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.