Running a ping is a way of checking whether we can communicate with another device. When we ping, we open a connection to another device and say “ping” to it, then wait for it to answer “pong” so we can analyze the data of that communication.
As system administrators, we also often ping to find out the IP of a server and check that it is responding on the IP it should, although in most cases it is done to verify the state of the connection with another device.
A PING usually answers something like this when we run a ping google.es:
Pinging google.es [142.250.200.67] with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 142.250.200.67: bytes=32 time=15ms TTL=120
Reply from 142.250.200.67: bytes=32 time=14ms TTL=120
Reply from 142.250.200.67: bytes=32 time=13ms TTL=120
Reply from 142.250.200.67: bytes=32 time=12ms TTL=120Ping statistics for 142.250.200.67:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0
(0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 12ms, Maximum = 15ms, Average = 13ms
What a PING Output Means
First, it tells us that we are going to ping the domain we specified and that its IP is 142.250.200.67. If we want to get the server’s IP, this way we already have it!
Then, unless we say otherwise by adding more options, it will make 4 PING attempts to that IP with a data size of 32 bytes (this can be increased, and it was used in some cases to carry out ping flood attacks).
Next, it tells us that it took 15 milliseconds to receive a response from the server.
Finally, it shows the TTL, which stands for time to live, the lifetime that packet will have, and it is the default value.
How to Run a PING on Windows
To run a ping on Windows, follow these steps:
- Click the Start button and search for “cmd” or “Command Prompt”
- A black window will appear. Type: ping domain/IP (ping google.es or ping 8.8.8.8).
- Press Enter
Done, we have now run a PING from our Windows computer.
How to Run a PING on Linux
I’m going to show you how to run a ping on Linux. The function doesn’t change from one operating system to another.
- Open the terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T, or open the applications menu and search for terminal).
- In the terminal, type: ping domain/IP (ping google.es or ping 8.8.8.8).
- Press Enter
And our PING is ready
How to Run a PING on Mac
Running a ping on a Mac is as simple as on any other operating system.
- Open Terminal (Applications > Utilities > Terminal)
- Type the following: ping domain/IP (ping google.es or ping 8.8.8.8).
- Press the Enter key
I hope you find it useful, and if you have any questions, just write them in the comments.