cables are connected to your internet connection, the system takes just a few seconds to detect and initialize them.

2. Upgrade to a Better Router

Quality hardware such as TP-Link routers and mesh systems can prioritize real-time traffic, manage congestion, and provide more reliable throughput for multiple users.

3. Optimize Router Placement

Place your router centrally, elevated, and away from interference sources (e.g., microwaves, thick walls) to improve wireless signal and reduce packet delay.

4. Keep Firmware Updated

Regular firmware updates ensure optimized routing algorithms and improved performance for your TP-Link devices.

5. Reduce Network Congestion

In case multiple devices are streaming or downloading content at the same time, the latency might increase significantly. It is advisable to utilize Quality of Service (QoS) configurations for giving traffic that demands less ping the highest priority.

Advanced Ping Testing Techniques

Basic ping tests only serve as a starting point for professional users. To find any interruption in the transmission of the signal, network latency issues can usually be traced back by using an advanced diagnostic tool.

• A traceroute provides an appearance of every hop between your device and the target to demonstrate where the latency increases.

• Continuous Monitoring builds a performance trend over time to spot peak hour congestion.

• Packet Analysis tools reveal issues like jitter and packet loss patterns that affect real-time performance.

Real-World Statistics: What to Expect

Network performance varies by connection type and geography. Here’s a snapshot of ping values often encountered globally and locally:

• Global average ping: ≈ 38 ms across broadband and cellular tests.

• Philippines average broadband latency: ≈ 30 ms with top ISPs like PLDT and Converge.

• Satellite connections: Often exceed 600 ms, making them less ideal for real-time use.

• Fiber connections: Can achieve < 20 ms in optimal conditions.

Conclusion

One of the simplest and most telling ways to measure the speed and dependability of your network is a ping test. It gives constant feedback that helps you to take the right decisions about network upgrades and settings adjustments.

Whether you’re a gamer chasing low latency, a remote worker needing stable video calls, or someone optimizing their home network, integrating regular ping testing into your routine ensures a better internet experience.

With high-performance devices from TP-Link Philippines, including advanced routers and mesh Wi-Fi systems, you can reduce latency, minimize lag, and enjoy smoother connectivity—no matter how you use the internet.

Ready to improve your network’s performance? Explore TP-Link’s range of networking solutions today!

FAQs About Ping Tests

1. Why should I run a ping test?

You can run a ping test to find slow connectivity, packet loss, or disruptions to identify your avenues for troubleshooting and internet optimization.

2. What is a good ping result?

For most online activities, a ping under 50 milliseconds (ms) is ideal. Gaming and video calls benefit from pings under 30 ms. Pings above 100 ms may cause noticeable lag.

3. Does a ping test measure download and upload speed?

No. Ping only measures latency, not bandwidth. For speed, you should use an internet speed test alongside the ping test.

4. Can I run a ping test on a smartphone?

Yes. There are apps for Android and iOS that allow you to run ping tests to check latency and connectivity on mobile networks or Wi-Fi.

5. How often should I run a ping test?

It depends on your needs. For troubleshooting slow connections, run it when issues occur. For monitoring network stability, you can run periodic tests to track performance trends.