02-07-2013, 02:53 PM
How to Ping the IP Address of a Computer
Ping the IP Address.docx (Size: 139.02 KB / Downloads: 41)
Ping a IP Address that Responds
Ping is a standard utility program available on most computers. A ping utility sends test messages from the computer to a remote device over a TCP/IP network. Besides determining whether the remote computer is currently online, ping also provides indicators of the general speed or reliability of network connections.
Running Ping
Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux provide command line ping programs that can be run from the operating system shell. Computers can be pinged by either IP address or by name.
To ping a computer by IP address,
• open a shell prompt (in Microsoft Windows, the Command Prompt or MS-DOS Prompt on Start Menu)
• type "ping" followed by a space and the IP address
• press the Enter (or Return) key
Interpreting the Results of Ping
The graphic below illustrates a typical ping session when a device at the target IP address responds with no network errors:
• Reply from: By default, Microsoft Windows ping sends a series of four messages to the address. The program outputs a confirmation line for each response message received from the target computer.
• Bytes: Each ping request is 32 bytes in size by default
• Time: Ping reports the amount of time (in milliseconds) between the sending of requests and receipt of responses
• TTL (Time-to-Live): A value between 1 and 128, TTL can be used to count how many different networks the ping messages passed through before reaching the target computer. A value of 128 indicates the device is on the local network, with 0 other networks in between.
Running Ping Continuously
On some computers (particularly those running Linux), the standard ping program does not stop running after four request attempts but instead runs until the user ends it. That is useful for those wanting to monitor the status of a network connection over longer periods of time. In Microsoft Windows, type "ping -t" instead of "ping" at the command line to launch the program in this continuously running mode (and use the Control-C key sequence to stop it).
Pinging a Responsive Web Site
Ping programs allow specifying a computer name instead of an IP address. Users normally prefer pinging by name when targeting a home computer or a Web site.
The below graphic illustrates the results of pinging Google's Web site (www.google.com). Ping reports the target IP address and response time in milliseconds. Note that large Web sites like Google utilize many Web server computers worldwide. Therefore, many different (and valid) IP addresses may be reported by programs when pinging Web sites.
Pinging an Unresponsive Web Site
Many Web sites (including about.com) block ping requests as a network security precaution. The result of pinging these Web sites varies but generally includes a "Destination net unreachable" error message and no useful information. IP addresses reported by pinging sites that block ping tend to be those of DNS servers and not the Web sites themselves.
What Is a Computer Ping Test?
In computer networking, ping is a specific method for sending messages from one computer to another. A ping test determines whether your computer can communicate with another computer over the network. Then, if network communication is established, ping tests also determine the connection latency (technical term for delay) between the two computers.You can use a ping test to troubleshoot connectivity problems with your home network. Ping tests are also commonly used to measure the delay ("lag") with online gaming services or other Internet servers.
Microsoft Windows contains a built-in ping utility for running ping tests. Alternative utilities are also freely available as Web downloads. To execute a ping test, you simply identify the Web site or other remote server / computer by its name or IP address. The result of a ping test includes confirmation that connection was successful, along with a series of numbers that represent the communication delay in milliseconds (ms).
The results of a ping test vary depending on the quality of the Internet / network connection. A good broadband Internet connection (wired or wireless) typically results in ping test latency of less than 100 ms, often less than 30 ms. A satellite Internet connection normally suffers from latency above 500 ms.