Latency Is More Than Speed
A network can pass a fast speed test while still feeling poor during calls, remote desktop sessions and interactive applications if latency or packet loss is high.
Isolate the Layer
- Ping the local gateway from an affected client.
- Compare wired and wireless results.
- Test from the gateway toward the internet.
- Look for switch-port errors or link negotiation issues.
- Check channel utilization and retries on wireless clients.
- Determine whether the issue affects one device, one AP, one VLAN or the entire site.
Patterns Matter
Loss to the local gateway points inward. Clean local results with poor internet results point toward the WAN/ISP path. Problems isolated to one AP or switch port should be investigated locally before changing the whole network.