The Required Ping Protocol
Ping is a network utility that measures the speed and reliability of a connection from endpoint to endpoint. There is no specific Ping protocol; instead, the utility relies on the Internet Control Message Protocol, or ICMP, and every computer connected to the Internet has to implement this protocol.
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Network Connections
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A network connection can travel over one, two or more links on a local network, or it might send data to the other side of the world, crossing a series of interconnected private networks. Internet connections require that the sender and receiver know each other's address, and this addressing structure is provided by the Internet Protocol.
ICMP
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Internet Protocol dictates how data packets should be addressed, but does not bother about whether a data packet actually arrived at its destination. The protocol does not contain any data integrity checking, either. However, the Internet Control Message Protocol is an add on to the Internet Protocol and that provides all the error messaging functions that the Internet Protocol lacks.
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Ping
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Ping existed before the creation of ICMP. It was originally written for DARPANET, which was a forerunner of the Internet. The ICMP specification was first published in 1981, and Ping got its name from a contraction of “Packet Internet Groper.” The new version of Ping that was written in 1983 to utilize ICMP services retained the old name. Its writer, Mike Muuss, said he used the name because it was like the sound a RADAR makes when it hits an object.
Echo
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The analogy between Ping and RADAR works well, as RADAR bounces sonar waves off objects and records the echo, while Ping uses the "ECHO_REQUEST" function of ICMP. Any computer receiving an "ECHO_REQUEST" immediately sends back an "ECHO_REPLY" message, which is also part of the ICMP specification. Although each message contains no data, the fact that a response packet comes back from the destination confirms the existence of a path between the two parties. The speed of the response also hints at success, or problems with the links between the two points. The performance of a series of Ping messages can identify irregularities in response times, which is an important factor for video streaming and Internet telephony because of the need to be assured of regularly timed data packets. Finally, the ability to substitute a network name or Web address for the IP address in the command enables administrators to confirm that the Address Resolution Protocol table or the Domain Name System entry for the destination, is correctly filled in.
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References
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