What is packet loss and how does it affect your connection?

Whether you're in the middle of a must-watch finale, catching up with family on a video call or trying to beat your friends online, there's nothing worse than your connection dropping when you need it most.

While slow broadband often gets the blame, it isn't always the culprit. Sometimes the problem isn't how fast your connection is, but how reliably data is reaching its destination. Packet loss happens when that data doesn't reach your devices completely.

Read on to find out how packet loss impacts your connection, and what you can do to improve your connection if you're experiencing high packet loss.

Packet loss measures how much data goes missing as it travels across the internet. It's usually measured as a percentage, with 0% packet loss meaning every packet reaches its destination and higher percentages indicating that more data is being lost along the way.

While a small amount of packet loss is normal, higher levels can make your connection feel slow, unstable and unreliable.

You want to aim to have as little packet loss as possible, especially if you're doing activities that rely on a steady, real-time flow of data.

Still, a small amount of packet loss is completely normal and usually goes unnoticed. The trouble starts when too many packets go missing and your apps, devices and services can't keep up.

That's when buffering wheels start spinning, video calls freeze mid-sentence, audio becomes distorted and online games struggle to keep pace.

Every time you go online, your device is constantly sending and receiving tiny chunks of information called data packets.

For everything to work smoothly, those packets need to arrive where they're supposed to, when they're supposed to. Packet loss happens when some of them get lost along the way, which is usually down to something affecting the journey your data takes from one device to another.

The good news is that many of the most common causes are relatively easy to spot:

• A weak WiFi signal: If you're too far from your Virgin Media Hub, or there are thick walls and other obstacles in the way, data can struggle to reach your device reliably. That's why your connection might work perfectly in one room but start buffering or dropping out in another.

• Too many devices online at once: Think of your home network like a motorway. The more traffic there is, the busier it gets. If someone is streaming in 4K, another person is on a video call and somebody else is downloading a large file, your network can start to feel the strain.

• Ageing equipment: Older routers, damaged Ethernet cables and ageing devices can all struggle to handle data as efficiently as newer hardware, making packet loss more likely.

• Outdated software: If your phone, laptop, games console or router hasn't been updated in a while, it could be affecting how efficiently data is being handled without you even realising it.

1. Give your Hub a quick restart

It's the first piece of advice you'll get from most tech support teams for a reason. Restarting your Hub can clear temporary glitches, refresh your connection and resolve issues that may have built up over time.

2. Move a little closer to the Hub

If you're connected over WiFi, where you are in your home can make a big difference. Try moving closer to your Hub and see whether things improve. If the buffering stops or your video calls become clearer, there's a good chance your WiFi signal is the issue.

3. Find a better spot for your Hub

Your Hub might not be where it works best. Tucking it behind the TV, hiding it in a cupboard or placing it in a corner can all affect performance. For the strongest signal, place your Hub somewhere open and central, away from large obstacles and electronic devices that could interfere with the signal.

Not sure where to put your Hub? Read our guide to the best place for your Hub

4. Try a wired connection

WiFi is convenient, but an Ethernet cable is usually more reliable. If you're experiencing issues on a laptop, games console or streaming device, plugging in directly can help you work out whether WiFi is part of the problem.

5. Give your network some breathing room

If everyone's online at once, your connection could be working harder than usual. Try pausing large downloads, cloud backups or streams running in the background and see if things improve.

6. Check your kit is up to date

From phones and laptops to routers and games consoles, software updates often include fixes that improve performance and reliability. If you haven't updated your devices in a while, it's worth checking for the latest version.

If you've worked through the steps above and you're still experiencing buffering, frozen video calls or other connectivity issues, it may be worth checking whether you're getting the WiFi coverage you need throughout your home.

With our WiFi Guarantee with WiFi Max, you’ll enjoy download speeds of at least 30Mbps in every room or get £100 bill credit on your next bill. This goes hand in hand with our self-optimising Intelligent WiFi technology that’s loaded onto our Hubs 3, 4, 5 and 5x and adapts to what’s happening in your home to give you the most reliable WiFi, all the time.

Our WiFi Guarantee comes at no extra cost with our Gigabit Broadband and Volt packages. If you're on an eligible M50 to M500 Fibre Broadband package, you can add WiFi Max for £8 a month, with your first WiFi Pod included if you need one.