Ping
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What is ping?
Ping is a program that sends IP packets (units of data) from one computer to another over the Internet or over a network. To ping means to use the ping utility or command. The purpose of pinging is to verify that the other computer exists, is operating, and can accept requests. In addition, pinging indicates how long it takes to get a response from the other computer.
What is a ping test?
A ping test is the test you perform when you ping another computer. To execute a ping test, you try to make contact from one computer to another computer via the other computer's IP address or a domain name.
Doing a ping test from your computer
Most computers with Internet access have a built-in ping utility. With Windows computers, follow these steps to ping another computer:
- Click on Start.
- Click on Run.
- Type command in the box that appears and then click on OK.
- Where the cursor appears in the box that opens, type ping followed by a space and then a domain name or IP, for example:
- ping example.com
- ping 123.45.XXX.X
- Press Enter.
Other ping test programs
A search engine search for ping test produces results of downloadable and online ping test programs. Note that ping connection tests via most online programs provide information about reaching the destination computer from the computer that hosts the ping program, not from your own computer.
Ping test results
Ping test results first indicate whether the connection with the other computer was successful. When you successfully ping another computer, the results include the IP address of the computer being pinged along with other data.
Ping test results also provide this information:
- How many packets were sent, received, and lost. The number sent and received should be the same, and 0% loss is ideal; it indicates that no information had to be transmitted more than once.
- The minimum, maximum, and average round-trip times in milliseconds for the packets. The lower the number, the better.
When ping tests fail
Ping connections to other computers sometimes don't succeed because of various factors, for example:
Factors at your end
- Your computer isn't online or connected to the network.
- Your ping program can't identify the IP address for the other computer.
- Your computer can't reach the address you want to ping because of your firewall or other routing problems.
Connection factors with the other computer
- The computer is programmed not to respond to ping.
- The server is down.
- There are other server-related problems.
See also
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