This latency benchmark template is designed for Ontok users who want to assess and document network performance effectively. It provides a structured approach to measuring latency across various network configurations.
Key components of the latency benchmark template include:
- Measurement Criteria: Define the parameters for latency testing, including the types of traffic and protocols used.
- Testing Methodology: Outline the steps for conducting latency tests, ensuring consistency and reliability in results.
- Data Collection: Specify how to gather and record latency data, including tools and techniques for accurate measurement.
- Analysis and Reporting: Provide guidance on interpreting results and presenting findings in a clear, actionable format.
By following this template, Ontok readers can create comprehensive latency benchmarks that enhance their understanding of network performance and facilitate informed decision-making.
Filling In the Template: Practical Details That Make Results Trustworthy
A template only earns its keep when the numbers it holds can be compared from one run to the next. The most common reason latency benchmarks disagree is not the network itself but small, unrecorded differences in how the test was run. Before you start, add a short test context block to the top of every sheet: the source and destination hosts, the physical or virtual interface used, the time window, the path type (wired, Wi-Fi, VPN, cloud region to region) and the tool and version. Without this, a result from Tuesday morning cannot fairly be set against one from Friday night.
Measure distributions, not single numbers
An average latency figure hides the behaviour users actually notice. Record at least the minimum, median (p50), p95 and p99 values, plus jitter and packet loss for the same sample. A link with a modest median but a long p99 tail will feel sluggish for interactive work such as video calls or remote desktops, even if the average looks healthy. Collect enough samples per run (hundreds rather than a handful) so that percentiles are meaningful.
Separate the layers you are testing
- ICMP round-trip time (ping) shows basic reachability but may be deprioritised by routers, so treat it as a baseline only.
- TCP connect time reflects what applications experience when opening sessions.
- Application-level timing, such as DNS lookup, TLS handshake and time to first byte, reveals where delay accumulates beyond the wire.
Logging these as separate columns helps you tell a routing problem from a slow server or an overloaded resolver.
Control for load and time of day
Run each test at least twice: once during a quiet period and once at typical peak usage. Note any background transfers, backups or updates on the test machines. If you change one variable, such as a new switch or a different ISP route, keep everything else identical and record the change in a notes column.
Keep a history
Store each completed sheet with a date-based file name and never overwrite earlier runs. Over weeks, the history becomes your real baseline and makes gradual degradation visible. Pair your findings with the topology views on the Network page to map latency to specific segments, and browse the other Guides for related checklists.
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