During my work expierience at the RAF in Kent, we tested it, this is the only way i know. Believe me the guys there know what their on about.
you didn't test it very well. First, we're talking about a wireless dongle.
Second, the length of a cat5 cable has zero effect on ping time. I just did some tests myself.
Wifi:
Pinging www.l.google.com [74.125.53.103] with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=22ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=26ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=21ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=24ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=21ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=22ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=22ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=21ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=21ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=47ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=22ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=22ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=21ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=22ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=33ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=25ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=20ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=24ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=23ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=23ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=22ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=21ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=24ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=24ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=22ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=22ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=30ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=20ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=19ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=22ms TTL=55
Ping statistics for 74.125.53.103:
Packets: Sent = 30, Received = 30, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 19ms, Maximum = 47ms, Average = 23ms
Short wired ethernet (it's about 3 feet long):
Pinging www.l.google.com [74.125.53.105] with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 74.125.53.105: bytes=32 time=24ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.105: bytes=32 time=23ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.105: bytes=32 time=22ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.105: bytes=32 time=21ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.105: bytes=32 time=20ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.105: bytes=32 time=23ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.105: bytes=32 time=22ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.105: bytes=32 time=22ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.105: bytes=32 time=21ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.105: bytes=32 time=20ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.105: bytes=32 time=24ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.105: bytes=32 time=22ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.105: bytes=32 time=21ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.105: bytes=32 time=20ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.105: bytes=32 time=24ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.105: bytes=32 time=23ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.105: bytes=32 time=22ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.105: bytes=32 time=21ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.105: bytes=32 time=24ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.105: bytes=32 time=24ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.105: bytes=32 time=22ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.105: bytes=32 time=21ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.105: bytes=32 time=24ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.105: bytes=32 time=23ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.105: bytes=32 time=23ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.105: bytes=32 time=23ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.105: bytes=32 time=23ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.105: bytes=32 time=23ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.105: bytes=32 time=23ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.105: bytes=32 time=21ms TTL=55
Ping statistics for 74.125.53.105:
Packets: Sent = 30, Received = 30, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 20ms, Maximum = 24ms, Average = 22ms
and finally, a 25 foot ethernet cable I have for some reason:
Pinging www.l.google.com [74.125.53.103] with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=22ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=22ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=21ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=20ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=23ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=22ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=22ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=23ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=20ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=20ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=24ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=22ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=22ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=21ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=23ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=23ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=22ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=22ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=23ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=21ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=22ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=21ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=20ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=23ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=22ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=22ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=22ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=21ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=21ms TTL=55
Reply from 74.125.53.103: bytes=32 time=20ms TTL=55
Ping statistics for 74.125.53.103:
Packets: Sent = 30, Received = 30, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 20ms, Maximum = 24ms, Average = 21ms
the long cable has a lower average ping time then the short cable.
I wonder, if maybe this is perhaps related to the fact that the signals arrive at the speed of light? causing not only imperceptible "delays" based on cable length but entirely unmeasurable ones as well, likely in the area of yocto-seconds, if anything.
Preemptive:
"but that's the ping command, I'm talking about games"
Not much difference there. Ping time in a game is calculated by the delay between when the server sends out a packet to when the client receives it. clearly the actual connection (dial-up, DSL, Broadband) as well as the condition of the networks the packet has to pass through will have more impact then the length of a cord.