The ping test is essentially a diagnostic tool allowing users to verify the existence of an IP address and/ or establish whether an IP address can accept requests. It also assists in tracing communication between router, computer and/ or other devices that are connected to a network, as well as testing connectivity and measuring response times in troubleshooting connectivity issues.
In essence, ping tests can be used to:
Verify computer-router connectivity
Verify network activity
Verify Internet connectivity
Ping tests work by sending ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) Echo Requests to specified network interfaces, which then return replies to verify connection. Here are some of the most common responses:
Reply from – This typically indicates good connection, although it is essential to verify that the response received is from the IP address that was originally pinged. Receiving responses from different IPs may indicate that the originally pinged IP is not available.
Destination Network and/ or Host unreachable – The pinged host is either down or not operating on the network.
Unknown Host – The IP address the user is trying to ping is not recognised by the computer. This may be due to a spelling error, or the IP does not exist.
Request Timed Out – This indicates that the ping command was timed out due to the host/ destination host being down.
Hardware Error – Typically indicates either that the Ethernet cable is unplugged or the network adapter is disabled.
Basically, the ping response will assist in determining what measures need to be taken in order to correct an issue.
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