How to Reduce Ping and Latency

Ping (measured in milliseconds) is the round-trip time for data to travel from your device to a server and back. Lower ping means more responsive connections, which is critical for online gaming, video calls, and real-time applications.

• Connect to the nearest server: Distance is the biggest factor in ping. Always choose the closest Shieldeum server.
• Use WireGuard: It has the lowest overhead of any protocol we offer, resulting in less added latency.
• Use a wired connection: Ethernet is more stable and lower-latency than Wi-Fi.
• Close background apps: Anything downloading or uploading data can increase latency.
• Avoid peak hours: If possible, game or call during off-peak times when servers are less busy.

A VPN always adds some latency because your traffic takes an extra hop through our server. On a nearby server with WireGuard, this added latency is typically 1 to 5 milliseconds, which is barely noticeable for most activities.

If you are connecting across continents, expect 50 to 150 ms of added ping depending on distance. For competitive gaming, always use the closest available server.