Ping, also known as latency, is a measure of the time it takes for a small data set to be transmitted from your device to a server on the internet and back to your device again. It is measured in milliseconds (ms), and a low ping rate is desirable for online gaming and other activities that require quick response times. The delay is influenced by both your internet access technology and its utilization level. A ping of up to 100 ms is considered average for most connections, while a ping of 50 ms and below is considered very good. The term "ping" originates from World War I and the rise of sonar, where submarines would send a targeted signal out in the water, and the time it took for the signal to go out and return back would tell submariners how far away the target boat was.