👋 Hi there! If you're experiencing slow speeds, lag during gaming, or buffering while streaming, this guide will help you use a free tool called PingPlotter to check for latency or connection problems. Running this test gives us valuable insight, so we can diagnose and fix the issue faster on our end.
⚠️ Important: Please Use Only the Share Link
To keep things safe and secure for both you and our team:
🔒 Please do not attach any files (such as .pp2 exports or screenshots) to your email or support request.
Instead, use the Share Link feature built into PingPlotter. It creates a secure, read-only link that gives our network engineers everything they need to diagnose the issue — without requiring any downloads or attachments.
📎 We will not open or process any file attachments for security reasons.
The Share Link includes:
A visual timeline of your connection path
Latency and packet loss details
Just follow the steps in Step 5 to generate the link, then copy and paste it into your message. That’s all we need to help investigate the issue!
✅ Step 1: Download and Install PingPlotter
Go to the official website: https://www.pingplotter.com/download/
Download the Free Edition for Windows or Mac.
Once downloaded, open the file and follow the instructions to install.
🔍 Step 2: Open PingPlotter and Set a Target
Open the PingPlotter application.
At the top of the window, you'll see a field labeled "Target Name or IP." This is where you tell PingPlotter what destination to test.
You can enter any website or IP address here — we recommend using:
A popular and reliable address like
8.8.8.8(Google DNS) or1.1.1.1(Cloudflare DNS)Or the address of a site or service where you're experiencing problems, like:
www.youtube.com(if videos buffer)www.steam.comor your game server’s IP (if gaming is laggy)yourworkvpn.company.com(if remote work tools are slow)
Once entered, set the interval (how often it tests) to 2.5 seconds — you’ll find this option just beside the "Start" button.
This will allow PingPlotter to start checking your connection to that specific service, helping us understand where the slowdown is happening.
▶️ Step 3: Start the Test
Click the Start button to begin testing.
Let the test run for at least 1 hour, or longer if you can. This gives us a better view of any issues over time.
If your issue only happens at certain times (like evenings), try running PingPlotter during that time.
📊 Step 4: Watch for Key Indicators
Once the test is running, PingPlotter will show a graph and a list of "hops" — these are the different points your data passes through on its way to the destination.
Here’s what to look for:
Latency (ms): This shows the time it takes for data to travel. Higher numbers mean more delay or lag.
Packet Loss (%): This tells you if data is being lost along the way. Any loss could indicate a problem.
🔎 Pay attention to:
The first hop — This is usually your home router. If you see packet loss here, it could mean a problem with your internal network (like Wi-Fi issues or cabling).
The final hop — This is the destination you entered (e.g., Google DNS, a website, or game server). If there’s packet loss or high latency here, it often means there’s an issue with your internet connection or further along the route.
⚠️ Red bars in the graph
Red bars below the chart indicate lost packets — these can help pinpoint when and where problems are happening over time.
Don't worry if a few middle hops show loss, but the final hop looks healthy — that’s usually not a concern. We focus on consistent issues at the first or final hop.
🔗 Step 5: Create a Share Link to Send Us
Once you've run the test for at least 1 hour and you've noticed signs of high latency or packet loss, you can easily share the results with us using a PingPlotter Share Link:
📤 Here's how to create it:
With the test still running (or after stopping it), click the Share button in the top-right corner of the PingPlotter window.
Select "Create a Share Page" from the dropdown.
PingPlotter will generate a link (URL) to your test results online.
Copy that link and paste it into an email or support ticket.
📨 When sending the link, please include:
Your name and account number (if available)
A brief note describing the issue:
When does the problem happen? (e.g., evenings, during video calls, while gaming)
What were you doing when the issue occurred?
This lets our support team quickly review the data and start troubleshooting your connection right away.
🧠 Why This Test Matters
Running a PingPlotter test helps us see exactly where along the internet path your connection is slowing down or losing data. Your internet traffic doesn’t go straight from your device to a website — it travels through multiple "hops" (routers and servers), like checkpoints along a route.
Sometimes, problems aren’t with your home setup but somewhere along that path — like a slow segment on the highway between your house and your destination.
By running this test, you’re helping our network engineers identify:
Where the problem starts — whether it’s inside your home, with our network, or somewhere beyond
How severe the issue is — such as high latency (lag) or packet loss (missing data)
When the issue happens — like during peak usage times or only when gaming/streaming
This data gives us a clear map of your connection route, making it faster and easier to get to the root of the issue — and fix it.
Even if the problem seems random or temporary, this test helps us catch what’s happening behind the scenes.