Networking · 10 · 3 min read
Ping
The simplest network test: send a tiny packet, wait for the echo, measure the round trip.
How it works
- 1Your device sends an ICMP “Echo Request” to an address.
- 2Every router on the way forwards it and lowers its TTL by one.
- 3The target answers with an “Echo Reply”.
- 4Ping shows the round-trip time (RTT) in milliseconds — and how many replies got lost.
What the numbers mean
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
| time | Round trip in ms — lower is better |
| TTL | Hops left; starts at 64 (macOS/Linux) or 128 (Windows) |
| loss | Share of packets with no answer |
| jitter | How much the times jump around — matters for calls and games |
Why distance matters
Light in fibre travels about 200,000 km per second — roughly 1 ms for every 100 km, one way. Even signals moving close to the speed of light lose milliseconds between continents — that’s why nearby servers feel faster.
Try it
- macOS / Linux: ping -c 4 rahimly.com
- Windows: ping rahimly.com (sends 4 by default)
- No reply does not always mean “down” — many servers simply ignore ICMP.