speed test
Speed test our network from your location.
If you have any questions about our network or services, feel free to contact us anytime.
You can ping locally from your terminal or use an online tool such as Ping.pe
Speed Test / Ping
New York Ping
64.64.109.1
Frankfurt Ping
89.187.169.225
London Ping
79.127.237.193
Singapore Ping
79.127.235.129
What is ping?
In networking, ping is like a digital “knock-knock” to see if anyone’s home. It sends a small packet of data to an IP address to check if the host is alive and kicking. If it gets a response, it’s like hearing “Who’s there?”; if not, well, the silence might mean the host is down, or just ignoring you. It’s a basic tool for testing network connectivity.
How does ping work?
Ping works by throwing a digital pebble into the network pond to see if it ripples back. Here’s the lowdown:
- Echo Request: Your device sends an ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) Echo Request packet to a target IP address. It’s like saying, “Hey, you there?”
- Journey Through the Network: The packet travels through the network, possibly hopping through several routers depending on how far the destination is.
- Echo Reply: If the target is up and connected, it sends back an ICMP Echo Reply. This is the network’s way of saying, “Yeah, I’m here!”
- Time Measurement: Ping measures the round-trip time (RTT) for this exchange, giving you an idea of network latency. If it’s quick, you’re in luck; if it’s slow, time might be dragging for your data too.
- No Response: If no reply comes back, either the destination is down, firewalls are blocking the ping, or the packet got lost in the digital ether.
So, in essence, ping is like a minimalistic chat between devices to confirm they’re on speaking terms, with a stopwatch to see how fast the conversation goes.
How to use ping for troubleshooting?
Using ping for troubleshooting is like using a detective’s magnifying glass on your network. Here’s how to sleuth with it:
- Check Host Availability:
- ping [IP address or hostname] to see if a device is online. No response? It might be down, disconnected, or blocking ping requests.
- Measure Latency:
- Look at the time it takes for packets to return. High latency could indicate network congestion or distant servers.
- Test Network Path:
- Use -t for continuous pinging on Windows or -c for a specific count on Unix-like systems. This can show if connectivity issues are intermittent.
- Trace Route:
- While not ping per se, tracert or traceroute (which uses ICMP similar to ping) helps identify where in the network path problems occur.
- Check DNS Resolution:
- Ping a domain name to ensure DNS is working correctly. If it fails, your DNS might be the issue.
- Firewall or Router Issues:
- If you can ping within your local network but not outside, your router or firewall settings might need a look.
- Network Congestion:
- If packet loss or high latency only occurs at certain times or with specific destinations, you might be dealing with network congestion.
- Identify Network Segments:
- Ping different parts of your network to narrow down where the problem lies. If internal pings work but external don’t, the issue might be with your internet connection.
Here’s an example command for continuous pinging:
- Windows: ping -t google.com
- Linux/Mac: ping -c 10 google.com (for 10 pings, or remove -c 10 for continuous)
Remember, some networks block ICMP (the protocol ping uses), so no response doesn’t always mean a problem. But when it works, ping is like your network’s pulse-check.
How to use ping to speed test
Here’s how you can use the ping command to perform a basic speed test, though keep in mind it’s not the most accurate method for measuring internet speed:
- Open Command Prompt or Terminal:
- On Windows, press Win + R, type cmd, and press Enter.
- On macOS or Linux, open Terminal.
- Basic Ping Command:
- Type ping [website or IP] (e.g., ping google.com). This sends four ICMP echo request packets by default.
- For More Data:
- Use -t on Windows (ping -t google.com) to ping continuously until you stop it manually with Ctrl+C.
- On macOS/Linux, use -c to specify count (ping -c 100 google.com for 100 pings).
- Interpreting Results:
- Time (ms): This is the round-trip time. Lower is better for latency.
- Packet Loss: If you see any packet loss percentage, it might indicate network issues.
Note: Speed: Ping doesn’t directly measure your download/upload speed but latency. Lower latency can suggest a more responsive connection, but it’s not a direct measure of bandwidth.- Jitter: Look at the variance in ping times for an idea of jitter, which affects real-time applications like video calls or gaming.
- Advanced Options:
- -l on Windows to change packet size (ping -l 1000 google.com for 1000 byte packets), helping to gauge how your connection handles larger data chunks.
- On Linux/macOS, use -s for packet size (ping -s 1000 google.com).
- Caveats:
- Ping can be blocked by some networks or sites for security reasons.
- It might not reflect your actual internet speed due to various network conditions or server responses.
For a real speed test, consider using online tools like Speedtest.net, which can measure download/upload speeds more accurately. But for a quick check on latency, ping is your friend. Just remember, using ping for “speed” is like using a ruler to measure how fast you can run; it gives you some data but not the whole picture.