What is network latency and how to reduce it?

Have you ever experienced sudden drops in frame rates while playing games on your laptops or a sudden buffering while watching your favourite movies on your smartphones?

Well we have two words for you: Network latency. In the simplest terms, it stands for the delay in a network. It is the amount of time taken for a packet of data to travel from one point to another across a network. If a network needs more time to transfer the data, it is said to have a high latency aka a slower response time. On the other hand, a low-latency network will have a faster response time as it will transfer data quicker.

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Any business will prefer a low-latency network with a faster response time to increase productivity and enhance the efficiency of their business operations. A high network latency will cause the application performance to degrade, and at a high level, it could even lead to failure.

Network latency: Why does it matter

A packet of data, in principle, should travel the network at nearly the speed of light. However, the reality is that data packets move across the internet at a slightly slower speed due to variables such as distance, internet infrastructure, etc. When you add the time delay caused by each of these variables, the resulting value is network latency.

It matters because network latency directly affects application performance, user experience, productivity, and collaboration. If the latency is higher, these variables will suffer more and could lead to the failure of critical business functions. With our world increasingly becoming digital, a low-latency network is essential to support digital transformation and the Internet of Things.

How do you measure network latency

Network latency is measured by calculating the time interval between the initiation of the send operation of packet data at the source system to the completion of the receive operation at the target system. It is denoted in milliseconds, and the easiest way to measure network latency is by running a “ping” command.

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In the network latency test, an Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) echo request is sent to a target server and returned. A ping command will calculate the time it takes for the packet to travel from the source to the destination and back again. It is not the most accurate measure of latency due to limitations associated with network paths, but gives you a fair idea.

Network latency and its causes

One of the ways to understand the causes of network latency is to look at the journey of data from a client to a server and back. Some of the common causes of network latency are as follows:

1. Distance data must travel

It is simple. Greater the distance between the client and the server, higher the latency. A server in Delhi versus a server in Mumbai will cause a difference in response time to a user request from Pune. Even if this network delay is only a few milliseconds, it could be a big deal for the user.

2. Transmission media

Another factor causing network latency is the medium through which your data travels. A network of fiber optic cables will have lower latency while a wireless network will have higher latency. It is not just the medium but also the number of times data must pass from one network to the next before reaching its destination.

3. Data packet size and congestion

The size of data packets as well as overall data volume also affects network latency. A larger data packet will take longer to transmit, while having data volume exceed the compute capacity could lead to increased latency.

4. Hardware

The use of outdated hardware causes network bottlenecks and increased latency. A server receiving more data than it can handle will lead to packet delay and result in slower page loads, download speeds, and application performance.

5. Other factors

Other factors causing network latency include assets like images and videos with large file sizes or user-side factors such as insufficient bandwidth, poor connection, or outdated equipment.

How to reduce network latency

You can reduce network latency by tuning, tweaking, and upgrading the computer or network hardware, software, and other mechanical systems. Within a computer, users can reduce or remove latency by using techniques such as prefetching, which anticipates the need for data input requests.

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You can also use multithreading, which will create parallel data paths to enable multiple execution threads. Some of the easiest ways to reduce latency is by uninstalling unnecessary programs, optimising networking and software configurations, and upgrading hardware at periodic intervals.