How to Ping a Computer IP Address

Ping is used to test computer networks.

"Ping" is a common network utility used to test whether a device on a network is reachable. Devices on an IP network are automatically configured to echo when pings are sent out. When you send out a ping, a single packet is sent over the network. If the packet is received by the target device, the target device then sends back a packet. How long it takes for the packet to return, or whether it returns at all, gives you information about the network.

Instructions

1. Open a command line on the operating system of your choice. Ping is included in almost every operating system. In Windows, you can access the command line by going to the Start menu, selecting "Run" and typing "cmd.exe" in the Run prompt. In Unix-based operating systems, including Mac OS X, you need to open a terminal.

2. Type the command "ping IPADDRESS" and replace "IPADDRESS" with the network hostname or IP address of the device you want to ping. You can also use web addresses. For example, you can ping Google with the command "ping http://www.google.com." Do not type the quotation marks.

3. Wait for the response from the device you pinged. Windows will send out three packets and provide response times for each. On Unix, the command will keep pinging until you stop the process. Each operating system provides slightly different information, but all will show the echo time in milliseconds.

References

• Lincoln University: Ping
• Indiana University: Technology Knowledge Base