> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://pentest-tools.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# ICMP Ping

> Test host reachability using ICMP echo requests

## Overview

The ICMP Ping tool tests whether a target host is reachable over the network by sending ICMP echo requests and measuring response times. It also performs DNS resolution to show the IP address of hostnames.

ICMP Ping is a **utility tool**: it checks basic network connectivity. It does not add data to your [Attack Surface](/capabilities/attack-surface) and does not generate [findings](/core/findings/findings). Results are displayed as raw ping output.

## Supported targets

| Target type    | Examples                            |
| -------------- | ----------------------------------- |
| **IP address** | `192.168.1.1`, `8.8.8.8`            |
| **Hostname**   | `example.com`, `server.example.org` |

## How it works

The tool sends 3 ICMP Echo Request packets to the target with a 1-second timeout per packet:

```bash theme={null}
ping -c 3 -W 1 <target>
```

For each packet, the tool records:

* Whether a reply was received
* Round-trip time (RTT) in milliseconds
* TTL (Time To Live) value

At the end, statistics are displayed:

* Packets transmitted and received
* Packet loss percentage
* Round-trip time statistics (min/avg/max)

## Output interpretation

| Result                  | Meaning                                         |
| ----------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| **Reply received**      | Host is up and responds to ICMP                 |
| **Request timeout**     | Host may be down, unreachable, or blocking ICMP |
| **Unknown host**        | DNS resolution failed, hostname doesn't exist   |
| **Network unreachable** | No route to the target network                  |

<Note>
  Many hosts and firewalls block ICMP traffic. A non-responsive ping doesn't necessarily mean the host is down. It may simply be filtering ICMP packets.
</Note>

<Tip>
  If ICMP is blocked, use the [Port Scanner](/tools/port-scanner) to check if the host responds on known open ports like 80 or 443.
</Tip>

## Follow-up actions

After confirming a host is reachable:

* **Run [Port Scanner](/tools/port-scanner)**: Discover open ports and services
* **Run [Network Scanner](/tools/network-scanner)**: Perform vulnerability assessment
* **Check [Website Recon](/tools/website-recon)**: Fingerprint web technologies if port 80/443 is open