How to Ping an IP Address or Website
The Ping command helps you test whether your computer can reach another computer (server or website) over a network. It’s a simple way to check if something is online, how long it takes to respond, and whether there’s any packet loss.
Evans
Last Update pre 2 meseca
You can ping:
A domain name (e.g. hostafrica.co.za)
An IP address (e.g. 196.10.100.1)
Ping works the same on most systems, but how you open the command interface differs slightly:
Press Win + R, type cmd, then press Enter.
Or click Start, search for Command Prompt, and open it.
Click Launchpad > Other > Terminal
Or open Finder > Applications > Utilities > Terminal
- Press Ctrl + Alt + T
Or search for Terminal in your app menu.
Use this format:
or
The system will send test packets and measure:
Response time (in milliseconds)
Whether replies are received
Packet loss (if any)
Windows sends 4 packets by default.
Linux/macOS keeps pinging until you stop it with Ctrl + C.
After running the ping command, you’ll see:
Reply from… — the server is reachable
Time=XXms — how long it took to get a response
Packets sent/received/lost — useful to detect network issues
Sample Output (Windows):
✅ Summary
| OS | How to Open Terminal | How to Stop Ping |
| Windows | Start → Search → cmd | Auto-stops after 4 pings |
| macOS | Applications → Utilities → Terminal | Ctrl + C |
| Linux | Ctrl + Alt + T or Terminal app | Ctrl + C |