Exponential backoff with jitter on client reconnection, not fixed retry interval

When a server restarts or drops a connection, every client attempts to reconnect. If all clients retry at the same fixed interval — say, 5 seconds — they form a synchronized stampede that hits the server simultaneously on each retry cycle. This thundering-herd effect can prevent the server from recovering under its own load. Jitter randomizes reconnect timing so the server receives a spread of reconnect requests it can absorb incrementally. ISO 25010 reliability includes resistance to self-inflicted load spikes of exactly this type.

Implement exponential backoff with additive jitter on the client, capped at a maximum delay to prevent indefinitely long waits.

const MAX_BACKOFF = 30_000; // 30 s
let attempt = 0;

function scheduleReconnect() {
  const base   = Math.min(1_000 * 2 ** attempt, MAX_BACKOFF);
  const jitter = Math.random() * base;
  setTimeout(() => socket.connect(), base + jitter);
  attempt++;
}

socket.on('disconnect', scheduleReconnect);
socket.on('connect',    () => { attempt = 0; });

If you use Socket.IO's built-in reconnection, set reconnectionDelayMax and randomizationFactor rather than implementing your own loop — the default reconnectionDelay of 1 s without jitter is a partial fix only.