What latency measures
Retrieval latency in HiDHT is measured as response time for provider lookup and public gateway probes. It is not a full download benchmark.
Fast gateway responses often indicate cache hits or easy retrieval paths. Slow responses can point to uncached content, distant providers, overloaded peers, or gateway timeouts.
How to use timing data
Use timing data together with provider count and gateway status. A fast cached response and a slow uncached retrieval mean different operational things.
HiDHT reports timing as a troubleshooting signal, not as a permanent performance score.