Guide
What ping actually measures
Ping is a stopwatch for ICMP echo. It answers “did this network reply, and how long did it take?” — not “is the website up.”
Why you should care
Latency and loss explain sluggish games and VoIP better than a green “site loads” check. Ping is the simplest of those measurements.
Many operators block ICMP. A failed ping with a working website usually means filtering, not an offline server.
Round-trip time
Each echo request hopes for an echo reply. The delay is round-trip time (RTT). Min/avg/max summarize a small burst of probes.
Loss is the share of requests that never came back.
On your computer
Your ISP path to the host
- Your PC
- Your ISP
- Host
Online ping tools
The provider’s path, not yours
- SkyPath Probe
- Our upstream
- Host
Origin matters
An online ping always starts at the tool’s servers. Your home path can be better or worse.
Use a local terminal ping when you need *your* ISP’s path; use an online ping when you want an independent vantage point.
How to check
Ping a host you control, then a well-known address. If ICMP is filtered, try traceroute or a TCP port check next.
Remember
- Ping is ICMP, not HTTP.
- Online results are from the provider’s network.
- Filtering is common and intentional.
- High RTT here is not automatically high RTT from your sofa.
