Ping Host
Send ICMP echo requests to a remote host and report RTT and loss.
Monitor this automatically
NetTests can run this check on a schedule, preserve historical results, compare changes over time, and alert you the moment something breaks.
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What does Ping measure?
Ping sends ICMP Echo Request packets to the target and measures how long each one takes to come back (round-trip time, RTT) and how many are lost. It's the quickest way to confirm a host is reachable and get a baseline latency figure.
What is a good ping time?
- < 20 ms — excellent; local or nearby server.
- 20–60 ms — good; typical intra-country response.
- 60–150 ms — acceptable for most traffic; noticeable in gaming.
- > 150 ms — high; check routing or consider a CDN closer to users.
What does packet loss mean?
Packet loss means some ICMP packets were sent but no reply arrived within the timeout. Small amounts (1–2 %) can be normal on lossy networks, but sustained loss causes retransmissions, TCP slowdowns, and poor user experience. It usually points to a congested link, a misconfigured firewall, or a failing network interface.
Why does ping succeed but the website still fail?
Ping tests ICMP reachability only — it doesn't test HTTP, TLS, or DNS. The host may respond to pings while its web server is down, a port is blocked by a firewall, or a CDN is masking the origin. Use HTTP Request Timing or HTTP Headers to check the full HTTP stack.
Why does ping time out even though the host is up?
Many hosts block ICMP for security reasons — firewalls, cloud providers, and CDNs often drop ping traffic while the actual service remains fully operational. A timeout here doesn't necessarily mean the site is down.