Omniloop

Packet loss test

Run a packet loss test to see how much data is silently failing to arrive, a common cause of dropped calls, buffering, and game desync.

What packet loss measures

Every connection sends data in small units called packets. Packet loss is the percentage of those packets that never arrive at all, rather than arriving late. Even a small amount compounds quickly: real-time audio and video can't always recover a missing packet in time, so loss shows up as glitches, dropouts, and freezes rather than just slower speeds.

What counts as acceptable packet loss

Packet loss thresholds

0 – 0.5%

Unnoticeable in everyday use, calls, and streaming.

Good

0.5 – 2.5%

Occasional glitches in calls, streams, and games.

Fair

2.5%+

Actively unreliable: frequent dropped calls, buffering, and disconnects.

Poor

Common causes and fixes

  • Wi-Fi interference: move closer to the router or switch to 5GHz, which is less congested than 2.4GHz.
  • Damaged or loose cabling: reseat or replace Ethernet cables between your modem, router, and device.
  • Overheating or aging hardware: restart your router and modem; persistent loss after a restart points to failing hardware.
  • Network congestion: too many devices or heavy background traffic on the same connection can cause packets to be dropped under load.
  • If loss persists on a wired connection with nothing else running, the cause is more likely upstream with your ISP than anything local.

Check your packet loss

Omniloop measures packet loss alongside ping and jitter in every test run, no separate setup required.

Packet loss test FAQ

Common questions about dropped packets and what causes them.

What is an acceptable packet loss percentage?

Under 0.5% is generally unnoticeable in everyday use. Between 0.5% and 2.5% starts to cause occasional glitches in calls, streaming, and gaming. Above 2.5%, connections feel actively unreliable, with dropped calls, buffering, and disconnects becoming common.

What causes packet loss?

Congested network links, faulty or overheating hardware (routers, modems, cabling), Wi-Fi interference, and ISP-side routing issues are the most common causes. Wireless connections are especially prone to it since radio interference can corrupt packets in transit.

How does packet loss affect video calls and gaming?

Lost packets mean missing pieces of audio, video, or game state that can't always be recovered in time. That shows up as frozen frames, garbled audio, or characters teleporting in games, symptoms that are often more disruptive than moderately high ping or jitter alone.

Can I fix packet loss myself?

Restarting your router or modem, checking cables for damage, moving closer to your Wi-Fi access point, and reducing the number of devices competing for bandwidth all help with locally-caused loss. If loss persists over a wired connection with nothing else running, the issue is more likely upstream with your ISP.

Related network tools

More ways to understand and troubleshoot your connection.

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Jitter Test

Measure how stable your latency is over time, not just its average.

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