12.2 Ping and Traceroute Testing Flashcards
PING
Ping is an IPv4 and IPv6 testing utility that uses ICMP echo request and echo reply messages to test connectivity between hosts.
To test connectivity to another host on a network, an echo request is sent to the host address using the ping command. If the host at the specified address receives the echo request, it responds with an echo reply. As each echo reply is received, ping provides feedback on the time between when the request was sent and when the reply was received. This can be a measure of network performance.
Ping has a timeout value for the reply. If a reply is not received within the timeout, ping provides a message indicating that a response was not received. This may indicate that there is a problem, but could also indicate that security features blocking ping messages have been enabled on the network. It is common for the first ping to timeout if address resolution (ARP or ND) needs to be performed before sending the ICMP Echo Request.
After all the requests are sent, the ping utility provides a summary that includes the success rate and average round-trip time to the destination.
Type of connectivity tests performed with ping include the following:
Pinging the local loopback
Pinging the default gateway
Pinging the remote host
Ping the Loopback
Ping can be used to test the internal configuration of IPv4 or IPv6 on the local host. To perform this test, ping the local loopback address of 127.0.0.1 for IPv4 (::1 for IPv6).
A response from 127.0.0.1 for IPv4, or ::1 for IPv6, indicates that IP is properly installed on the host. This response comes from the network layer. This response is not, however, an indication that the addresses, masks, or gateways are properly configured. Nor does it indicate anything about the status of the lower layer of the network stack. This simply tests IP down through the network layer of IP. An error message indicates that TCP/IP is not operational on the host.
Pinging the local host confirms that TCP/IP is installed and working on the local host.
Pinging 127.0.0.1 causes a device to ping itself.
Ping the Default Gateway
You can also use ping to test the ability of a host to communicate on the local network. This is generally done by pinging the IP address of the default gateway of the host. A successful ping to the default gateway indicates that the host and the router interface serving as the default gateway are both operational on the local network.
For this test, the default gateway address is most often used because the router is normally always operational. If the default gateway address does not respond, a ping can be sent to the IP address of another host on the local network that is known to be operational.
If either the default gateway or another host responds, then the local host can successfully communicate over the local network. If the default gateway does not respond but another host does, this could indicate a problem with the router interface serving as the default gateway.
One possibility is that the wrong default gateway address has been configured on the host. Another possibility is that the router interface may be fully operational but have security applied to it that prevents it from processing or responding to ping requests.
The host pings its default gateway, sending an ICMP echo request. The default gateway sends an echo reply confirming connectivity.
Ping a Remote Host
Ping can also be used to test the ability of a local host to communicate across an internetwork. The local host can ping an operational IPv4 host of a remote network, as shown in the figure. The router uses its IP routing table to forward the packets.
If this ping is successful, the operation of a large piece of the internetwork can be verified. A successful ping across the internetwork confirms communication on the local network, the operation of the router serving as the default gateway, and the operation of all other routers that might be in the path between the local network and the network of the remote host.
Additionally, the functionality of the remote host can be verified. If the remote host could not communicate outside of its local network, it would not have responded.
Note: Many network administrators limit or prohibit the entry of ICMP messages into the corporate network; therefore, the lack of a ping response could be due to security restrictions.
