Privacy Policy
Effective date: 9 August 2026
PacketProbe ("we", "us", "our") operates https://packetprobe.com and provides free, browser-based network diagnostic tools. This policy explains exactly what we process, what we store, for how long, and what choices you have. We have written it to describe what the software actually does rather than to be reassuring.
PacketProbe is operated by an individual in the United States. For questions, including any request about your data, email contact@packetprobe.com.
The short version
- You do not need an account, and we never ask for your name, email, or password.
- Test results are calculated in your browser and are not saved unless you choose to share them.
- If you click "Share", that result is stored for 90 days behind a random link so it can be viewed.
- Your IP address is processed to run the tests, and is briefly stored as an anti-abuse counter.
- We use Google Analytics, a third party with its own tracking.
What We Process, and What We Store
Your IP address
Your public IP address is processed whenever you use the site. It is required to make the tools work at all: the Port Checker connects back to your own IP to see which ports are reachable, "What's My IP" reports it to you, and the Packet Loss and Bufferbloat tests send traffic to and from it.
We do not keep a log of visitor IP addresses. There is one exception: when you save a result to share it, we store a short-lived counter keyed to your IP address so the same address cannot save unlimited results. That counter contains no test data and is automatically deleted after one hour.
Your IP is also necessarily visible to our infrastructure providers (Cloudflare and our own test servers) as part of routing your connection. See Third Parties below.
Test measurements
Packet loss, latency, jitter, bufferbloat grades, and port status are computed from traffic between your browser and our test servers, and the results are assembled and displayed in your browser. We do not save them by default, and closing the page discards them.
To measure upload packet loss, our test servers necessarily receive the test packets your browser sends and record which sequence numbers arrived, so they can report back what was lost. That record exists only in memory for the duration of your test (at most two minutes) and is discarded when the test ends or the connection closes. It contains sequence numbers and timing only, never the contents of your traffic.
Shared results (only if you choose)
If you press "Share" after a packet loss test, we store that result so the link works for other people. This is the only test data we retain. Specifically:
- What is stored: the measured figures (upload/download loss, latency, jitter, late packets, packets sent/received, test duration), the grade we calculated, which test server region you used, which preset you chose, and the time of the test.
- What is not stored: your IP address is not saved with the result.
- Where: Cloudflare Workers KV.
- How long: 90 days, after which it is deleted automatically.
- Who can see it: anyone with the link. The link contains a random 7-character ID and is not listed or indexed, but it is not password protected. Treat a shared result as public.
If you want a shared result deleted before it expires, email us the link and we will remove it.
Storage on your own device
PacketProbe does not set its own cookies. It does use your browser's local storage in two ways, and this data stays on your device and is never sent to us:
- Local storage also keeps your language choice, if you pick one, so we stop redirecting you based on your browser's language setting.
- Session storage keeps your recent Port Checker results so they survive a page refresh. It is cleared when you close the tab, and you can clear it yourself with the "Clear" button.
Third parties named below do set their own cookies. You can clear all of this at any time through your browser settings.
PacketProbe currently shows no advertising and carries no affiliate links. No ad network script is loaded on any page. If that changes, this policy will be updated and the effective date bumped before any ads appear.
Third Parties
We rely on the following services. Each is an independent controller of the data it collects, under its own policy.
Cloudflare
The site and its API run on Cloudflare (Workers, static asset hosting, CDN, and DDoS protection). Cloudflare processes your IP address, request headers, and approximate location to route and protect traffic. See Cloudflare's privacy policy.
Our own test servers
Any tool that measures your connection does so against servers we operate ourselves in Ashburn, Virginia (United States); Nuremberg, Germany; and Singapore. That includes the packet loss test, the bufferbloat test, and the quick check on the game and call requirements page. Your browser connects directly to whichever is nearest, so your IP address and test traffic reach that server. If you are outside those countries, running a test means your connection data is processed in the country hosting that server. No test data is written to disk on these servers.
Google Analytics
We use Google Analytics 4 for aggregate usage statistics: pages viewed, time on site, browser and device type, approximate location, and which tools are used. Google may set cookies and process this data under Google's privacy policy. You can opt out with the Google Analytics Opt-out Add-on.
How Long We Keep Things
| Data | Retention |
|---|---|
| Test results you did not share | Never stored |
| Shared results (if you press Share) | 90 days, then deleted automatically |
| Anti-abuse counter keyed to your IP | 1 hour, then deleted automatically |
| In-memory packet log during a test | Length of the test, max 2 minutes |
| Google Analytics data | Per Google's own retention settings |
Legal Bases (UK/EU visitors)
Where the UK GDPR or EU GDPR applies, we rely on: legitimate interests for processing your IP address to deliver the diagnostic you asked for and to prevent abuse of a free service; consent for analytics and advertising cookies, where required; and legitimate interests for storing a result you explicitly chose to share.
Your Rights
Depending on where you live (including under the UK/EU GDPR and the California Consumer Privacy Act), you may have the right to access, correct, delete, or export your personal data, to object to or restrict processing, and to complain to your data protection authority.
In practice we hold very little that could identify you: we do not have accounts, and we cannot look up a person. The two things we can act on are a shared result (send us the link and we will delete it) and any question about data held by the third parties above (which you would raise with them directly). We do not sell or share personal information for cross-context behavioural advertising as defined by the CCPA, though the advertising cookies described above may be treated as "sharing" in some jurisdictions; you can disable them via the links in that section.
To exercise any right, email contact@packetprobe.com.
International Transfers
We are based in the United States and our test servers are in the United States, Germany, and Singapore. Using the site may involve transferring your data to those countries. Our providers rely on their own transfer mechanisms, such as the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses.
Security
The site is served over HTTPS, API access is rate limited, and the Port Checker can only ever test the IP address you are connecting from, so it cannot be used to scan anyone else. No method of transmission or storage is perfectly secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Children's Privacy
PacketProbe is a general-purpose network diagnostic tool and is not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 (or under 16 in the EEA/UK). If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, contact us and we will delete it.
Changes to This Policy
We review this policy whenever we change what the site collects, stores, or sends to third parties. Any update is posted here with a new effective date. Continued use after a change constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.
Contact
Questions, deletion requests, or anything else: email contact@packetprobe.com or use our contact page.