ping Command in Linux
The ping command in Linux checks the network connectivity between devices by sending ICMP Echo Request packets. ECHO_REQUESTS are ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) packets used for network diagnostics. It helps diagnose network issues, measure latency, and determine packet loss.
Table of Contents
Here is a comprehensive guide to the options available with the ping command â
Syntax of ping Command
The syntax of the ping command in Linux is as follows −
ping [options] [destination]
In the above syntax, the [options] field is used to specify various options to change the output response. The [destination] field is used to specify the IP address or hostname.
ping Command Options
The options of the ping command are listed below −
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| -a | Audible ping. |
| -A | Adaptive ping adjusts interval based on round-trip time. |
| -b | Allow pinging broadcast addresses. |
| -B | Prevents the source address from changing. |
| -c count | Stop after sending the specified number of packets. |
| -D | Print timestamps. |
| -d | Enable socket debug option (Linux only). |
| -e identifier | Define identifier for ping session, default is random for SOCK_RAW, and kernel defined for SOCK_DGRAM. |
| -f | Flood ping, sending packets as fast as possible. |
| -h | Display help. |
| -H | Force reverse DNS name resolution. |
| -i interval | Set the interval between packets (default: 1s). |
| -I interface | Specify the network interface or source address. |
| -l preload | Send a specified number of packets before waiting for replies. |
| -L | Suppress loopback of multicast packets. |
| -n | Numeric output only, no hostname resolution. |
| -p pattern | Define a custom packet payload pattern (up to 16 bytes). |
| -Q tos | Set Quality of Service bits in ICMP packets. |
| -q | Quiet mode, showing only summary output. |
| -r | Bypass routing tables, sending directly to a host. |
| -s packetsize | Set the number of data bytes in each packet. |
| -S sndbuf | Set the socket to send buffer size. |
| -t ttl | Set Time-to-Live (TTL) for packets. |
| -T timestamp | Set timestamp options (tsonly, tsandaddr, tsprespec). |
| -M hint | Set Path MTU Discovery strategy (do, want, dont). |
| -v | Verbose output. |
| -V | Show version information and exit. |
| -w deadline | Set a timeout for ping to exit, in seconds. |
| -W timeout | Time to wait for a response before timing out. |
Examples ping Command in Linux
This section provides examples of how to use the ping command in Linux.
Pinging an IPv4
To ping an IPv4 address, use the ping command in the following way −
ping 74.125.195.102
To stop the ping command, press the CTRL+C buttons.
Pinging a Hostname
To ping an IPv4-enabled domain, use the following command −
ping www.google.com
To stop the ping command, press the CTRL+C buttons.
Making Ping Response Audible
To make the ping output audible, use the -a option −
ping -a 74.125.195.102
The system emits a sound whenever a response is received.
Pinging Local Host
To check the localhost network, there are multiple ways −
ping 0
Or specifying the localhost IPv4 address −
ping 127.0.0.1
Or mentioning the hostname −
ping localhost
Sending a Specific Number of Packets
To send a specific number of packets, use the -c option. For example, to send 3 packets, use the following command −
ping -c 3 74.125.195.102
Sending Packets after a Specific Interval
To send packets after a specific interval, use the -i option. For example, to send a packet after every 2 seconds, use the following command −
ping -i 2 74.125.195.102
Executing Flood Ping
To flood the packets as fast as possible, use the -f option −
sudo ping -f 74.125.195.102
Executing the above command requires superuser access.
The above command keeps flooding the destination with requests, to stop it, press the CTRL+C keys.
Pinging in a Quiet Mode
To ping in the quiet mode, use the -q option −
ping -q -c 3 74.125.195.102
The above command will display the result summary only.
Adding Timestamps before Each Ping
To add timestamps before each ping output, use the -D option with the ping command −
ping -D 74.125.195.102
Specifying the Packet Size
To specify the payload size, use the -s option. For example, to send a payload of 1024 bytes, use the ping command in the following way −
ping -s 1024 74.125.195.102
Setting Timeout
To set a time after which the ping stops, use the -w option. For example, to stop pinging after 5 seconds, use the following command −
ping -w 5 74.125.195.102
Setting Wait Time for Response
To set the waiting time for response, use the -W option.
ping -c 3 -W 3 74.125.195.102
The above command waits up to 3 seconds for a reply before considering it lost.
Displaying Usage Help
To display the usage help of the ping command, use the -h option −
ping -h
Conclusion
The ping command in Linux is a useful tool for checking network connectivity, diagnosing issues, measuring latency, and detecting packet loss. It sends ICMP Echo Request packets to a specified destination and waits for a response.
Various options allow customization, such as setting the number of packets, adjusting intervals, making responses audible, or running in quiet mode. Practical examples demonstrate how to use these options effectively.