Linux for Developers
/Beginner
ping
Definition
A network utility used to test the reachability of a host on an IP network and measure the round-trip time for messages sent.
Explain Like I'm New
Sonar for computers. You yell 'Marco' at a server, and you wait to see if it yells 'Polo' back, and how many milliseconds it takes.
Real World Example
The company website is down. The admin types `ping 8.8.8.8` to see if their own laptop has internet. It succeeds. They type `ping company.com`. It fails. They know the problem is the company server, not their laptop.
Common Use Cases
- •Basic network troubleshooting
- •Checking latency
Interview Questions
basic
- If you type `ping google.com` on Linux, will it automatically stop after 4 pings like it does on Windows?
intermediate
- What underlying protocol does the `ping` command actually use?