How do I use the PING utility to troubleshoot a TCP/IP connection? (EarthLink)

Ping is a tool that helps to verify IP-level connectivity. The ping command sends an ICMP Echo Request message to a destination host. Use Ping whenever you want to verify that a host computer can send IP packets to a destination host. You can also use Ping to isolate network hardware problems and incompatible configurations.

Follow these steps when you use Ping:

1. Ping the loopback address to verify that TCP/IP is installed and correctly configured on the local computer. Use the following command:
   
   ping 127.0.0.1
   
   If the loopback test fails, the IP stack is not responding. Lack of response can occur if the TCP drivers are corrupted, if the network adapter is not working, or if another service is interfering with IP.
   
2. Ping the IP address of the local computer to verify that the computer was correctly added to the network. If the routing table is correct, this procedure just forwards the packet to the loopback address of 127.0.0.1. Use the following command:
   
   ping IP address of local host
   
   If the loopback test succeeds but you cannot ping the local IP address, there may be an issue that concerns the routing table or the network adapter driver.
   
3. Ping the IP address of the default gateway to verify that the default gateway is functioning and that you can communicate with a local host on the local network. Use the following command: ping IP address of default gateway
   
   An unsuccessful ping at this step can indicate an issue that concern the network adapter itself, the router/gateway device, the cabling, or other connectivity hardware.
   
4. Ping the IP address of a remote host to verify that you can communicate through a router. Use the following command:
   
   ping IP address of remote host
   
   An unsuccessful ping at this stage can indicate that the remote host is not responding or that there is a problem in the network hardware between computers. Use Ping again but to a different remote host, to eliminate the first possibility. Some remote hosts to try are:
   
   207.217.126.81 (rns1.earthlink )
   66.218.71.198, 64.58.79.230 (yahoo.com)
   209.123.109.175 (dslreports.com)
   
5. Ping the host name of a remote host to verify that you can resolve a remote host name. Use the following command:
   
   ping Host name of remote host
   
   Some host names to try:
   
   rns1.earthlink.net (EarthLink name server)
   yahoo.com
   dslreports.com
   
   Ping uses name resolution to resolve a computer name into an IP address. Therefore, if pinging by IP address succeeds but pinging by name does not succeed, the problem is host name resolution, not network connectivity. Check to ensure that DNS server addresses are configured for the computer, either manually in the properties of TCP/IP, or assigned automatically. Check the DNS server addresses listed through the use of "ipconfig /all".
   

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