Network Latency Calculator

Calculate propagation delay based on distance and medium.

Additional router/switch delay per hop (ms)

Typical Latency Reference

Route Distance Min RTT
Same city50 km~0.5 ms
NY to LA3,944 km~40 ms
NY to London5,570 km~56 ms
NY to Tokyo10,850 km~109 ms
NY to Sydney15,989 km~160 ms
LEO Satellite~1,200 km~20-40 ms
GEO Satellite~72,000 km~480 ms

*Actual latency includes routing overhead, typically 20-50% higher than theoretical minimum.

Understanding Network Latency

Components of Latency

  • Propagation Delay: Time for signal to travel through medium (speed of light limited)
  • Processing Delay: Time for routers/switches to process packets
  • Queuing Delay: Time waiting in router buffers (variable)
  • Transmission Delay: Time to push bits onto the wire (bandwidth dependent)

Latency Requirements

  • < 1 ms: High-frequency trading
  • < 20 ms: Real-time gaming, VoIP excellent
  • < 50 ms: Video conferencing, gaming acceptable
  • < 150 ms: VoIP acceptable
  • < 300 ms: Web browsing acceptable