How to do a Ping Test on a Windows

Modified on Tue, 4 Feb at 2:59 PM

To perform a ping test in Windows 10 or Windows 11, follow these steps:

Open the Windows Search Bar:

Click the magnifying glass icon in the bottom-left corner of your screen, or press Windows key + S to open the search bar.

Open Command Prompt:

Type CMD or Command Prompt into the search bar.

In the search results, click on Command Prompt to open it.

Run the Ping Test:

In the Command Prompt window, type ping followed by a space and the DNS address or IP address you want to test (for example: ping google.com).

Press Enter on your keyboard to start the ping test.

View the Results:

The Command Prompt will display the results for four ping tests. You will see the ping time in milliseconds (ms) and the number of packets that were received or lost. It will also show the minimum, maximum, and average ping times.

Common error messages in Ping Tests:

Here are the most common error messages you might see if the ping test fails:

Request timed out: The ping test took longer than the default limit (4,000 milliseconds or 4 seconds). This can be due to network congestion, a firewall blocking certain traffic, or defective cables/ports.

Unknown host: The requested hostname is not recognized. Ensure that the name is entered correctly and check if your router is functioning properly.

TTL expired in transit: The "Time to Live" (TTL) value exceeded the number of hops allowed before the packet was discarded. This means the packet could not reach its destination.

General failure: This indicates an issue with your computer's TCP/IP settings or LAN adapter (such as a problem with your router or WiFi card).

Destination unreachable: This message means there is no route to the destination. If you see "Reply from [IP]: Destination Host Unreachable," it typically means the routing issue is on the remote router, not your local device.

Troubleshooting:

If you encounter any of these error messages, try pinging other devices or domains to determine whether the issue is with your device or your network connection. If the problem persists, you may need to troubleshoot your network settings.