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Cloud & DevOps
What is Jitter?
Quick answer
Variation in the time it takes data packets to arrive over a network, which can disrupt real-time audio, video, and gaming.
Jitter, explained
If latency is how long a packet takes to arrive, jitter is how inconsistent that delay is. Packets that should arrive at steady intervals might come in bunches or with uneven gaps because of congestion, route changes, or wireless interference.
Jitter matters most for real-time applications. On a video call, high jitter can cause robotic-sounding audio, frozen frames, or speech that cuts in and out. In online gaming, it causes unpredictable lag. Applications use jitter buffers that hold incoming packets briefly to smooth out playback, at the cost of slightly more delay. Reducing jitter can involve using a wired connection instead of Wi-Fi, quality of service settings on routers, and avoiding heavy downloads during calls.
Related terms
Bandwidth
The maximum amount of data that can be transmitted over a network connection in a given time, usually measured in bits per second.
VoIPVoice over Internet Protocol, technology that carries phone calls over the internet instead of traditional telephone lines.
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