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Ping Tools
Free Ping Tools for Network Troubleshooting

By , About.com Guide

Ping tools (sometimes called ping commands or utilities) use the Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) to determine the availability and responsiveness of network hosts. Ping tools sometimes also provide other related network troubleshooting features.

On Microsoft Windows, Linux and Macintosh computers, the 'ping' tool can be run from the operating system command prompt (Terminal applet on Mac OS X). On Macintosh OS X, you can also run the 'ping' tool from inside the Network Utility applet, Ping tab.

Several free ping tools are available on the Internet for download. Compared to the standard operating system ping commands, these tools typically provide a graphical interface and sometimes include charts to track statistics of ping tests run over time. If you are interested in these extra features and a Windows user, try one of the free ping tools below:

Bradley Mitchell
Guide since 2000

Bradley Mitchell
Wireless / Networking Guide

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