Please Whitelist This Site?

I know everyone hates ads. But please understand that I am providing premium content for free that takes hundreds of hours of time to research and write. I don't want to go to a pay-only model like some sites, but when more and more people block ads, I end up working for free. And I have a family to support, just like you. :)

If you like The TCP/IP Guide, please consider the download version. It's priced very economically and you can read all of it in a convenient format without ads.

If you want to use this site for free, I'd be grateful if you could add the site to the whitelist for Adblock. To do so, just open the Adblock menu and select "Disable on tcpipguide.com". Or go to the Tools menu and select "Adblock Plus Preferences...". Then click "Add Filter..." at the bottom, and add this string: "@@||tcpipguide.com^$document". Then just click OK.

Thanks for your understanding!

Sincerely, Charles Kozierok
Author and Publisher, The TCP/IP Guide


NOTE: Using software to mass-download the site degrades the server and is prohibited.
If you want to read The TCP/IP Guide offline, please consider licensing it. Thank you.

The Book is Here... and Now On Sale!

The whole site in one document for easy reference!
The TCP/IP Guide

Custom Search







Table Of Contents  The TCP/IP Guide
 9  TCP/IP Application Layer Protocols, Services and Applications (OSI Layers 5, 6 and 7)
      9  TCP/IP Key Applications and Application Protocols
           9  TCP/IP Administration and Troubleshooting Utilities and Protocols

Previous Topic/Section
TCP/IP Host Name Utility (hostname)
Previous Page
Pages in Current Topic/Section
123
4
5
Next Page
TCP/IP Route Tracing Utility (traceroute/tracert/traceroute6)
Next Topic/Section

TCP/IP Communication Verification Utility (ping/ping6)
(Page 4 of 5)

Methods of Diagnosing Connectivity Problems Using ping

Most people find that using ping with default settings is enough for their needs. In fact, the utility can be used in this simplest form to perform a surprising number of diagnostic checks. In many cases, the ping command can be used to diagnose connectivity problems by using it multiple times in sequence, often starting with checks at or close to the transmitting device and then proceeding outwards towards the other device with which the communication problem has been observed. Some examples of how ping can be used in this way:

  • Internal Device TCP/IP Stack Operation: By performing a ping on the device’s own address, you can verify that its internal TCP/IP stack is working. This can also be done using the standard IP loopback address, 127.0.0.1.

  • Local Network Connectivity: If the internal test succeeds, it’s a good idea to do a ping on another device on the local network, to verify that local communication is possible.

  • Local Router Operation: If there is no problem on the local network, it makes sense to ping whatever local router the device is using to make sure it is operating and reachable.

  • Domain Name Resolution Functionality: If a ping performed on a DNS domain name fails, you should try it with the device’s IP address instead. If that works, this implies either a problem with domain name configuration or resolution.

  • Remote Host Operation: If all the preceding checks succeed, you can try pinging a remote host to see if it responds. If it does not, you can try a different remote host; if that one works, it is possible that the problem is actually with the first remote device itself and not with your local device.

Note: While the inability to get a response from a device to a ping has traditionally been interpreted as a problem in communication, this is not always necessarily the case. In the current era of increased security consciousness, some networks are set up to not respond to Echo messages, to protect against attacks that use floods of such messages. In this case a ping will fail, even though the host may be quite reachable.


Key Concept: The TCP/IP ping utility is used to verify the ability of two devices on a TCP/IP internetwork to communicate. It operates by having one device send ICMP Echo (Request) messages to another, which responds with Echo Reply messages. The program can be helpful in diagnosing a number of connectivity issues, especially if it is used to test the ability to communicate with other devices in different locations. It also allows the average round-trip delay to exchange messages with another device to be estimated.



Previous Topic/Section
TCP/IP Host Name Utility (hostname)
Previous Page
Pages in Current Topic/Section
123
4
5
Next Page
TCP/IP Route Tracing Utility (traceroute/tracert/traceroute6)
Next Topic/Section

If you find The TCP/IP Guide useful, please consider making a small Paypal donation to help the site, using one of the buttons below. You can also donate a custom amount using the far right button (not less than $1 please, or PayPal gets most/all of your money!) In lieu of a larger donation, you may wish to consider purchasing a download license of The TCP/IP Guide. Thanks for your support!
Donate $2
Donate $5
Donate $10
Donate $20
Donate $30
Donate: $



Home - Table Of Contents - Contact Us

The TCP/IP Guide (http://www.TCPIPGuide.com)
Version 3.0 - Version Date: September 20, 2005

© Copyright 2001-2005 Charles M. Kozierok. All Rights Reserved.
Not responsible for any loss resulting from the use of this site.