With the pandemic, the remote working system, which we call mobility, has become quite common. A good internet network connection is essential for working remotely. However, there may be some problems with the internet network connection depending on many different reasons. One of the most annoying among them is jitter. Jitter is a network issue that looks like lag but is best described as jitter.
During Internet network connection, data is sent in packets and unpacked at the receiver. The delay inconsistency in these data packets will cause the jitter problem. Even though it may seem like an ordinary slow internet problem, it is actually much more frustrating when the jitter problem occurs. Let’s answer the questions like what is jitter, how to reduce it, how much should its value be, in all details.
What is Jittter, how to reduce it, how much should its value be?
What is Jitter?
Jitter, which we can translate as vibration in our language, is a network connection problem that occurs as a result of the delay inconsistency experienced during data packet transfer in the internet network connection. Jitter may look like a slow internet connection or lagging data sharing at first glance, but the results are more frustrating than that.
To understand what jitter is, we need to give some details. Data shared between users in an Internet network connection is divided into packets and sent sequentially. When all these data packets reach the receiver, they are combined and presented as such. The jitter problem arises as a result of these separate packets experiencing independent delays.
What are the symptoms of jitter?
When you have a latency problem with your internet network connection, the ‘Hello, good day everyone.’ sentence is delivered to the recipient a few seconds later than requested. With this frequently experienced delay problem, there are no annoying results, only people try to speak in turn and prevent the sounds from overlapping.
When there is a jitter problem in your internet network connection, the same sentence you have set up during the live call is delivered to the buyer in an absurd order such as ‘hello, he’s laughing’ and in a way that can never be understood. Considering that the live call in question is also video, the image that the receiver sees on the screen can be extremely frustrating.
What should be the acceptable jitter value?
Jitter value is evaluated in milliseconds known as ms abbreviation. Acceptable jitter value is 30 ms and below. Audio and video quality deterioration begins with jitter values exceeding 30 ms. If this value is 150 ms or more, which you can manage in some way, even if it is uncomfortable, it means that everything is messed up.
How to measure Jitter value?
Open the Speed Cloudflare jitter test page via the link here. When you turn it on, the system will measure your internet network connection in seconds and show the results. Download shows your download speed, upload shows your download speed, ping shows your sharing speed, and jitter shows the latency inconsistency. In the test results, you can see many more details about your internet connection.
Why does the Jitter value increase?
- Wireless network issues
- Internet service provider or platform-related issues
- Network congestion
Wireless network problems:
Nowadays, almost all users connect to the Internet via a wireless Wi-Fi network, not an ethernet cable. If there is an occasional router called a router, the wireless network can cause many problems. Wireless Wi-Fi network problems caused by modem and router often increase the jitter value and reduce the internet quality.
Problems related to your internet service provider or the platform you use:
If there is no Wi-Fi wireless network problem caused by the modem and router you are using at home, the source of the problem may be your main source, namely your internet service provider. Another problem that increases the jitter value is the platform you use for the connection. Problems caused by the platform server you are chatting with can also increase the jitter value.
Network congestion:
Even if there is no problem in the Wi-Fi wireless network originating from the modem and router you are using in your home, your internet service provider or the platform you are using, if there is network congestion, the jitter value increases. You will notice, some hours the internet is not as it should be. Here, the density situation called network congestion also increases the jitter value.
How to reduce jitter?
- Check your connection quality.
- Use jitter buffer.
- Use a good router.
- Connect to the Internet with an ethernet cable.
- Check link frequency.
Check your connection quality:
Check your connection quality to see if the problem is with your internet service provider. If there is a problem in the connection, definitely contact the technical service of your internet service provider and report the situation. Most of the time, such connection problems are solved by remote intervention.
Use jitter buffer:
If you are making voice calls over the internet using a VoIP system, jitter will be one of your biggest problems. By purchasing a device called a jitter buffer, you can directly establish a connection with the VoIP system and avoid the negative effects of jitter. There are two types of jitter memory, static and dynamic.
Use a good router:
If you are using a router, you should pay attention to the features of the device. Some routers specifically prioritize voice data packets so that they are barely noticeable even with jitter issues. Considering your user habits, you should choose a good router with the right features.
Connect to the Internet with an ethernet cable:
Even if there is no visible Wi-Fi wireless network problem caused by the modem and router you are using at home, if the jitter value is high, it obviously does not work well. As a temporary solution, connect your computer directly to the modem with the ethernet cable that comes out of the modem box most of the time, and get rid of the negative effects of the jitter problem thanks to wired internet.
Check the connection frequency:
We generally provide our Internet network connections on the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies. 2.4 GHz is slow but effective in a wide area, while 5 GHz is fast but effective in a narrow area. If you choose the most accurate connection frequency depending on your user habits, you will get rid of many different internet network connection problems, especially jitter.
We answered questions such as what is the problem jitter caused by the delay inconsistency during internet data packet transfer and what its value should be, and we talked about the details you need to know about the subject.