Why does it matter, and can it impact your internet performance?

Here’s everything you’re gonna wanna know.

These data packets are sent in a continuous stream, spaced evenly apart.

View over the shoulder of a frustrated woman who’s using a notebook to make a video call and a connection error message is visible.

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Simply put, jitter is the variation in the internal between successive data packets.

It’s also referred to as packet delay variation (PDV).

Related:What Is a Data Packet?

Cloudflare Jitter test

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It is very customizable and allows you to tweak packet size, frequency, duration, and acceptable delay.

But if you are unsure about these customizations, you might also pick a preset.

The results will reveal details about the average jitter, among other things.

Ethernet cables in a network switch

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What Is Acceptable Jitter?

Jitter is measured in milliseconds (ms), like ping orlatency.

But some applications can have a higher or lower tolerance for jitter.

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These Cable Matters Ethernet cables fully meet the Cat6 specification and are available in a variety of sizes.

For example, suppose you are streaming video from Netflix or Disney+.

In that case, you won’t typically notice the effects of jitter because data flow is mostly one-directional.

The streaming service can have a large buffer to mitigate any jitter.

So very low to no jitter is preferred in such applications.

Related:Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet: How Much Better Is a Wired Connection?

A wired connection is one of the easiest ways to deal with jitter in your internet.

Additionally, it’s also a good idea to upgrade from Cat5 or olderEthernet cablestoCat6 or newer.

Newer cables have more bandwidth and better protections from interference and crosstalk.

These Cable Matters Ethernet cables fully meet the Cat6 specification and are available in a variety of sizes.

If possible, you should also reduce unnecessary bandwidth usage, like Netflix streaming, while running critical apps.

If you still have jitter issues, it’s time to contact your internet service provider (ISP).

Jitter doesn’t directly impact your internet speed but can affect your internet performance.

So jitter and internet speed go hand in hand.