What is Data Latency? (2024)

By

  • Kinza Yasar,Technical Writer
  • Emily McLaughlin,Coravin

What is data latency?

Data latency is the time it takes for data packets to be stored or retrieved. In business intelligence (BI), data latency is how long it takes for a business user to retrieve source data from a data warehouse or BI dashboard.

In computer networking and internet communications, data latency is the time it takes data to travel from a source to a destination.

Why is data latency important?

As a rule of thumb, the lower the network latency, the higher the speed and performance of a network. For an organization to be agile and quickly respond to changing market conditions, it needs to reduce latency and provide business users with data access to real-time and near-real-time operational data.

The following are a few benefits and use cases of low data latency:

  • Efficient business decisions. Reducing data latency enables data-driven organizations with quick decision-making, as employees and data engineers can run ad hoc reports to answer specific business questions.
  • Reliable connections. Low latency data levels provide a stable connection that enables websites and apps to load quickly for users. A reliable connection is particularly important for cloud-hosted and mission-critical applications.
  • Up-to-date information. Low latency levels promote a balance between supply and demand in the marketplace, as the most current and accurate information is always available.
  • Front page optimization. With low levels of data latency, the front page of a news site can stay current and optimized, which is especially important for breaking news stories.
  • Improved quality of live streams. Interactive experiences such as live data streams and webinars must have low latency levels to stay synchronous and provide a great user experience. For example, during a live stream, a high data latency of 30 seconds means a user must wait for 30 seconds for their question to be transmitted to the broadcaster.
  • Retargeting customers. When shopping online, customers can get distracted by ads and may abandon their shopping carts. Low latency levels can enable businesses to retarget those customers in real time to avoid missed sales opportunities.
  • Real-time customer analytics. Low latency connections are imperative for retail customer analytics, as they help determine customer trends in real time. Using internet of things (IoT) devices, analytics data is gathered in real time before the customer exits the shopping experience either online or in the physical store. A high level of latency or delay can slow data processing, resulting in a reduced customer experience and lost sales opportunities.
  • Real-time manufacturing with industrial internet of things. IIoT plays an integral role in the manufacturing industry. Real-time IoT sensors, actuators, applications and smart devices are commonly used in factories to access huge amounts of data. For these devices and applications to work in real time, high-capacity and low-latency networks are crucial for ensuring ultra-fast data transfers. Low latency also enables manufacturing facilities to monitor, identify and fix technical failures before they affect operations.
  • Improved virtual reality and metaverse experience. Metaverse is a digital space where users can play games, socialize and collaborate across several devices. For users to experience a smooth Metaverse experience, latency levels should be low to ensure faster end-to-end communications.
  • Real-time detection of malicious behavior. Low latency levels, along with real-time data analytical tools can aid in the detection and mitigation of malicious activities, such as bank fraud or security incidents. For example, low latency levels can help enable a bank to quickly spot and contain potential fraudulent transactions.

How to measure data latency

Latency is a key performance metric that is typically measured in seconds or milliseconds in round trip time (RTT), which is the total time data takes to arrive at its destination from its source. Another method of measuring latency is time to first byte (TTFB), which records the time it takes from the instant a data packet leaves a point on the network and arrives at its destination. RTT is more popular than TTFB, as it can run from a single point on the network and doesn't require the installation of data collection software at the destination like TTFB does.

What is Data Latency? (1)

Following are some common ways of measuring data latency:

Observing the latest data. By determining how recently the data was stored inside a database or a data warehouse, companies can evaluate any signs of data latency. Alternatively, companies can observe the data stream of a microservice to see how quickly it's being processed. Organizations can use website analytics tools such as Google Analytics to monitor website speed and performance. Also, network monitoring tools, including SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor and Paessler Router Traffic Grapher, can provide a great visual analysis and latency features, such as generation of alerts when network latency reaches above a certain threshold.

Using the Packet Internet Groper utility. Ping is a handy network administration tool used for measuring latency across Internet Protocol (IP) networks, such as the internet. Ping can be used on both Windows and Mac computers. To observe latency across a website from a Windows machine, open a console or a windows terminal and type ping domain name -- domain name can be the URL or the IP address of the destination website -- and hit enter. The ping command will first try to verify if the domain name can be resolved and reported back to its corresponding IP address. Then it will report the minimum, maximum and average round trip latency in milliseconds.

What is Data Latency? (2)

Using traceroute. Another great way to test latency across a network is by doing a traceroute test. Traceroute gives full information about the entire path that data takes to reach its destination. It delivers three packets to each hop -- the time it takes for data to travel from one router to another in the network -- and displays each elapsed time which helps determine the levels of latency at that time. For example, the traceroute from a source computer in Boston to a destination server in San Jose, California will show the entire path complete with each hop and the time it takes to go and come back. To run traceroute on any website or IP address on a Windows machine, open a console or a terminal window and type traceroute IP address or traceroute hostname and press enter. An asterisk in the reply simply means a response wasn't received, which is indicative of packet loss.

What is Data Latency? (3)

What is the difference between bandwidth and latency?

Bandwidth and latency define the speed and performance of a network. They work in conjunction with each other but play separate roles, as bandwidth measures the size or maximum capacity of data that can be transported and latency measures the time it takes the data to arrive at its destination. To understand this better, think of a bus -- bandwidth -- that transports 50 passengers versus a car -- latency -- that transports four passengers to the same destination. The car is faster and reaches the destination before the bus, but the bus transports more passengers. Thus, depending on the requirement, bandwidth and latency can be equally important.

In a nutshell, bandwidth is a measure of the amount of data -- measured in bits per second -- that can move between two nodes over a given time. Alternatively, latency is the measure of speed or the delay that occurs during the transport of that data from one node to another.

High data latency can have a direct effect on the performance of a network. Explore three important steps to reduce network latency.

This was last updated in June 2022

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What is Data Latency? (2024)

FAQs

What is acceptable data latency? ›

In general, acceptable latency is considered to be less than 100 milliseconds for most applications. On the other hand, high latency refers to a level of latency that negatively impacts network performance or user experience.

What is a good latency measurement? ›

Good Latency Measurement: A good network latency measurement is typically considered to be anything less than 100 milliseconds.

What is an example of data latency? ›

For example, during a live stream, a high data latency of 30 seconds means a user must wait for 30 seconds for their question to be transmitted to the broadcaster.

What is latency and what should it be? ›

What is Latency? Latency is the literal time it takes for a packet of data to go from its origination and reach its destination. The measurement of latency is measured in milliseconds. Just 50 milliseconds of latency — a time of less than one-tenth of a second — can result in poor network and application performance.

Is 20 latency good? ›

Latency is measured in milliseconds, and indicates the quality of your connection within your network. Anything at 100ms or less is considered acceptable for gaming. However, 20-40ms is optimal.

What is the max acceptable latency? ›

Latency is measured in milliseconds, or during speed tests, it's referred to as a ping rate. The lower the ping rate the better the performance. A ping rate of less than 100ms is considered acceptable but for optimal performance, latency in the range of 30-40ms is desirable.

How do I know if my latency is good? ›

Anything below 100 milliseconds (msec) is considered decent, but it's best if your latency is closer to 20 or 30 msec.

What is a good latency test result? ›

A ping rate over 150 milliseconds (ms) will generate noticeable lag, and this will definitely affect gameplay, graphics, and an ability to stream watchable content to Twitch. Anything less than that should be ok. A ping rate under 50 ms is fantastic and is desirable for professional gamers.

What is a good loaded latency? ›

Loaded latency measures the round-trip time when data-heavy applications are being used on the network. We recommend a loaded latency below 500ms for an optimal session.

What is low latency data? ›

Low latency describes a computer network that is optimized to process a very high volume of data messages with minimal delay (latency). These networks are designed to support operations that require near real-time access to rapidly changing data.

What are the 3 types of latency? ›

A computer system can experience many different latencies, such as disk latency, fiber-optic latency, and operational latency.

What is another word for data latency? ›

Latency is a synonym for delay.

Why is latency a useful measure? ›

The amount of latency on this path is the difference between these two times: 0.145 seconds or 145 milliseconds. Most often, latency is measured between a user's device (the "client" device) and a data center. This measurement helps developers understand how quickly a webpage or application will load for users.

Is 30 ms latency good? ›

Under 20 ms: Your ping is ideal and your game almost lag-free. 20 to 50 ms: You should be able to play mostly undisturbed. 50 to 100 ms: A noticeable disadvantage in the response time can arise in fast online games. 100 to 150 ms: Noticeable delays can be expected in all online games.

Is 50 ms latency good? ›

Latency is the amount of time a message takes to traverse a computer network. It is typically measured in milliseconds. Any latency below 100 milliseconds (ms) is considered good, and below 50 ms is very good.

Is 50 latency bad? ›

In gaming, any amounts below a ping of 20 ms are considered exceptional and “low ping,” amounts between 50 ms and 100 ms range from very good to average, while a ping of 150 ms or more is less desirable and deemed “high ping.”

Why is my latency so high? ›

Some reasons your ping might be high include: Routers and how updated they are, where they're placed, and whether their firmware is up to date. Computers and whether they're outdated, un-optimized for gaming, or need to be cleaned. Caches on your router or modems whether they're full.

How to reduce latency? ›

Some methods to reduce latency are as follows :
  1. Increase Internet Speed & Bandwidth – ...
  2. HTTP/2 – ...
  3. CDN – ...
  4. Be close to your router – ...
  5. Upgrade Broadband Package – ...
  6. Restart Your Router – ...
  7. Close Background Running Application – ...
  8. Play Games On Local Server –
Aug 3, 2022

How do I get low latency on my internet? ›

MENU
  1. Check Your Internet Speed and Bandwidth. ...
  2. Aim for Low Latency. ...
  3. Move Closer to Your Router. ...
  4. Close Any Background Websites and Programs. ...
  5. Connect Your Device to Your Router via an Ethernet Cable. ...
  6. Play on a Local Server. ...
  7. Restart Your Router. ...
  8. Replace Your Router.

How much latency for live performance? ›

Latency should always be set as low as is possible. In a live sound system, transport latency less than 1ms is expected, because many other parts of the signal path (signal processors) also add to the overall system latency.

Is latency 5 good? ›

In the case of network testing tools like PingPlotter, MOS is approximated based on the latency, packet loss, and jitter of your current connection using a dedicated formula. For most people, MOS ratings of 4 or higher are considered “good,” while anything below 2.5 is considered unacceptable.

What is a normal upload latency? ›

In the everyday world, having latency under 100ms is generally considered acceptable and anything below 50 is ideal. The average internet provider has latency between 30-50ms to most services in North America.

Is 300 latency good? ›

Unplayable ping: 100ms-300ms (0.1-0.3 seconds)

Massively multiplayer online games are playable with a high ping, but you'll still want to stay below 250ms. For real-time strategy games or player vs player, you'll need to stay below 150ms. If your ping is this high, you may want to consider gaming broadband.

Is 200 latency good? ›

Lower latency is ideal, with the best gameplay performance sitting between 5 and 60ms. The levels of latency can change depending on the server, so it is best to establish good levels for you. Having latency any higher than 100ms will cause significant lag in your gameplay, and make it difficult to play properly.

Is bigger latency better? ›

The higher the latency, the less responsive the webpage feels. Bottom line: Lower latency is better.

What is latency testing? ›

A latency test measures the amount of time needed to move data messages from one point within a computer network to another. Latency times are usually measured in nanoseconds.

How to reduce latency in database? ›

For example, if your database is located on another region than where your application runs, you may want to use a local cache for queries that are close in time and space. This can help reduce latency by reducing network round trips and minimizing data copies.

What is latency for dummies? ›

Latency is the time it takes for a data packet to travel from the sender to the receiver and back to the sender. High latency can bottleneck a network, reducing its performance. You can make your web applications less latent by using a CDN and a private network backbone to transfer data.

What is high latency example? ›

Slow processing times can be considered high latency but do not show up with network testing tools such as ping. For example, if a game is taking 100 milliseconds to create and transmit messages and your network latency is 30 milliseconds your actual total latency will be 130 milliseconds.

What is the best server latency? ›

For pro gamers, a ping of 20 ms is considered exceptionally good gaming latency. A range of 21 to 100 milliseconds is generally acceptable but although latency of between 101 ms and 150 ms can be tolerated, experienced gamers are likely to find this to be unacceptable.

What are the two types of latency? ›

There are two types of latency: A one-way transmission or round trip, depending on the use case. One-way latency is the transmission of data packets from a source to a destination. Round trip latency is when the data packet returns to the source after acknowledgement from the destination.

What is the difference data rate and latency? ›

Latency is the delay, it is measured in units of time. Data rate is how much data can be sent per unit if time, it is not measured in data rate (per unit of time, normally a standard unit). Data rate can affect latency in the real world, whereas latency affects bandwidth, "goodput", and I thiiink throughput.

Why is low latency important? ›

Low latency is imperative because customers expect to interact with technology in real-time with no delays. Issues with high latency and time delays can cause users to quit engaging on a platform and move to another application permanently.

How bad is 60 ms latency? ›

60 ms is in the good to average range. If this is your latency (AKA ping rate), then you probably aren't noticing it all. Less than one-tenth of one second is pretty much impossible to see when browsing the internet, watching videos, or checking email.

How much latency does Wi-Fi add? ›

Typically, today's home and mobile internet users experience somewhere from 5 to 10 milliseconds of latency added by their home WiFi and last-mile connection, depending on the particular technology.

Are latency and ping the same thing? ›

These days, the terms “ping” and “latency” are commonly used interchangeably. Even though one is the test and the other is the measurement in time, in common usage, the two are generally understood as meaning the same thing.

Is 25 ms latency good? ›

A ping of up to 100 ms is considered average for most connections. A ping of 50 ms and below is considered very good and deemed “low ping,” with 25 ms and 20 ms being considered ideal for video conferencing and gaming. A ping of 150 ms or more is considered slow and deemed “high ping.”

Is 100 latency bad? ›

Any latency at 100 ms or lower is considered decent. Even at 100 ms, you can play most online games without much frustration. Low latency is especially critical if you're playing a first-person shooter (FPS) game like Call of Duty or any other games where timing is critical (like League of Legends or Need for Speed).

Is 150 latency bad? ›

A ping rate over 150 milliseconds (ms) will generate noticeable lag, and this will definitely affect gameplay, graphics, and an ability to stream watchable content to Twitch. Anything less than that should be ok. A ping rate under 50 ms is fantastic and is desirable for professional gamers.

Is latency of 50 ms good? ›

A lower latency network connection is one that experiences very small delay times. Latency is the amount of time a message takes to traverse a computer network. It is typically measured in milliseconds. Any latency below 100 milliseconds (ms) is considered good, and below 50 ms is very good.

Is 16 ms latency bad? ›

The best levels to sit at are between 15 and 45ms, but anything up till 100ms is still acceptable. Anything above 100ms can start to make the game unplayable, and can be very detrimental in a fast-paced game. Sometimes, if the ping is too high, games can reject your connection and throw you out of the match.

How do I lower my latency? ›

Some methods to reduce latency are as follows :
  1. Increase Internet Speed & Bandwidth – ...
  2. HTTP/2 – ...
  3. CDN – ...
  4. Be close to your router – ...
  5. Upgrade Broadband Package – ...
  6. Restart Your Router – ...
  7. Close Background Running Application – ...
  8. Play Games On Local Server –
Aug 3, 2022

How many ms latency is noticeable? ›

Latency's effects depend on observers, but most will perceive obvious latency around 100 - 120 milliseconds. Communications will start to break down around 250 - 300ms.

Is 18 ms good latency? ›

A good ping speed typically ranges between 10-20ms for professional gamers. Although a perfectly average ping for gaming is around 20-50ms. It's important to consider that the lower your ping, the faster your connection and the more competitively you can play.

Is 1000 latency good? ›

If your ping is around 1000ms (1 sec) or higher, it is definitely going to result in players suddenly appearing and disappearing all over the screen, continuous buffering of videos and overall gameplay running incredibly slow.

What causes high latency? ›

What causes Internet latency? One of the principal causes of network latency is distance, specifically the distance between client devices making requests and the servers responding to those requests.

Why is my latency over 1000? ›

Some reasons your ping might be high include: Routers and how updated they are, where they're placed, and whether their firmware is up to date. Computers and whether they're outdated, un-optimized for gaming, or need to be cleaned. Caches on your router or modems whether they're full.

What if my latency is 200? ›

Generally, a ping of below 20 ms (milliseconds) is considered excellent, between around 40 to 50 ms is great, around 80 to 120 ms is fairly good, and 150 ms and up is considered high. Most people would consider a ping of above 250 ms to be unplayable, especially in competitive games.

Is 200 ms latency good? ›

A passable network should have: Latency of 200ms or below, depending on the connection type and travel distance. Packet loss below 5% within a 10-minute timeframe.

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