Computer Networking - What is Ping?

This is probably a very basic question.

Can anybody explain to me what is "pinging" between PC/Server in a
networking environment and what it does, and how you go about doing it?

Thanks.

Ryan

Ping is a TCP/IP utility originally used in Unix. It sends data across
the network to the target machine and monitors the replies.

For a Microsoft OS go to a command prompt. Type "ping /?" to get a list
of options.

Here is a sample of a ping to my router from my workstation with the
default options.

C:\Documents and Settings\Bill> ping 192.168.0.1

Pinging 192.168.0.1 with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 192.168.0.1: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64

Reply from 192.168.0.1: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64

Reply from 192.168.0.1: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64

Reply from 192.168.0.1: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64

Ping statistics for 192.168.0.1:

Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),

Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:

Minimum = 0ms, Maximum = 0ms, Average = 0ms

"ryan1975" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) oups.com...
> This is probably a very basic question.
>
> Can anybody explain to me what is "pinging" between PC/Server in a
> networking environment and what it does, and how you go about doing it?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Ryan
>

Interesting reading... Some for the author of ping himself

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ping

-Frank

"ryan1975" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) oups.com...
> This is probably a very basic question.
>
> Can anybody explain to me what is "pinging" between PC/Server in a
> networking environment and what it does, and how you go about doing it?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Ryan
>