Measure your internet connection speed
Many people upgrade to Gigabit fiber internet hoping it will fix their lagging video games or stuttering Zoom calls, only to be disappointed. That's because high bandwidth (megabits per second) measures Throughput (how much data fits in the pipe), not Responsiveness (how fast data travels through the pipe).
Unloaded Latency (Ping) measures how long it takes a data packet to reach the server when your network is completely idle.
Loaded Latency (Bufferbloat) measures your ping while a large file download or upload is happening simultaneously on your network. A massive jump between Unloaded and Loaded latency indicates a severe router configuration problem.
When network traffic surges, routers queue packets in a "buffer" to prevent dropping them.
However, older or poorly configured routers use huge, unmanaged buffers. When someone in the house starts watching 4K Netflix, the router stuffs the buffer full of massive video data packets. Your tiny, time-sensitive gaming packets (or Zoom audio packets) get stuck at the back of this massive line.
As a result, your latency spikes from a smooth 20ms to a game-breaking 400ms.
Modern routers fix Bufferbloat using SQM (Smart Queue Management). SQM algorithms (like fq_codel or CAKE) automatically manage the buffer, ensuring that small, time-sensitive packets skip the line, keeping your Loaded Latency nearly identical to your Unloaded Latency.
If you have a 1 Gigabit connection but your 'Loaded Latency' is 300ms, what will be your experience in an online video game while someone else is downloading a large file?
