How to ping an IP address between computers on a network

Ping is a useful first check of IP reachability between two computers. It sends ICMP Echo requests and measures replies. A reply shows that the address responds to ICMP along a network path; it does not prove that both PCs are on the same subnet or that file sharing works. A timeout alone does not mean the PC is off: a firewall may block ICMP.

Find the destination address

On the target Windows PC, open Command Prompt and run ipconfig. Read the IPv4 Address for the active Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter. On macOS, open System Settings > Network and select the active connection. On Linux, ip -4 addr lists interface IPv4 addresses.

Suppose the source PC uses 192.168.1.10 and the target uses 192.168.1.11. Check the subnet mask and gateway too: similar-looking addresses alone do not establish that the PCs share a subnet. A router may make ping work between different subnets.

Run ping

On Windows, open Command Prompt or PowerShell and run ping 192.168.1.11. Windows sends four requests by default. On macOS and Linux, run ping -c 4 192.168.1.11 in Terminal for four requests. Without -c, ping normally continues until you press Ctrl + C. Replace the example with the target’s actual address.

Interpret the result

Replies include round-trip time and TTL. The summary counts sent, received and lost packets. Packet loss or unstable times may indicate an issue, but Wi-Fi and network load also affect latency. TTL is a limit on network hops, not a direct measure of connection quality.

Request timed out means a reply did not arrive in time; check the address, connection and ICMP rules. Destination unreachable may indicate a route or reachability issue but does not pinpoint the cause by itself. A successful reply confirms only the ICMP path to that address.

When there are no replies

Check that both adapters are active and addresses and masks are correct. Look for VLAN separation, Wi-Fi client isolation or missing routes. Try the gateway actually configured for your network, if it answers ICMP. Inspect the target PC’s firewall; if an Echo test is needed, allow ICMP Echo only for the trusted network as appropriate. Do not turn off the entire firewall.

Test a service port separately

Ping does not test TCP ports. If a service really listens on port 80 of the target, use Test-NetConnection 192.168.1.11 -Port 80 in Windows PowerShell and check TcpTestSucceeded. On macOS or Linux, if netcat is installed, use nc -zv 192.168.1.11 80. Replace 80 with the relevant service port. A port test and a ping can produce different results.

Summary

Check the address and network configuration, use ping to test ICMP, and check the service port or permissions separately. Windows command references: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/ping and https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/nettcpip/test-netconnection.