Ping to Test Speed

The Windows ping command measures your latency to a local or remote host. Latency is measured in milliseconds and is the amount of time it takes for a packet to reach a host and then return to you. Having a low measure of latency is important for Voice over Internet Protocol calls and online games.

This article will help you to test your latency using the ping utility in the Windows Command Prompt.

Instructions

1. Press the "Windows" and "R" keys on your keyboard simultaneously. This opens a "Run" box.
    
2. Type "CMD" in the "Run" box and then click the "OK" button. This launches the Windows Command Prompt. 
3. Type "Ping www.google.com" and then press the "Enter" key. You can replace "www.google.com" with any desired Web address. You can also use an IP address. For example, "Ping 192.168.0.1" and press "Enter."
    
4. Scroll to the "Ping statistics for..." line. This information contains the results for your ping. The "Minimum," "Maximum" and "Average" are your latency values. Lower values yield faster performance. Generally, for online gaming an "Average" ping of 100 milliseconds (ms) or less will provide satisfying results. If you are testing for VoIP, the specific latency requirements will vary depending on your carrier. An "Average" ping value of 150 ms or less should be sufficient for many VoIP services.