What is Ping as Fast As Possible
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Description
Ping is something that even many longtime gamers and geeks aren't 100% clear about. They know that high ones are bad, but do they know why? Sponsor message: Give Audible's monthly audiobook service has more than just audiobooks! - use audible.com/techquickie to get the first one for free! Sponsor Link: audible.com LinusTechTips forum link: linustechtips.com
This concise Tech Quickie explains ping as a measure of latency, defined as the time it takes for a data packet to travel from one device to another and back. The video uses a simple Dick and Jane analogy to illustrate how ping affects communication timing, emphasizing that lower ping enables faster exchanges of real time information. It differentiates gaming from streaming services by noting that gaming relies on low latency for timely updates of player positions, bullets, and map changes, whereas services like Netflix prioritise bandwidth because data is largely unidirectional and can be buffered to mask latency. The host also hints at jitter as another factor impacting online experiences and teases an upcoming discussion, with a practical nod to real-world numbers such as one millisecond versus a much higher ping. Throughout, the explanation ties ping to everyday network behavior and reinforces why gamers particularly care about minimizing delay. The video ends with a light sponsor message and a reminder to like, comment, and subscribe for more content in the fastest possible series.
Topics · technology · computer_networking · gaming · science
Questions answered
- What exactly is ping and why does it matter for online gaming?
- Ping is the time it takes for a data packet to travel from one device to another and back, i.e., the round-trip latency. It matters in online gaming because lower ping means quicker, more synchronized updates of actions like player movements and bullet trajectories, which leads to more responsive and fair play.
- How is ping different from bandwidth in determining your online experience?
- Ping measures how quickly messages travel back and forth, affecting latency, while bandwidth measures how much data can be moved per second. Gaming benefits from low ping for real time updates, whereas streaming services like Netflix emphasize bandwidth because the data is delivered in larger, pre-buffered chunks.