What is Packet Loss? The Enemy of Smooth Internet

Disappearing Data

All data transmitted across the internet is chopped up into tiny, manageable chunks called packets. Packet loss occurs when one or more of these data packets traveling across a network fail to reach their destination. It is the digital equivalent of a letter getting lost in the mail.

Packet loss is almost always caused by physical hardware issues or extreme network congestion. A frayed Ethernet cable, overwhelming interference on a Wi-Fi channel, or an ISP router that is simply overloaded with too much traffic will all result in packets being silently discarded.

The Real-World Impact

If you are downloading a file or loading a website, TCP will detect the packet loss and ask the server to resend the missing data. You won't see an error message, but the transfer will take noticeably longer to complete. However, for real-time UDP applications like voice calls and gaming, there is no time to resend lost data.

If you experience even 1% packet loss, your Zoom calls will sound robotic and distorted. In a competitive shooter game, 1% packet loss means your bullets will literally disappear into the void, or your character will warp around the map.

Why This Affects Your Speed Test

While our speed test primarily focuses on raw bandwidth and latency, a connection suffering from packet loss will never achieve its maximum speed potential. The constant need for your computer and the server to pause, detect missing data, and retransmit packets destroys the efficiency of the download.

If your speed test results are heavily fluctuating or significantly lower than expected, try running a continuous ping test from your computer's command line to your router. If packets are dropping before they even leave your house, you have isolated the problem to your local hardware or Wi-Fi interference.