VPS provides sufficient resources for projects that prioritize isolation and budget savings, making it suitable for both individuals and businesses. To achieve the best performance from your virtual and dedicated servers, VPS latency testing is essential.
In this guide, we’ll explain how to check VPS latency using the Looking Glass app and how to optimize and ensure optimal server performance based on the test results.
Network latency is the delay in network communication. Network latency in data transfer between a user’s device and the server can significantly impact website load times and user experience. According to Google’s 2023 Latency Impact Report, just 100 milliseconds of network latency can reduce conversion rates by up to 7%. Tools like Looking Glass help users evaluate network latency from various server locations, enabling them to select the most responsive data center.
Looking Glass is a network diagnostic tool that allows users to run network latency and connectivity tests from specific server locations. This VPS latency testing app is offered by hosting providers and data centers. It gives users a window into the server's perspective, showing how their data traffic is performing on the provider's network. Looking Glass offers valuable insights into network latency, packet loss, and routing paths, helping users choose the best data center for their VPS.
Looking Glass can retrieve routing table information and perform basic network health checks and diagnostics using the following tools:
BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) is a dynamic routing protocol used on the Internet. It exchanges routing information between autonomous systems (AS), allowing you to view the active route to a corresponding resource from the routing table. Essentially, each AS represents a network or group of networks within the same administrative domain, such as an Internet service provider, a large company, or a data center. BGP ensures that data will travel the best possible route through these networks to its final destination.
How BGP Works
BGP links routing information between routers in different ASs. Each router maintains a "BGP table" that contains the best routes to various network destinations and information about neighboring networks. A BGP router evaluates several possible paths to a destination and chooses the most efficient one, considering factors like the number of hops, path reliability, and network policies. The selected route is then propagated to nearby routers.
BGP Usage
Conclusion: BGP is critical to maintaining reliable and efficient global Internet traffic, and it facilitates communication between different networks worldwide.
Ping (Packet Internet or Inter-Network Groper) is a basic Internet program that tests connectivity and responsiveness between two devices, allowing users to determine the speed of data exchange with a specific server. With this command, you can check the quality of your connection to another server at the IP level, including the availability of a particular Internet resource and the network latency—the time between sending a request and receiving a response.
How Ping Works
Ping works as follows: The utility sends small data packets to the target device and measures the round-trip time, which is called the latency measure. When you "ping" a device, your computer sends an Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) echo request packet to the specified IP address. If the target device is available, it responds with an ICMP echo reply packet. The time between sending the request and receiving the response is recorded, providing the latency measure.
Ping Usage
Conclusion: Ping is essential for diagnosing network health and ensuring connectivity.
Traceroute is a network diagnostic command that tracks the route of data packets from point A (usually your device) to point B (the destination server). It helps you see which routers are accessing a particular Internet resource from your network and estimates the network latency of packets at each router in the chain. The tool helps identify each “hop” along the route, displaying the number of intermediate routers the data passes through and estimating the time it takes to reach each point.
How Traceroute Works
The traceroute command works by sending small packets with increasing TTL (Time to Live) or Hop Limit values. Routers along the way decrease the TTL by one. If the TTL reaches zero, the router sends back an error message, allowing the traceroute tool to record the router as a “hop.” The packet will not reach its final destination or maximum hop limit.
Traceroute Usage
Conclusion: Traceroute is an essential tool for network administrators to manage and improve network performance.
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Looking Glass lets users remotely test VPS latency from different data centers to help them choose the best server. When testing network latency, users can run commands like ping and traceroute directly from the data center, giving them an idea of the speed and stability of the connections between their location and the VPS.
After running these tests, users can compare latency scores across different data centers and choose the VPS location that provides optimal performance, faster response times, and smoother-running websites and applications.
A structured approach can help you get accurate results when testing virtual private servers' latency. By following these steps, you can effectively test VPS network latency with Looking Glass:
The following sections provide a more detailed description of each of the seven steps to test VPS latency with Looking Glass.
To check if you have access to the Looking Glass tool, follow these steps:
Choose a testing location that best represents the geographic location of your target audience. Ideally, this location will be close to your target user base, as testing multiple data centers near your users will give you a more accurate picture of network latency and performance.
Many Looking Glass tools provide a range of data center locations worldwide, allowing you to choose the most appropriate area for testing. This choice is critical, as network latency varies significantly based on geographic proximity. Choose a location that matches your VPS location or best suits your users.
Choosing the right location will give you a realistic view of network performance, helping you understand what end users are experiencing regarding speed and responsiveness.
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Once you have selected a location, run a ping test in the Looking Glass interface to determine network latency.
A ping test sends small packets of data to a server and measures the time it takes for the packets to return. This test measures the round-trip time between the Looking Glass Server and the VPS. Note the average response time; shorter values mean a faster response, which is essential for latency-sensitive applications. This network latency occurs in milliseconds (ms) when users access your VPS. Since network latency can vary, run multiple ping tests to ensure all is well. Record the average network latency time to get a basic idea of how quickly the network responds between the selected server and your location. Real-time applications such as gaming and streaming require faster response times, as indicated by lower latency values.
To map the route of data packets from your device to the VPS, run a traceroute test after completing the ping test. Traceroute finds each "hop" along the network path, listing the IP addresses and network latency of each segment. This test is beneficial for identifying problems or bottlenecks in networks. By analyzing each "hop," you can determine where latency spikes occur. Use these results to identify issues with your VPS provider's network or a third-party host, enabling you to make smart optimization decisions.
While some Looking Glass tools include packet loss metrics in the ping and traceroute tests, others offer separate tests. Packet loss testing shows the stability of your network connection to the VPS. When data packets do not reach their destination, it can cause outages, especially for applications requiring a constant connection. Packet loss can impact performance, especially in real-time applications. Minimal packet loss is ideal.
To assess average stability, run a few packet loss tests. Aim for zero packet loss, because even minimal loss can degrade the user experience. Constant packet loss may indicate issues with your network and the VPS provider's infrastructure that require further analysis.
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After testing packet loss, use Looking Glass to evaluate your upload and download speeds to assess the bandwidth performance between your device and VPS. Upload speed indicates how quickly data can be sent to the server, while download speed reflects how fast data can be retrieved. Both metrics are essential for high-data-rate applications like file sharing or live streaming. Test your speeds, noting any significant lags on both metrics. Consistent speeds are necessary for uninterrupted service. Compare these results to your VPS provider’s advertised bandwidth to ensure you get the promised performance.
Analyzing and documenting results is the final step in testing your VPS latency with Looking Glass. Record all test results, including network latency, packet loss, route hops, and speed metrics. You can fully understand network performance by analyzing this data. Signs such as higher latency or packet loss over some time may indicate network congestion. Use traceroute data to find bottlenecks that may require improvement. Viewing these metrics over time helps you manage VPS performance and ensures that you resolve any issues quickly. The data gained from this analysis allows you to make decisions about optimizing server configurations, possibly switching locations, or contacting your ISP if there are persistent performance issues.
Following these steps, you can accurately assess VPS latency and select the optimal data center to improve performance and user experience.
When evaluating VPS performance, latency metrics provide essential information about the speed and stability of the connection between the user's device and the server.
The main metrics include:
In the next section, you’ll explore the key network latency metrics, each offering unique insights into network health.
Analyzing the following metrics can help identify weak links, allowing you to optimize or avoid problematic routes.
Packet loss occurs when data packets fail to reach their destination. This often happens due to network congestion or unstable connections. The loss in performance can be significant, especially for real-time applications such as VoIP or gaming.
Jitter measures the variation in packet arrival times, which can lead to latency and stutters, especially in gaming or streaming. Higher jitter values can degrade the user experience, while lower values indicate a more stable connection.
Response time, or latency, is the round-trip time required for data to travel from the user's device to the server and back. Applications that require a quick server response benefit from faster interactions and lower latency.
Other methods, such as MTR and Speedtest CLI, are available in addition to the Looking Glass tool. These tools provide comprehensive information about VPS latency and overall network performance and offer additional metrics that can help diagnose network issues more thoroughly.
MTR (My Traceroute) combines traceroute and ping functionality to provide continuous feedback at every network hop between a source and destination. By running MTR, users can see real-time latency, jitter, and packet loss information at every hop. This continuous testing feature is ideal for finding bottlenecks and weak links in a network, as it helps identify intermittent issues that may not appear in a single traceroute or ping test.
To run MTR, follow these steps:
Once you complete these steps, it will display network latency, packet loss, and other metrics for each hop, allowing you to analyze your network health better.
Speedtest CLI is a command line tool provided by Ookla to measure network upload and download speeds and network latency. While Speedtest CLI is typically used to test internet speeds, it is also useful for testing VPS performance, especially when measuring throughput and overall speed stability.
To use Speedtest CLI, follow these steps:
By using MTR for detailed per-hop analysis and Speedtest CLI for throughput, you can get a comprehensive picture of your VPS latency and overall network performance, helping you choose the most reliable server location.
Once you have latency data from tools like Looking Glass, MTR, and Speedtest CLI, you can optimize your VPS setup for faster response times and a better user experience. In the following sections, you’ll learn how to choose the best VPS location and discover tips for reducing latency on VPS servers.
Choosing the best VPS location involves three main approaches:
Choose a data center close to your target area. Latencies increase with distance, so choose a VPS that is as close as possible to your primary user base. For example, if most of your users are in South America, choose a data center in South America to reduce network latency.
Consider multiple VPS locations. If you have a global user base, you may benefit from deploying multiple VPS instances in different regions. A geo-distribution approach directs traffic to the closest server, offering users faster access.
Check your network providers. Some VPS providers offer optimized routing agreements or partner with premium network providers. Consider providers with high-performance levels, such as is*hosting, to avoid network latency and loss.
This section covers the following tips to reduce network latency on VPS servers:
Make sure your application or software is optimized for network performance. For example, query optimization and data compression can reduce the amount of data transferred and speed up processing time.
CDNs store cached versions of your content on servers worldwide, reducing network latency by serving content to users from their closest location.
Use caching for frequently accessed data, such as database responses or web resources. This will reduce the need for repeated network requests.
For applications with strict latency requirements, use protocols optimized for speed, such as QUIC for web applications. They significantly reduce connection setup time and provide faster data transfer.
By choosing the right VPS location and following latency-reducing tips, you can improve your VPS's performance and responsiveness and ensure a smooth user experience.
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In conclusion, VPS latency testing is crucial for optimal performance, especially for applications requiring speed and reliability. Looking Glass is an excellent VPS latency testing solution that allows users to evaluate network latency, packet loss, and network routes, providing a complete picture of VPS connectivity. By running ping and traceroute tests, users can choose the best VPS location, reduce latency, and tune the network. As a result, VPS latency testing with Looking Glass provides latency data that helps deliver a faster and more reliable experience, ensuring that applications run smoothly and meet user expectations effectively.