About the Browser Latency Test
This browser latency test measures the time required for small HTTPS requests to travel from your browser to buffer.lol and back. It is useful for a quick view of the delay affecting web requests on your current connection, without requiring ICMP access or software installation.
How to use this tool
Select Test latency to run a short series of requests from this tab. Keep the tab active and pause large downloads, video calls, or VPN changes if you want a cleaner baseline. Run the test again at different times or on another connection when comparing Wi-Fi, Ethernet, cellular service, or VPN routing. Because the requests originate in your browser, the result includes browser, TLS connection, internet route, and server response overhead.
How to read the result
Minimum, average, and maximum values summarize successful round trips in milliseconds. Lower latency generally makes interactive browsing feel more responsive. Jitter is the average change between consecutive samples; a large gap between minimum and maximum values or elevated jitter can indicate an inconsistent connection. Failed requests show samples that timed out or returned an error. Compare repeated runs instead of treating one sample as a permanent rating of the connection.
Limits and privacy
This is an HTTPS latency test to buffer.lol, not an ICMP ping to an arbitrary host. Results will differ from command-line ping because browsers cannot send raw ICMP packets. Server distance, DNS and connection reuse, browser scheduling, VPNs, Wi-Fi interference, and temporary congestion can all affect the measurement. The test sends only the requests needed to collect the samples; no account is required.
Common questions
- Is this the same as command-line ping?
- No. It measures HTTPS round trips from the browser. Command-line ping normally uses ICMP, so its timing and network treatment can differ.
- What is a good browser latency result?
- There is no universal cutoff. Consistently low values with little jitter are preferable, but the most useful comparison is between repeated tests from the same location and device.