Absolute Beginners Guide to A+ Certification. Covers the Hardware and Operating Systems Exam

Using Ping

Windows can use the Ping command to test TCP/IP and Internet connections for proper operation. Ping is a more reliable way to check an Internet connection than opening your browser, because a misconfigured browser could cause you to think that your TCP/IP configuration is incorrect.

To use Ping to check your connection, follow this procedure:

1. Start your Internet connection. If you use a LAN to connect to the Internet, you might have an always-on connection.

2. Open a command-prompt window.

3. Type Ping IPaddress or Ping servername and press Enter. For example, to ping a Web server called www.selectsystems.com , type Ping www.selectsystems.com .

By default, Ping sends four data packets from your computer to any IP address or servername you specify. If your TCP/IP connection is working properly, you should see a reply from each ping you sent out indicating how quickly the signals traveled back from the target and the IP address or URL of the target.

The lower the time in milliseconds (ms), the faster your connection. Connection speeds vary a great deal due to various factors, such as Internet network congestion, server speed, and the number of relays needed to transfer your request from your computer to the specified server. To check relay information, use the Tracert command.