Ping stands for “Packet Internet or Inter-Network Groper” and is a basic Internet program with which users can check the existence and reachability of a destination IP address.
The acronym is derived from the sonar pulse in the submarine sector. It is also used for diagnostic purposes to ensure that a host computer is functioning and reachable. Any network-compatible operating system can use ping. The command line tool is available on almost all operating systems and sends requests to a specific device on the network. Ping time, measured in milliseconds, affects online gaming and general Internet usage.
Ping is an indispensable tool for network troubleshooting and enables network connection checks and more specific diagnostics.