What is latency? What affects latency?

Latency measures how long it takes one packet to travel from one computer on the internet to another. At least for now, the speed of light places a fundamental bound on how quickly everything—​including information—​can move from one place to another. It takes light around 100 ms to circle the globe, so a packet can’t arrive any faster than that! However, most delays on the internet are caused by computers, not by cables.

Credits: Talking: Geoffrey Challen (Assistant Professor, Computer Science and Engineering, University at Buffalo). Producing: Greg Bunyea (Undergraduate, Computer Science and Engineering, University at Buffalo).

Part of the https://www.internet-class.org online internet course. A blue Systems Research Group (https://blue.cse.buffalo.edu) production.