Jitter

performanceintermediate
latency variationpacket timingvoipstreaming

The variation in latency or delay of received packets in a network transmission.

Examples

Video call

High jitter causes audio to cut in and out or video to freeze intermittently

Online gaming

Jitter causes inconsistent gameplay with rubber-banding effects

Typical Values

Excellent<5ms
Good5-10ms
Acceptable10-20ms
Poor>20ms

Common Misconceptions

  • Low average ping doesn't guarantee low jitter - consistency matters
  • Jitter is different from packet loss, though both affect quality

Optimization Tips

Use QoS to prioritize real-time traffic

high impact

Avoid Wi-Fi for critical real-time applications

high impact

Close bandwidth-heavy applications

medium impact

User Impact

VoIP calls

Audio quality degradation and choppy speech

Live streaming

Stream stuttering and quality drops

Online gaming

Inconsistent responsiveness and lag spikes

Troubleshooting

Issue: High jitter on Wi-Fi

Solution: Switch to Ethernet or improve Wi-Fi signal

Issue: Jitter during peak hours

Solution: ISP network congestion - consider upgrading plan

Technical Details

Specification: Measured as standard deviation of ping times
Formula: Jitter = |Current Packet Delay - Previous Packet Delay|