Ping (networking utility)

Ping is a computer network administration software utility used to test the reachability of a host on an Internet Protocol (IP) network and to measure the round-trip time for messages sent from the originating host to a destination computer and back. The name comes from active sonar terminology that sends a pulse of sound and listens for the echo to detect objects under water; however, the backronym "PING" meaning "Packet InterNet Groper" has been in use since early days in computing for testing and measuring networks and the Internet.