How Ping Tests Work
Ping uses the Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) to generate requests and handle responses.
When you execute a ping test, it sends ICMP messages from the local device to the remote one. The receiving device recognizes the incoming messages as an ICMP ping request and replies accordingly.
The elapsed time between sending the request and receiving the reply on the local device is the ping time.
How to Ping Networked Devices
In the Windows operating system, the ping command runs ping tests. It’s built into the system and is executed through the Command Prompt. You must know the IP address or hostname of the device to be pinged.
The Windows command to run a ping test against a router with the 192.168.1.1 IP address looks like this:
The syntax to run a ping test against a website with the hostname lifewire.com looks like this:
How to Read a Ping Test
When a ping is sent to a website such as lifewire.com, the result looks like this:
The IP address in this example belongs to Lifewire, which is what the ping command tested. The 32 bytes is the buffer size, and it’s followed by the response time.
The result of a ping test varies depending on the quality of the connection. A good broadband internet connection results in ping test latency of less than 100 ms, and often less than 30 ms. A satellite internet connection may have a latency that is greater than 500 ms.
Limitations of Ping Testing
Ping accurately measures connections between two devices at the time a test is run. Network conditions change at a moment’s notice, which makes old test results irrelevant. Additionally, internet ping test results vary greatly depending on the target server that’s chosen.
To get maximum value from ping testing, choose ping tools that are easy to use and point them at the correct servers and services you want to troubleshoot.
