If you frequently use the internet to communicate, whether through voice calls, videos, or conferences, you may have experienced problems such as intermittent sound, blurred images, or dropped connections. These issues can be very annoying, especially if you’re doing important things like presentations, meetings, or interviews.
Jitter, which is an irregular time variation between data packets sent and received over the internet network, often causes these problems. Jitter can affect the quality and performance of your internet communication, so you need to know what jitter is, what causes it, and how to overcome it.
Understanding Jitter
A jitter is an irregular time variation between data packets sent and received over the internet network. A data packet is a unit of information that is divided into small parts that are sent from one device to another over the internet. These data packets must arrive at their destination in the right order and interval to be rearranged into complete and accurate information.
However, because the Internet network comprises many elements, such as routers, switches, cables, and servers, that interact with each other and share resources, data packets can experience delays, loss, or damage during their journey.
This delay is called latency, which is the time it takes for data packets to move from source to destination. Latency can vary depending on distance, speed, and network load. If latency varies significantly between successive data packets, then jitter occurs.
Jitter can be measured using two parameters, absolute jitter and relative jitter. Absolute jitter is the time difference between the expected time and the actual time of the data packet’s arrival. Relative jitter is the time difference between the absolute jitter of two consecutive data packets.
Relative jitter can be positive or negative, depending on whether the second data packet arrives sooner or later than the first. High relative jitter shows that the time variation between data packets is very large, causing mismatches and dis synchronizations between sent and received data packets.
Impact Jitter
Jitter can negatively impact the quality and performance of your internet communications, especially if you use time-sensitive applications, such as voice, video, or conferencing calls. Jitter can cause several problems, such as:
- Packet loss: If the jitter is too high, data packets can arrive late at their destination or even disappear altogether. Packet loss can lead to missing or incomplete information, reducing the quality of your communication. For example, if you’re on a voice call, packet loss can cause choppy, lost, or noisy sounds. If you’re on a video call, packet loss can cause blurry, shadowed, or stuck images.
- Jitter buffering: Jitter buffering is a mechanism used to reduce the impact of jitter by storing data packets that arrive irregularly and outputting them regularly. Jitter buffers can be hardware or software installed on your device or a network server. Jitter buffers can help equalize the time difference between sent and received data packets, reducing discrepancies and asynchronousness. However, jitter buffers can also cause problems, such as:
- Buffer bloat: If the jitter buffer is too large, data packets can accumulate in it and cause a greater delay. Buffer bloat can cause high latency, reducing the speed and responsiveness of your communication. For example, if you’re on a voice call, buffer bloat can cause late, echoing, or out-of-sync sounds. If you’re on a video call, buffer bloat can cause images to lag, flip, or not match the sound.
- Buffer underrun: If the jitter buffer is too small, data packets can run out before the next data packet arrives. Buffer underruns can cause disconnected or discontinuous information, reducing the quality of your communications. For example, if you’re on a voice call, buffer underruns can cause the sound to stop, cut off, or change pitch. If you’re on a video call, buffer underruns can cause images to stop, flicker, or change color.
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Causes of Jitter
Jitter can be caused by various factors, both from the sender, receiver, and network side. Some common causes of jitter are:
- Network load: If your internet network is too busy or congested, data packets can experience delays or losses because they have to compete with other data packets for resources, such as bandwidth, routers, switches, or servers. Network load can vary depending on the time, location, and type of application used. For example, if you use the internet during peak hours, in densely populated areas, or for data-intensive applications, such as streaming video or online games, the network load can increase and cause jitter.
- Network quality: If your internet network has poor or unstable quality, data packets can experience delays or losses due to having to go through long, problematic, or varied paths. Network quality can be affected by a variety of factors, such as connection type, speed, protocol, encryption, or service provider. For example, if you’re using a wireless connection, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or cellular, network quality may vary depending on distance, interference, or interference. If you use a wired connection, such as DSL, cable, or fiber, network quality can be compromised by damage, leaks, or cuts.
- Network configuration: If your internet network has an incorrect or suboptimal configuration, data packets can experience delays or losses due to having to follow rules or inefficient processes, such as routing, switching, firewalls, NAT, or QoS. Network configuration can be done by yourself, by a service provider, or by a network administrator. For example, if you use a router that doesn’t match your network speed or protocol, data packets could be blocked or blocked by that router. If you use a firewall that is too strict or irregular, data packets can be rejected or modified by that firewall.
How to Deal with Jitter
Jitter can be overcome using several ways, both from the user, service provider, and application side. Some ways to deal with jitter are:
Choosing a quality connection
If you have a choice, choose an internet connection that is good quality and stable, such as fiber optic, cable, or DSL. These connections usually have low latency and jitter, as well as high bandwidth.
Avoid using wireless connections, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or cellular, if you can, as these connections are more susceptible to interference, interference, or quality changes. If you must use a wireless connection, make sure you’re in good range, there are no obstructions, and no other devices interfering with your signal.
Optimize network configuration
If you have access, we recommend you optimize your network configuration to suit your needs and conditions. You can do several things, such as:
- Update firmware and drivers: Firmware and drivers are software that controls your network hardware, such as routers, switches, modems, or network cards. Updating firmware and drivers can help improve the performance and stability of your device, as well as fix bugs or issues. You can check and download the latest firmware and drivers from your service provider’s or device manufacturer’s website.
- Adjust router settings: A router is a device that connects your device to the internet, as well as manages data traffic on your network. Adjusting router settings can help reduce jitter in ways such as:
- Change your Wi-Fi channel: If you’re using Wi-Fi, you can change your Wi-Fi channel to one that’s less congested or problematic. You can use apps or software that can scan and display available Wi-Fi channels around you, as well as show you the strength, quality, and load of each channel. Choose a channel that has a strong signal, good quality, and low load. You can change your Wi-Fi channel through your router’s web interface.
- Enable QoS: QoS or Quality of Service is a feature that can set the priority of data packets based on the type, source, or destination of the application. Enabling QoS can help reduce jitter by giving higher priority to time-sensitive applications, such as voice calls, videos, or conferences, over less sensitive applications, such as email, browsing, or downloading. You can enable QoS through your router’s web interface, and specify the applications, devices, or services you want to prioritize.
- Disable firewall or NAT: A firewall or NAT is a feature that can protect your network from outside threats, such as viruses, malware, or hackers, by blocking or changing incoming or outgoing data packets. However, firewalls or NATs can also cause jitter by delaying, rejecting, or changing the data plan you need for your internet communication. You can disable firewalls or NAT through your router’s web interface, or create exceptions for applications, devices, or services that you use. However, you should be careful with the security risks that may arise if you disable the firewall or NAT.
Using the right app
If you often use the internet to communicate, you should use the right application for your needs. You can choose applications that have features that can reduce the impact of jitter, such as:
- Adaptive jitter buffer: Adaptive jitter buffer is a type of jitter buffer that can adjust its size and output time according to network conditions. Adaptive buffer jitter can help reduce buffer bloat and buffer underrun by enlarging or decreasing the buffer according to the existing jitter level. Adaptive jitter buffers can also help reduce latency by ejecting data packets as soon as possible without waiting for the next data packet. Some examples of applications that use adaptive jitter buffers are Skype, Zoom, and Google Meet.
- Repacketization: Repacketization is a process that can combine several small data packets into one large data packet, or vice versa, as needed. Repackaging can help reduce jitter by reducing the number of data packets that must be sent or received, thereby reducing network load and possible packet loss. Repacketization can also help reduce latency by sending or receiving data packets in a size that matches the bandwidth or speed of the network. Some examples of applications that use re-packaging are WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal.
- Data compression: Data compression is a process that can reduce the size of data by eliminating or replacing unimportant or repetitive parts of the data. Data compression can help reduce jitter by reducing the amount of data that must be sent or received, thereby reducing network load and possible packet loss. Data compression can also help reduce latency by sending or receiving data in smaller and faster sizes. Some examples of applications that use data compression are Discord, Slack, and Viber.
Conclusion
A jitter is an irregular time variation between data packets sent and received over the internet network. Jitter can negatively impact the quality and performance of your internet communications, especially if you use time-sensitive applications, such as voice, video, or conferencing calls.
Jitter can be caused by various factors, both from the sender, receiver, and network side. Jitter can be overcome using several ways, both from the user, service provider, and application side. By overcoming jitter, you can improve your experience and productivity in communicating via the Internet.