How to Run and Read a Ping Test

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Kevin

If you are seeing a “dropped frames” error or noticing your stream is disconnecting, it means your stream is struggling to communicate over your network. To try to find out what is causing the problem, the Streamlabs team may request for you to run a ping test. This guide will go over what a ping test is, how to run different types of ping tests, and how to read the results.

What is a Ping Test?

A ping test sends small "packets" of data to a specific server and measures how long it takes for that data to bounce back to you. It identifies three critical metrics:

  • Latency (Ping): The round-trip time in milliseconds (ms)
  • Packet Loss: Data that gets sent out, but never makes it back, causing stutters
  • Jitter: The inconsistency of your connection speed

How to Run a Ping Test

There are a number of ways that you can run a ping test as well as it varies between operating systems and devices. To get the most accurate results, the Streamlabs Team requests that you run a continuous ping test. Each command will be specifically for Streamlabs Multistream (restream-ingest.streamlabs.com). If you would like to do this for other platforms (like Twitch, YouTube, etc) please see the Running a Ping Test for Other Platforms section.

🪟 Windows Computers
  1. Open the Start menu, type cmd, and press Enter. This will open your Command Prompt.
  2. Copy this command:
    3. powershell -Command "ping.exe restream-ingest.streamlabs.com -t | Tee-Object -FilePath (Join-Path ([Environment]::GetFolderPath('Desktop')) 'pingtest.txt')"
  3. Paste it into your Command Prompt and press Enter.
  4. Allow it run for at least 5 minutes to capture enough data.
  5. Press CTRL + PAUSE/BREAK to generate a summary. Then press CTRL + C to stop. A file named pingtest.txt will appear on your desktop.
🍎 MacOS Computers
  1. Go to Applications Utilities Terminal or search for Terminal using Spotlight.
  2. Copy this command:
    3. ping restream-ingest.streamlabs.com | tee ~/Desktop/pingtest.txt
  3. Paste it into your Terminal and press Enter.
  4. Allow it run for 5 minutes, then press Ctrl + C. Attach the pingtest.txt file to your support ticket.
📱 Mobile (iOS/Android)

Mobile doesn’t have a continuous ping option. First, download the free Fing app.

  1. Click Tools.
  2. Scroll down and click Ping.
  3. Enter this destination:
    4. restream-ingest.streamlabs.com
  4. Click Ping and screenshot the processed results.

Reading the Results

Overall, each of the devices will show you all the information that you need, but it will be displayed differently. To have a smooth stream your connection needs to be two things: fast and consistent. You will see a summary displayed at the bottom of a Windows/MacOS ping, while a mobile ping will show the results in an easy to ready format.

Windows Ping Test
MacOS Ping Test
Mobile Ping Test (Fing)

Remember those metrics from earlier? Now we have the numbers and can figure out how our connection is. Expand the sections below for a deep dive into what these numbers mean, or you can skip to the Your Goal Numbers section.

📉 Latency (Ping)

This shows how fast your connection is. Look at your Average (ms). North America and Europe ideally should be within 20-50ms; Asia and the middle east should be between 50-70ms.

The key takeaway is the higher the ping, the more impact networking issues will have on a stream, making it more unstable.

⚠️ Packet Loss

If you see the words "Request timed out" at any point, this is Packet Loss. Even 1% loss can cause your stream to drop.

🔄 Jitter

Look at your Minimum and Maximum times. These numbers should be very close together. Ideally, this number should be less than 30 ms.

If your ping is jumping more than this difference your connection is unstable. This can cause micro-stuttering even if your Average looks okay.

✅ Your Goal Numbers

  • Ping: Under 50ms (NA & EU) / Under 70ms (Asia & ME)
  • Jitter (Gap): Under 30ms
  • Packet Loss: 0%

Not meeting these goals? If you're above any of these goal numbers, please go to the Troubleshooting section to fix these issues.

Running a Ping Test for Other Platforms

You can run a ping test to any server! All you would need to do is replace the area of the command that is restream-ingest.streamlabs.com with the IP address or web address that you are trying to ping. You can also use the buttons below to copy the ready-to-use command for your device and platform:

Platform IP/Web Address Copy Full Code
Twitch live.twitch.tv
YouTube a.rtmp.youtube.com
Kick fa723fc1b171.global-contribute.live-video.net
Facebook live-api-s.facebook.com
Trovo Livepush.trovo.live

TikTok changes their IP/Web Address when you go live, so it is variable. If you would like to do this, please reach out to their support team for assistance.

Troubleshooting

Check out our guides for troubleshooting these issues:

If you are still experiencing issues, please reach out to our team in tickets. If you are an Ultra member, you can always reach out to us in live chat by clicking on the chat bubble on your Streamlabs Dashboard. 

Have more questions? Submit a request

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