Achieve varied ping measurements by adjusting network settings or testing multiple devices.
Achieve varied ping measurements by adjusting network settings or testing multiple devices.
Over the last couple of years I've been playing games. Once I changed my ISP, the problem stopped for about two weeks. Then it returned, and the ping I see on Ookla is where the issue started. Over the past few years, the ping sometimes drops to 20 and I can play games without much trouble. After a day or so it goes back up to high ping. The low ping only lasts about one or two days and happens around five times a year—probably more often but not always. My problem is understanding why my ping can be very low sometimes and I enjoy gaming, only to see it jump back to around 60 ping. I'm located in Jamaica, and the games I play are Valorant and Fortnite.
Jamaica seems a bit far away... Also, those ping tests aren't very trustworthy and you're not always connecting to the same server. It would be better to use the command prompt to reach your game server more consistently. You'll need to look up the right IP address, but it shouldn't be too difficult.
Adding more details to the previous content. Ping indicates the time it takes for a package to travel from your device to the server, sometimes returning which is referred to as latency. Internet speed tests evaluate this metric separately. It features among the key metrics alongside upload and download rates. Speedtest.com automatically picks the nearest server by default; you can also select different servers for consistency or testing purposes. On OpenSpeedtest, the selected server location appears at the end, though you don’t influence that choice. According to their FAQ: https://openspeedtest.com/about-speed-test, if you have control over servers, opting for US East or US Central typically yields optimal results. Nevertheless, most games assign servers automatically, and if the nearest server is unavailable, it switches to alternatives. This explains the fluctuating ping values you observe. A 60ms ping remains quite acceptable. Modern online games manage netcode efficiently, so you’d generally experience poor performance above 150ms. Considering Valorant, a low ping usually means connecting to Miami; given today’s 60ms reading, it likely routes through Mexico City. Here’s an update from August regarding Valorant options. For Fortnite, servers are most commonly US East and Central, with Brazil as a possible alternative if conditions are unfavorable.
Who provides your internet connection? Flow, Digicel, Starlink? Are you testing via WiFi, Ethernet, or another method (such as powerline or extenders)? Are any other services operating in the background—either on your device or the network—that could be using bandwidth simultaneously?
it happens because of network conditions on the servers you're using. sometimes the latency spikes to high values like 30 or even lower in games, especially on certain servers. this can be due to server load, distance from your location, or other players' connections. using Ethernet with an extender helps but doesn't always fix it. the ping changes based on who's online and where you are, which is normal.
There are additional elements at play. I understand how ping functions. I’m not sure how Fortnite manages connections. It might be that your connection goes through a VPN, which affects ping to all. This means you won’t see ping from your device to the server, but rather from your VPN location to the server. That could explain the variability. Still, as long as it stays under 150ms and there’s no noticeable lag (which is the only case where lag applies), don’t worry.
looking this up Jamaica isnt even close to us east coast... almost 3000km! there's no way on earth you're getting 10, 20 or 30 ms ping... what happens here is that you're sometimes measuring ping to your node *in jamaica* which is ofc very close to you and you get maybe 5ms... but that doesn't help you at all as the signal still needs to travel the whole incredibly *long* distance to us mainland... that's just how the internet works, the sooner you understand this the better, there's literally nothing you can do about it except move to united states east coast or any other location where there's big internet structure close by (in a radius of 100-200km I'd say)