Latency vs bandwidth: Understanding the technical terms

Ever clicked on a link, expecting a page to load instantly, only to watch the loading wheel spin… and spin… and spin? While your first instinct might be to blame your internet speed, the real culprits could be latency or bandwidth or both.

These two terms get thrown around a lot when talking about internet performance, but what do they really mean? And more importantly, how do they affect your everyday internet experience like your streaming, gaming, video calls and more? Let’s break it down.

What is bandwidth?

Imagine bandwidth as the number of lanes on a highway – a wider highway allows more cars to travel at the same time. For example, downloading a large game or streaming a 4K movie requires high bandwidth. If you have a narrow highway, it will take ages for all that data to get through, causing buffering. But if you have a wide highway, the data will zip through quickly.

Understanding bandwidth measurements: bandwidth is measured in bits per second (bps), kilobits per second (kbps), megabits per second (Mbps) or gigabits per second (Gbps)

Common causes of low bandwidth

• Too many devices: if multiple devices are connected to the internet, they all share the available bandwidth.
• Slow internet plan: if your plan has limited bandwidth, you may not have enough to handle high-demand activities. Take a look at our internet plans. Not sure which one to pick? Here is how to choose the right plan for your internet needs. Meanwhile, take a look at this guide about internet speeds.
• Background downloads: software updates or cloud backups running in the background can quietly eat up bandwidth.

So, what is latency then?

If bandwidth is the width of the highway, latency is the time it takes for a car to travel from one point to another. Low latency means there’s very little delay, making interactions feel almost instantaneous. High latency? Well, that’s when things start feeling laggy.

Here’s an example to put things into perspective. You’re video chatting with a friend. If there’s high latency, you’ll experience noticeable delays, awkward pauses or even talking over each other accidentally. Gamers especially know the pain of high latency since it’s the reason behind frustrating lag in fast-paced games. Online gaming aside, latency is crucial for other real-time applications like video conferencing and VoIP calls. Even with high bandwidth, high latency can make these experiences frustrating.

Understanding latency measurements: latency is measured in milliseconds (ms).

Common causes of latency

• Distance: the farther data has to travel, the higher the latency. For instance, a website hosted in another country will take longer to load than one nearby.
• Network congestion: when too many users are online at the same time, data takes longer to move through the network.
• Wi-Fi interference: physical barriers, like walls and competing signals from other devices can slow things down.

What’s the difference between bandwidth and latency?

As mentioned above, bandwidth is about how much data you can move, while latency is about how quickly that data moves. You can have a super wide highway (high bandwidth) but still experience delays (high latency) due to traffic jams or roadworks. Similarly, you can have a narrow highway (low bandwidth) with no delays (low latency), but you won’t be able to move much data quickly.

Bandwidth and latency team up to shape your overall internet experience. Let’s take a closer look at the relationship between the two:

• High bandwidth + low latency: streaming, gaming, and video calls all run smoothly.
• High bandwidth + high latency: you’ll be able to stream large files, but interactions like gaming or video calls might still feel delayed.
• Low bandwidth + low latency: interaction feels responsive, but downloads or streaming might struggle.
• Low bandwidth + high latency: the worst scenario as it causes slow, unresponsive browsing, buffering videos and painful online meetings.

Why they both matter for everyday use

Now that we’ve got the definitions down, let’s see how these concepts play out in real life.

Streaming

Bandwidth is king here. If you have high bandwidth, you can stream in HD or 4K without buffering. Meanwhile, latency doesn’t matter much for streaming, since video is downloaded slightly ahead of time.

Gaming

Latency is everything. A high-latency connection means delayed reactions, which can make the difference between a win or a frustrating loss. Bandwidth matters less unless you have multiple people gaming and streaming in the same house.

Video conferencing

Both latency and bandwidth matter. Low bandwidth makes video grainy and choppy, while high latency causes awkward lags, making it seem like you’re talking over each other.

Downloading/uploading

Bandwidth is what you need here. The higher it is, the faster your downloads. Latency doesn’t impact speed much unless you’re downloading from a very distant server.

How to improve your internet experience

If your internet feels slow, identifying whether the issue is latency or bandwidth can help you find a solution. To reduce latency use a wired connection since ethernet cables provide a more stable connection than Wi-Fi. In addition, choose servers closer to you particularly if you’re gaming or streaming, since doing so can reduce lag. Lastly, limit network congestion. To do so avoid peak hours when too many people are online at once.

To increase bandwidth, reduce unnecessary usage by stopping automatic updates or downloads when doing bandwidth-heavy activities. You can also use Quality of Service (QoS) settings. Some routers allow you to prioritize traffic, ensuring important tasks get the bandwidth they need.

Understanding latency and bandwidth can help you pinpoint what’s affecting your internet experience and make smarter decisions about your connectivity. Whether you’re watching movies, gaming, or working from home, knowing how these two factors influence your internet usage can make a world of difference. So next time you’re stuck in buffering limbo or battling lag in your favorite online game, you’ll know exactly what’s causing the problem.