What Is a Computer Ping Test ?

***  A ping test determines whether your computer can communicate with another computer over the network. Then, if network communication is established, ping tests also determine the connection latency (technical term for delay) between the two computers.

*** Ping test works by sending ICMP  "echo request" packets to the target host and listening for  replies. Ping measures the round-trip time and records any packet loss, and show when finished a statistical summary of the echo response packets received, the minimum, mean, max and in some versions the standard deviation of the round trip time.

***  You can use a ping test to troubleshoot connectivity problems with your home network. Ping tests are also commonly used to measure the delay ("lag") with online gaming services or other Internet servers.

 

 
Ayntax:      ping [-t] [-a] [-n count] [-l size] [-f] [-i TTL] [-v TOS]
                    [-r count] [-s count] [[-j host-list] | [-k host-list]]
                    [-w timeout] target_name

Options:
                    -t                     Ping the specified host until stopped.
                                            To see statistics and continue - type Control-Break;
                                            To stop - type Control-C.
                    -a                     Resolve addresses to hostnames.
                    -n                     count Number of echo requests to send.
                    -l                     size Send buffer size.
                    -f                     Set Don't Fragment flag in packet.
                    -i                     TTL Time To Live.
                    -v                     TOS Type Of Service.
                    -r                     count Record route for count hops.
                    -s                     count Timestamp for count hops.
                    -j                      host-list Loose source route along host-list.
                    -k                     host-list Strict source route along host-list.
                    -w                     timeout Timeout in milliseconds to wait for each reply.

 
Samples:

                               ping Server01

                               Ping www.google.com

                               ping 192.168.0.1

Sample of use the visual tool - Ping Tester

Ping www.autobaup.com  -t

1. 2009-5-23 12:33:15 Reply from 72.167.131.210 bytes=32 time=428ms TTL=112 ok
2. 2009-5-23 12:33:16 Reply from 72.167.131.210 bytes=32 time=430ms TTL=112 ok
3. 2009-5-23 12:33:17 Reply from 72.167.131.210 bytes=32 time=427ms TTL=112 ok
4. 2009-5-23 12:33:18 Reply from 72.167.131.210 bytes=32 time=518ms TTL=112 ok
5. 2009-5-23 12:33:19 Reply from 72.167.131.210 bytes=32 time=458ms TTL=112 ok
6. 2009-5-23 12:33:20 Reply from 72.167.131.210 bytes=32 time=436ms TTL=112 ok
7. 2009-5-23 12:33:21 Reply from 72.167.131.210 bytes=32 time=428ms TTL=112 ok
8. 2009-5-23 12:33:22 Reply from 72.167.131.210 bytes=32 time=427ms TTL=112 ok
9. 2009-5-23 12:33:23 Reply from 72.167.131.210 bytes=32 time=430ms TTL=112 ok
10. 2009-5-23 12:33:24 Reply from 72.167.131.210 bytes=32 Request timed out.
11. 2009-5-23 12:33:26 Reply from 72.167.131.210 bytes=32 time=524ms TTL=112 ok
12. 2009-5-23 12:33:27 Reply from 72.167.131.210 bytes=32 time=444ms TTL=112 ok
13. 2009-5-23 12:33:28 Reply from 72.167.131.210 bytes=32 Request timed out.

Result:

Sent:             13
Received:    11
Lost:              2
Loss Rate:  15.38 %
Min Time:    427 ms
Max Time:    524 ms
Avg Time:    450 ms
Avg TTL:      112