Frequently Asked Questions

Latency

• Many online gamers talk about latency, what is latency?

  Latency is defined as the time it takes to transmit data from one point to another on a network. Many people use the term "round trip time" or "ping time" as a way of measuring latency. This refers to how long it takes for their computer to transmit data out to a point on the network (like a gaming site) and then back again - twice the actual point-to-point latency.

• What sort of latency should I expect from Unwired?

  The Unwired network uses a series of base stations that are networked together. We have configured our network to be wireless all the way back to our core fibre network. Depending on how many "hops" are involved in the transmission, the round trip time or ping time should typically range from 70 to 160 milliseconds (ms) or 35 to 80 ms one-way. It is difficult to predict the latency for any one customer because he or she could be logged in to any one of a number of our base stations.

• Does latency affect my ability to play internet games?

  Latency is one factor in the performance of a network and in the performance a gamer would experience. A low latency but highly congested or constricted service could appear much slower than one which has higher latency but is being managed to lower congestion levels. The effect of congestion is often related to packet loss or loss of data during its journey. Many ISPs use multiple router interconnections with other networks and suppliers which may also add to latency, packet loss or apparent speed degradation.

  We manage our entire network directly and carefully monitor both latency and the available bandwidth to minimise congestion which may affect performance.

• Do you advise gamers to use the Unwired service?

  We believe the Unwired service will be more than adequate for most online gamers and those who will appreciate the other aspects of the service including its portability. We would advise keen gamers to consider using one of the 512/128kbps or 1024/256kbps Unwired plans to ensure best performance. We believe that with our standard 7 day money back guarantee, fast delivery, and set-up, most gamers should give us a try.