A Simple Guide What is Network Latency?

What is Network Latency?

Network latency is the time it takes for data to travel from a client to a server and back. When you send a request, the data passes through several steps, including local gateways and routers, each adding a small delay. The total time for the data to complete this round trip is called network latency, which is usually measured in milliseconds (ms).

In fast-paced activities like stock trading, even reducing latency by just one millisecond can make a big difference. For most businesses, though, the goal is simply to provide quick responses to users. Lowering latency helps avoid delays that can annoy customers.

Network Bandwidth vs. Network Latency

People often confuse network latency with network bandwidth, but they are different:

Latency is the time it takes for data to travel from one place to another, affected by distance and the number of routers the data passes through.

Bandwidth is the amount of data that can be transferred over a network in a certain time, usually measured in Mbps (Megabits per second) or Gbps (Gigabits per second). For example, a home internet connection might offer 100 Mbps, while a data center could handle speeds of 10 Gbps.

People often refer to bandwidth when talking about internet speed, and web hosts or content delivery networks (CDNs) typically charge based on the amount of data transferred.

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