Network Latency

Possible contributors to network latency include:

• Problems with the transmission medium itself.
• Errors with the router or switches as each gateway takes time to examine and change the packet header.
• Anti-virus and similiar security processes by often requiring complete message reassembly and tear down before sending on.
• The propagation time or the time it takes for a packet to physically travel from its source to a destination.
• Storage delays when packets are subject to storage or disk access delays at intermediate devices like switches and bridges.
• Software malfunctions at the user level can cause some delays from a user perspective.

Network latency can be tested through ping tests and traceroutes. Most of the time, a packet's round-trip time is measured. With the help of this analysis, network administrators can re-route packets to minimize the network latency.