What troubleshooting step is recommended if network latency is high?

When dealing with high network latency, reducing the number of devices connected to the network can indeed help alleviate congestion and improve performance. Each device that connects to a network introduces additional traffic, which may lead to increased latency, particularly if the network is already heavily utilized. By disconnecting some devices, the overall traffic load on the network diminishes, which can result in faster response times and lower latency for remaining active devices. This step is often practical in environments where multiple devices are competing for bandwidth, leading to contention and delays.

The other options, while potentially useful in specific scenarios, do not directly address the immediate issue of high latency as effectively as managing the number of connected devices. Software updates may improve performance or resolve bugs but do not directly impact latency caused by excessive device load. A loopback test is generally used to diagnose connectivity issues and is not a solution for high latency problems stemming from network congestion. Increasing the MTU size can help in some situations, particularly if packet fragmentation is an issue, but it is not a universal solution for latency and may lead to other complications.