The ping command allows you to test the speed of the connection between you and another point on the network. This guide will teach you how to use it on any operating system.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Windows, MacOS and Linux
Step 1. Open Command Prompt or Terminal
Every operating system has a command interface that makes it possible to use ping. Functionality operation is almost identical in all of them.
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On Windows, open Command Prompt. Click on the button
Start and type cmd in the Search field. Windows 8 users can simply type "cmd" on the home screen. Press ↵ Enter to launch the app.
- On macOS, open Terminal. Open the Applications folder and then the Utilities folder. Select the Terminal app.
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When using Linux, open a Telnet/Terminal window. It is usually found in the Accessories folder in the Applications directory.
In Ubuntu, you can use the shortcut Ctrl+Alt+T to open Terminal
Step 2. Enter the ping command
Type ping hostname or ping IP address.
- The hostname is usually the address of a page. Replace " hostname " with the address of the page or server you want to analyze. For example, to run the command related to the main wikiHow server, type ping www.wikihow.com.
- The IP address refers to the computer's location on a network, locally or on the network as a whole. If you know the IP address you want to analyze, put it in place of "IP address". For example, to look at the IP address 192.168.1.1, type ping 192.168.1.1.
- To scan your own computer, type ping 127.0.0.1.
Step 3. Press ↵ Enter to view the results
They will be displayed below the current command line. Look at the accompanying section to read them.
Method 2 of 4: MacOS Network Utility
Step 1. Open Network Utility
Enter the System Library and then CoreServices. In the Applications folder, look for Network Utility. You can also press ⌘ Command+ spacebar, type "network utility" and open the desired application.
Step 2. Click on the Ping tab
Specify a hostname or some IP address.
- The hostname is usually the address of a page. Replace " hostname " with the address of the page or server you want to analyze. For example, to run the command related to the main wikiHow server, type ping www.wikihow.com.
- The IP address refers to the computer's location on a network, locally or on the network as a whole. If you know the IP address you want to analyze, put it in place of "IP address". For example, to look at the IP address 192.168.1.1, type ping 192.168.1.1.
Step 3. Set how many pings you want to send
It is usually possible to do a good analysis with four to six of them. click in Ping when you're done, and the result will be displayed at the bottom of the window.
Method 3 of 4: Reading the Results
Step 1. Read the first line
It indicates what the command is doing. The address you enter will be repeated, and you will see how much data is being sent. For example:
Step 2. Read the text block
The command, if executed successfully, will display lines with the extension of the address and how long it took to respond. TTL represents the number of hops during the packet transfer process. The lower, the more routers were passing packets. The displayed time denotes how many milliseconds each connection lasted:
Response from 173,203,142.5: bytes=32 time=102ms TTL=48
Response from 173,203,142.5: bytes=32 time=105ms TTL=48
Response from 173,203,142.5: bytes=32 time=105ms TTL=48
Response from 173,203,142.5: bytes=32 time=108ms TTL=48
You may need to press Ctrl+C to stop the process
Step 3. Read the summary
Once the operation has completed, a summary of the results will be displayed. Lost packets indicate that the connection to the address is unstable, so data has been lost in the transfer. The summary will also display the average time for each connection:
Ping statistics for 173,203,142.5:
Packages: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss), Approximate a round number of times in milliseconds:
Minimum = 102ms, Maximum = 108ms, Average = 105ms
Method 4 of 4: Troubleshooting
Step 1. Check what was written
One of the most common errors is displayed as follows:
This usually indicates that you have the wrong host address.
- Try typing it in again to correct any errors. If that doesn't fix the problem, try using another known address, such as a search engine or news page. If you get "unknown host" as a result, the problem is probably with the domain address.
- Look at the host's IP address instead of using its page (such as 173.203.142.5). If this works, it is possible that the domain has been incorrect or is unreachable or suspended.
Step 2. Check your connection
Another error message is:
sendto: No route to host
This could indicate that the gateway address is incorrect or that the computer connection is not working properly.
- Analyze IP 127.0.0.1: this is your own computer. If that fails, your TCP/IP is not working properly and the network adapter needs to be reconfigured.
- Check your wireless or router connection, especially if everything was working before.
- Most network ports have lights that indicate a good connection or that blink with data transfer. Since the ping command transmits packets at an approximate rate of one per second, you should be able to see this flashing light.
- Find out if the router has the proper indicator lights (and no faults), including the one that expresses whether there is a good connection to the computer. If the indication of a fault exists, follow the cable that goes to the router to make sure everything is connected properly and, if necessary, contact the company responsible for broadband.
Tips
- When to use ping? As with any diagnostic tool, it's best to use it on a working system to better understand it. You can do this on the computer using the command ping -c5 127.0.0.1. In the first setup, when making changes to the network or if internet browsing has problems, this mechanism can be used to evaluate the system.
- Why use ping? Named after the submarine eco-location system, this mechanism makes use of the simplest type of packages. The answer is given by the communication subsystem (TCP/IP) of the operating system. It doesn't need any applications running, doesn't access files, and doesn't require any configuration, imposing little or no impact on other activities. Proper functioning of components, gateways, routers, firewalls, servers and intermediate hosts is required. If the ping is successful and you still cannot reach a host or application, it is possible that the problem is not yours.
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Your options depend on the implementation. Here are some:
- -c Count: send a certain number of packages and stop. Another way to stop the process is by pressing Ctrl+C - this option is convenient for scripts that periodically observe the network behavior;
- -t Ping until manual cancellation (Ctrl+C);
- -w Timeout, in milliseconds: Indicates how long the system should wait before the message is declared lost or lost. Ping longer to identify latency issues. The -w 10000 ping is typically only useful when operating on mobile, satellite, or high-latency networks;
- -n Numeric only output: Use this command to avoid contacting a named server;
- -p Default: hexadecimal digit string to supplement completion of packets. Rarely useful if you suspect data-dependent issues;
- -R Use IP registered route to determine which path packets have taken - host may not provide all information;
- -s Packet size: change this value as you prefer, or check very large packets that need to be fragmented;
- -V Verbose output: display additional ICMP packets with very detailed data;
- -f Flood: send packets as fast as possible - this command was mostly used to test the performance of a network, and should be avoided;
- -l Preload: send preloaded packages as quickly as possible, going into the normal mode of behavior. Useful for knowing how many packets the router can work with quickly, good for diagnostic problems that only arise at larger TCP window sizes;
- -? Help: Use this command to access the list of commands and syntactic options associated with ping.