How To Ping A Computer Or A Web Site?

The word “ping” is popular among people in the IT profession. Most computers and laptops can run an application called Ping. Certain mobile devices can also run the application after being installed on the device. Ping is also used in internet speeds tests. 

A ping is sent from a local device to a target in a different location via a network connection called TCP/IP. A different computer, IP address or web site can be a target for a ping. Ping will tell you if the device is online, how reliably the connection is, and the average speed of the connection. Troubleshooting network issues can also be done by using ping. 

You can run a ping by using the device name or an IP address. IP addresses are unique to each device. The same process can be used for websites too. This is probably one of the easiest tests to do and any person can complete it. 

Ping Using An IP Address

IP addresses can be responsive or unresponsive. The ping application can be used on any device that runs Linux, Microsoft Windows, and Apple Mac. 

Run the Ping

Follow these steps to use an IP address for the ping:

1. Open an empty prompt. For Windows, choose Start and then Command. On Linux and Mac computers you can select the Terminal application. 

2. In the window, type ping, press the spacebar once and add the IP address. 

3. Press Enter to run the ping. 

The syntax for a ping is as follows: ping [IP address]

Continuous Ping

A continuous ping can be used to monitor a computer or network for some time. Linux-based computers tend to do this automatically. You can enter a command to stop the ping. 

It is easy to set up a continuous ping. For Windows-based computers, you can follow these steps: 

1. Choose Start and then Command on the computer. 

2. In the window, press the spacebar once and add the IP address. 

3. Press Enter to run the continuous pinging. 

4. To stop the ping, press Control + C. 

A continuous ping syntax is: ping-t [IP address]

Unresponsive IP Addresses

In some cases, an IP address may be unresponsive and the ping will be unsuccessful. Here are some of the reasons for unresponsive IP addresses: 

• An invalid IP address was used in the ping command.

• The ping was sent from a device that is disconnected from the network. 

• The target device is not connected to a network. 

• There is too much network traffic, which results in blockages between the devices. 

The words "destination host unreachable" is often displayed in the command screen when the IP address is unresponsive. 

Another strange occurrence is intermittent ping responses. The IP address does not provide consistent responses, usually because the device has just been started, or been given the command to shut down. 

Ping Using A Name

One way to ping a computer or website is to use its name. This is the preferred method when a person wants to ping a website. Use the following steps to ping by name:

1. Open an empty prompt. For Windows, choose Start and then Command. 

2. In the window, type ping, press the spacebar once and then type the device name or website. For example, ping www.google.com 

3. Press Enter to run the ping. 

The syntax for pinging using the device or website name is similar to using the IP address. The syntax for a website using its name: ping [website address]

The syntax for using a device name: ping [Jeff]

Website Responsiveness

A responsive website will give a report showing the IP address and milliseconds taken to get a response. Large global websites run can return several valid IP addresses as they make use of server computers across the globe. 

A website may be unresponsive, and the ping will not be successful. Some websites block pings to enhance their network security. Results from these pings will vary and the information you receive back will not be of any use. An error message stating “Destination net unreachable” is often returned. Usually, the blocked ping is as a result of a DNS server. At other times, the website may simply be unresponsive because it is offline for maintenance or other reasons. 

Ping Results

A ping is not useful if you do not know how to interpret the results. The following information will be displayed on the command screen, assuming the network has no errors. 

Reply From

Four messages will be sent to the target address. This line will confirm if each one was received by the target device. 

Bytes

The default size for each ping is 32 bytes.

Time

The time it takes from the point at which the message is sent until a response is received, in milliseconds

TTL (time-to-live)

This value ranges from 1 to 128 and gives an idea of the number of networks the ping went through to meet the target device. A local network with no other networks in between will result in a value of 128. 

Packets

This is the data sent to the IP address. The same amount sent should also have been received. Any packets that are not returned will contribute to the “loss” and show as a percentage. A loss can indicate network problems. 

Round-Trip Time

This shows the average, minimum and maximum time for the ping to be completed. The difference between the times should not be too large. A smaller difference will indicate a stable network. 

Conclusion

The ping command is a very useful tool for many reasons. Testing network speed, checking if a target is active, and determining network issues are all helped by the use of a ping. Many people who enjoy online gaming want to use a server that has low ping. A low ping on a gaming server indicates quick response times making the gaming experience better. 

It is easy to use the ping command on your computer. Try to ping a device on your network and get some extra practice by pinging our website.