---
title: "Network quality and frame rate | PrimalDesk Docs"
description: "How latency, loss and short traffic spikes affect a remote Windows session."
url: "https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/network-quality"
---

# Network quality and frame rate

How latency, loss and short traffic spikes affect a remote Windows session.

PrimalDesk sends the current screen as it changes. A fast speed-test result alone does not tell you whether a session will feel responsive: short stalls, changing delay and packet loss often matter more than peak bandwidth.

## Read the connection, not one number

-   **Round-trip time (RTT)** is the time for a signal to reach the host and return. Lower is better for pointer and keyboard feedback.
-   **Jitter** is variation in that delay. A connection that alternates between 15 ms and 120 ms can feel worse than a steady 45 ms connection.
-   **Packet loss** means some data never arrives. Brief loss can cause a skipped or late frame; sustained loss may force lower image quality or a recovery frame.
-   **Traffic spikes** are short bursts from other devices, backups, uploads or Wi-Fi contention. They can fill a router queue even when the average transfer rate looks healthy.

These are **working ranges, not service guarantees**. Measure during the actual workload and at the time of day you intend to use it:

| Network condition | What you may observe | Practical reading |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Good | Stable RTT under about 40 ms, little jitter and no sustained loss | Usually responsive for ordinary desktop work; demanding games still depend on the host and client. |
| Usable | RTT around 40–100 ms, occasional short spikes or isolated loss | Documents and administration may remain comfortable; rapid motion can feel delayed. |
| Poor | RTT regularly above 100 ms, large swings or continuing loss | Expect visible stutter, delayed input or reduced image quality. Fix the network before raising resolution or refresh rate. |

A single lost packet is not a diagnosis. Look for a pattern: does the problem coincide with Wi-Fi roaming, another upload, a VPN, a congested relay route or a busy host? Test wired networking on both ends where possible, then compare direct and relay routes.

## Host FPS, local FPS and refresh rate

**Host FPS** describes how many new frames the Windows host captures and prepares. **Local FPS** describes how many frames the client actually presents. The difference can point to encoding, network delivery, decoding or presentation pressure; neither number alone identifies the cause.

A display set to 120 Hz can show **at most** 120 distinct updates per second. It does not guarantee a 120 FPS video stream. A game might produce only 60 FPS; an idle desktop might send very few frames; the GPU encoder, client decoder, resolution, network or power-saving policy may impose a lower rate. Increasing the display refresh setting does not create frames the host never produced.

When troubleshooting, compare the two FPS readings during motion, then check latency and discarded-frame reasons. If host FPS is already low, investigate the application and host resources first. If host FPS is healthy but local FPS falls, inspect the network and client presentation path.

This guide describes the current development and testing phase.

[Back to documentation](https://docs.primaldesk.com/docs.md)

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## Other pages on this site

- [PrimalDesk Docs | Multi-user Windows remote desktop](https://docs.primaldesk.com/index.md)
- [Connection overview | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/connection-overview.md)
- [Early access and availability | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/early-access.md)
- [Make your first connection | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/first-connection.md)
- [GDPR and data requests | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/gdpr.md)
- [Windows compatibility | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/host-compatibility.md)
- [Firewall and ports | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/host-firewall.md)
- [Technical requirements | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/host-requirements.md)
- [Install and manage a Windows host | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/install-and-manage-host.md)
- [Mouse and keyboard controls | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/mouse-keyboard.md)
- [Work with multiple monitors | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/multiple-monitors.md)
- [Connect across different networks | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/nat-traversal.md)
- [Network quality and frame rate | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/network-quality.md)
- [RDS role and licensing | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/rds-licensing.md)
- [Third-party notices | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/third-party-notices.md)
- [Connection security | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/transport-security.md)
- [TURN relay | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/turn-relay.md)
- [Windows sessions | PrimalDesk Docs](https://docs.primaldesk.com/articles/windows-sessions.md)
- [Windows host setup and network documentation | PrimalDesk](https://docs.primaldesk.com/docs.md)
- [Remote desktop help center | PrimalDesk](https://docs.primaldesk.com/help-center.md)