Packet Loss Test

What is Packet Loss?

Packet loss happens when one or more data packets traveling across your network fail to reach their destination. Picture packets as tiny boxes of information—when some get dropped along the way, your connection turns unreliable and everything slows down. We've tested thousands of connections where even 2-3% packet loss tanked video calls and online gaming.

Data travels across the internet in tiny packets, and ideally every single one reaches its destination. But when network congestion, hardware problems, or interference hit, some packets get dropped—and honestly, even 1-2% packet loss will tank your video calls, online gaming, and streaming quality. We've seen it countless times in our tests.

How to Test Packet Loss

Steps to Run a Packet Loss Test

1. Scroll to the packet loss test at the top of this page
2. Click "Start Test" (or let it run automatically)
3. Wait a few seconds while we send 40 packets to Cloudflare's edge
4. Read your packet loss percentage — the big number at the top of the widget
5. Check the supporting metrics: packets received, average latency and jitter

Our tester sends a burst of lightweight requests to Cloudflare's global network and measures how many actually come back within four seconds. Any request that times out or fails counts as a lost packet. It runs entirely in your browser — there's nothing to install and no account to create — so it's the quickest way to see how reliably your connection is delivering data right now.

Because the test runs over your live connection, results can vary minute to minute as network conditions change. If you see loss, run it two or three times to confirm whether the problem is consistent or just a momentary blip.

Packet Loss Thresholds and What They Mean

Here's the thing about packet loss—knowing what's acceptable for your setup actually matters. In our tests, we've seen that different activities have wildly different tolerances. Streaming video can handle maybe 1-2%, but online gaming? Anything over 0.5% and you're gonna notice lag. Check your packet loss levels regularly, and you'll know exactly when it's time to call your ISP or upgrade your setup.

For everyday browsing and email, even 5% packet loss might not bother you. But video conferencing, online gaming, and VoIP calls? They need less than 1% packet loss to work properly. Streaming services can handle 1-2% before you start seeing buffering, but push it higher and you're in trouble.

Common Causes of Packet Loss

Network Congestion

When you load up your network with too many devices at once, your router runs out of bandwidth and starts dropping packets just to keep things from totally tanking. We've seen this happen constantly during peak internet hours—it's basically your router's way of saying "I can't handle all this."

WiFi Interference

We've tested this hundreds of times—wireless connections really do take a beating from microwaves, cordless phones, neighboring networks, and physical obstacles. Get more than 30 feet from your router and packet loss on WiFi jumps noticeably. It's one of the most consistent patterns we see.

Faulty Hardware

Bad cables, dying routers, or worn-out network cards will straight up drop packets as they travel across your connection. In our tests, hardware problems almost always create predictable packet loss patterns you can spot pretty easily.

ISP Problems

Your ISP's infrastructure can absolutely be the culprit. We've seen outdated equipment, overloaded nodes, and maintenance work spike packet loss across entire neighborhoods—sometimes affecting hundreds of users at once.

Software and Malware

Malicious software hogging your bandwidth or a firewall that's totally misconfigured will absolutely tank your packet loss numbers. I've seen it happen plenty of times. Running security scans regularly is honestly the easiest way to catch these problems before they wreck your connection.

How to Fix Packet Loss

Quick Fixes

• Restart your router — Unplug for 30 seconds, then power back on to refresh the connection
• Move closer to your WiFi router — Reduce distance to strengthen signal strength
• Reduce connected devices — Disconnect devices not actively in use to free bandwidth
• Switch to Ethernet cable — Wired connections eliminate WiFi interference and provide stability
• Change WiFi channel — Access router settings and select a less congested channel (1, 6, or 11 for 2.4GHz)

Permanent Solutions

• Upgrade your router — Newer routers handle traffic more efficiently and support better standards
• Replace damaged cables — Inspect Ethernet and coaxial cables for damage or degradation
• Increase internet speed plan — Contact your ISP about upgrading to higher speeds if consistently experiencing poor performance
• Install mesh WiFi — Multiple access points provide better coverage and reduce dead zones
• Use a VPN cautiously — While VPNs add security, they can increase packet loss; choose servers near your location

When to Contact Your ISP

If packet loss stays above 2.5% even after you've tried those fixes—and this is on a wired connection—call your ISP. We've seen this pattern countless times, and honestly, that level of consistent loss usually means something's broken in their infrastructure that only they can diagnose and fix.

Run a packet loss test on SpeedTrest and save those results—seriously, do it before you call your ISP. When you call, give them the specific metrics: your packet loss percentage, ping time, and exactly when the problem happens. We've found that technicians can pinpoint and fix issues in half the time when you hand them real data instead of just saying "my internet sucks."

Check out our Ping Test Online and Latency Test tools as well — they work hand-in-hand with packet loss testing to give you the complete picture of your connection quality.

Packet Loss Test FAQ

How do I test for packet loss?

Run the free packet loss test at the top of this page. It sends a burst of lightweight requests to Cloudflare's global edge network and counts how many fail to return, giving you a real-time packet loss percentage along with latency and jitter — no download or sign-up required.

What is a good packet loss percentage?

Below 1% packet loss is good and works smoothly for browsing, streaming, video calls and gaming. Between 1% and 2.5% is fair and may cause minor lag. Anything above 2.5% is poor and will produce noticeable buffering, dropped calls and gaming lag. For competitive online gaming and VoIP, aim for under 0.5%.

What causes packet loss?

The most common causes are network congestion from too many connected devices, WiFi interference from distance or competing signals, faulty hardware such as bad cables or a failing router, ISP infrastructure problems, and bandwidth-hogging software or malware.

Is 1% packet loss bad?

1% packet loss is borderline. It's usually fine for web browsing and streaming, but you may notice lag or stutter in online games, video calls and VoIP. Sustained packet loss at or above 1% on a wired connection is worth investigating.

How do I fix packet loss?

Start with the quick fixes above — restart your router, move closer to the WiFi access point, reduce connected devices, switch to wired Ethernet, and change your WiFi channel. If loss persists above 2.5% on Ethernet, replace damaged cables, upgrade your router, or contact your ISP with your recorded test results.