Switches

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Top Commonly Used ping Command Switches (Options)

The ping command has various switches (options) that modify its behavior. Here are the most useful ones across different operating systems:

📌 Windows Ping Switches

Run ping /? in Command Prompt for a full list.

Switch
Description
Example
-n <count>
Sends a specific number of ping requests (default is 4)
ping -n 10 google.com
-t
Pings continuously until stopped (Ctrl + C to stop)
ping -t google.com
-l <size>
Specifies the packet size in bytes (default is 32)
ping -l 1500 google.com
-4
Forces IPv4 usage
ping -4 google.com
-6
Forces IPv6 usage
ping -6 google.com
-w <timeout>
Sets the timeout in milliseconds for each reply
ping -w 1000 google.com
-a
Resolves IP address to a hostname
ping -a 8.8.8.8

📌 Linux/Mac Ping Switches

Run man ping or ping --help for more details.

Switch
Description
Example
-c <count>
Sends a specific number of ping requests
ping -c 5 google.com
-i <seconds>
Sets interval between pings (default is 1 sec)
ping -i 0.5 google.com
-s <size>
Specifies packet size in bytes
ping -s 1500 google.com
-W <timeout>
Specifies timeout for each reply in seconds
ping -W 2 google.com
-4
Uses IPv4 only
ping -4 google.com
-6
Uses IPv6 only
ping -6 google.com
-q
Quiet mode (only summary output)
ping -c 5 -q google.com

🔑 Most Useful Ping Switch Combinations

1️⃣ Check continuous connection (until stopped)

ping -t google.com    # Windows

ping google.com       # Linux/Mac (default is continuous)

2️⃣ Send 10 packets only

ping -n 10 google.com    # Windows

ping -c 10 google.com    # Linux/Mac

3️⃣ Test with larger packets (simulate real traffic load)

ping -l 1500 google.com   # Windows

ping -s 1500 google.com   # Linux/Mac

4️⃣ Check if a domain resolves to an IP

ping -a 8.8.8.8    # Windows (resolves hostname)

5️⃣ Measure packet loss efficiently

ping -c 100 -q google.com    # Linux/Mac (sends 100 packets and summarizes results)

🔍 Final Takeaway

Using the right ping switches can help you troubleshoot network issues, test connectivity, and measure latency more effectively. 🚀