# Ping: what it is and how it works · Zorraquino
> Ping is a network tool that checks whether a device responds, and how quickly, by sending it small data packets.
URL: https://www.zorraquino.com/en/dictionary/internet/ping.html

# Ping

Ping is a network diagnostic tool that checks whether a device responds, and how quickly, by sending it small data packets

What it means, how it is used and where it comes up, with its related concepts.

[The whole glossary](https://www.zorraquino.com/en/dictionary)

## What it is and how it works

It uses ICMP “echo request” messages: if the target is reachable, it sends a reply and the tool shows the round-trip time in milliseconds and any lost packets. By extension, “ping” is used to talk about the latency of a connection, a common concern in online gaming and video calls. A server that does not answer a ping is not necessarily down, because many firewalls block that traffic.

In blogging, a ping is also the automatic notification a site sends to an external service to announce new content, a mechanism related to pingbacks.

Topics

[Technology and data](https://www.zorraquino.com/en/dictionary/category/tecnologia-y-datos)

## Related concepts

- [IP address](https://www.zorraquino.com/en/dictionary/internet/ip-address.html)
- [Pingback](https://www.zorraquino.com/en/dictionary/internet/pingback.html)
- [Server](https://www.zorraquino.com/en/dictionary/internet/server.html)