What Is Ping? How to Test Your Ping
Learn what ping measures, how latency affects your connection, and how to use ping tests effectively.
Ping Basics and Latency
Ping is a simple network utility that sends ICMP echo request packets to a target host and measures how long it takes to receive a reply. The result is expressed in milliseconds and represents round-trip latency between your device and the remote server.
High ping values can make online games laggy, video calls choppy, and interactive applications feel sluggish. By testing ping to different destinations, you can narrow down where delays occur—on your local network, with your ISP, or somewhere on the wider internet.
Use these commands in Command Prompt or PowerShell.
ping 8.8.8.8
ping www.example.com
ping -n 50 www.example.com # Send 50 echo requests
Press Ctrl+C to stop continuous pings.
ping 8.8.8.8
ping www.example.com
ping -c 20 www.example.com # Send 20 echo requests
Interpreting Ping Results
Ping results list each reply with time and packet loss statistics at the end. Occasional small spikes are normal, but frequent timeouts or loss above a few percent often indicate a problem. Stable latency is just as important as low latency for smooth gaming and streaming.
If you see good ping inside your local network but poor results to the wider internet, the issue is likely upstream of your router. Combine ping with traceroute to see which hop introduces delay.