Jitter is a variation in the time delay between when a signal is transmitted and when it is received over a network connection, measuring the variability in ping. It is caused by network congestion, poor hardware performance, and not implementing packet prioritization. Jitter can negatively impact the performance of VoIP and video services during video conferencing, making calls choppy and incoherent or dropping out altogether. Jitter is measured in milliseconds (ms) and is described as the disruption in the normal sequence of sending data packets. Good connections have a reliable and consistent response time, which is represented as a lower jitter score.

Jitter can be measured by calculating the average packet-to-packet delay time. There are several ways to reduce jitter, including using jitter buffering, upgrading the Ethernet cable, and prioritizing packets. A jitter buffer is a device installed on a VoIP system that delays and stores incoming voice packets, buffering traffic for around 30 to 200 milliseconds before sending it to the receiver. It works to ensure that data packets arrive in order with minimal delay and can also reorganize data packets according to when they were sent.

In summary, jitter is a variation in the time delay between when a signal is transmitted and when it is received over a network connection, caused by network congestion, poor hardware performance, and not implementing packet prioritization. It can negatively impact the performance of VoIP and video services during video conferencing. Jitter can be measured by calculating the average packet-to-packet delay time, and there are several ways to reduce it, including using jitter buffering, upgrading the Ethernet cable, and prioritizing packets.