ICMP (Ping) Test

What is an ICMP Test?

An ICMP (ping) test sends small packets to a destination and measures how long each one takes to come back, and whether any are lost along the way. It's a quicker, lighter check than an MTR report, useful for a first look at latency and packet loss before running a longer diagnostic.

How to produce a test

Windows

1. Open the Start menu, search for cmd, and open Command Prompt
2. Run ping -t <address>, replacing <address> with the hostname or IP address provided to you
3. Let it run for a few minutes while you reproduce the issue (e.g. lag, disconnects)
4. Press Ctrl+C to stop it
5. Right-click the top of the window, select Select All, then press Enter to copy the output
6. Paste the results and send them to your technician

Linux / macOS

1. Open a terminal
2. Run ping <address>, replacing <address> with the hostname or IP address provided to you
3. Let it run for a few minutes while you reproduce the issue
4. Press Ctrl+C to stop it, this will also print a summary with packet loss and round-trip time
5. Copy the full output, including the summary, and send it to your technician