What does ping mean?
The traditional ping program sends ICMP echo requests and measures the time until a reply arrives. This round-trip time includes the outward and return paths. It is not a download rate. Latency is a broader term for delay; different paths and processing mean that one-way latency cannot reliably be calculated as half the RTT.
What does the ipcheck.tools online ping measure?
Our ping check makes four TCP connections to the same public target IP and selected port. The default is port 443. Measurements run on our Linux server in Düsseldorf. Your browser displays the results; the path from your device to the target is not measured. TCP and ICMP may be filtered differently and give different results.
How to make a useful comparison
- Enter a hostname or public IP and select the required port.
- If DNS returns multiple addresses, select a specific target IP. Switching addresses can change the comparison.
- Check IPv4 and IPv6 separately where both are available.
- Repeat during a problem and again later. Record the target, port, address family and time.
What do the status messages mean?
Open confirms that TCP connection setup was accepted. Refused means the attempt was rejected. A timeout means no connection was established within the limit. Filtering or routing may be responsible; it does not prove a complete host outage.
A connection to port 443 alone does not establish certificate validity or a successful HTTP response. Also check TLS and HTTP availability. Four unsuccessful TCP attempts are not a measured ICMP packet-loss rate.
What do minimum, average and maximum show?
These values use successful connections only. If two of four attempts fail, the average describes only the two successful attempts. A single high value can reflect load or a short delay. Four attempts are insufficient to establish persistent jitter or long-term availability.
What is a good ping?
A useful target depends on the application, distance and measurement method. A nearby web server may respond faster than a service on another continent. A TCP value from Düsseldorf does not predict performance in your game or video call. Compare the same task under similar conditions.
How do I test from my own device?
On Windows, ping -n 4 example.com sends four ICMP probes. On Linux and macOS, use ping -c 4 example.com. Replace the example domain with your target. Even if ICMP receives no reply, the application you need may still work. Test that application as well. For further path analysis, read the traceroute guide; remember that the online measurement starts in Düsseldorf.