A ping is a tool used to check the status of system connections between two computers. Technically, the ping uses a protocol that does exclude the idea of port numbers, so there’s no standard ping port, nor can you use ping to check the status of a specific port.
You can, in any case, utilize various tools to check whether you’re ready to associate with a specific IP address and port, which is what could be compared sending a ping to an IP and port.
How to Ping a Port?
Ping checks whether it’s conceivable to reach one computer from another. It uses what’s called the web control message protocol, or ICMP, on top of the standard web protocol to ask a computer at a particular IP address to send an answer message to affirm the two can communicate.
Ping tools are remembered for most present-day operating systems, and on Microsoft Windows, Apple macOS, and Linux you can use the command line to send a ping. Type “ping” followed by a web domain name or an IP address to send a ping message and be informed of any answers.
IP and ICMP do exclude the idea of port numbers. These are remembered for more significant level protocols, including the transmission control protocol, or TCP, that’s used to convey World Wide Web traffic and emails.
Ports are likewise associated with the client datagram protocol, or UDP, that is utilized to send some more straightforward web traffic.
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In the two protocols, port numbers are used to differentiate various administrations running on the same server. For example, web programs for the most part interface with port 80 on a web server, and email tools connect to port 25 to send messages with the clear mail transfer protocol.
Since ping doesn’t work over a convention with port numbers, you can’t ping a specific port on a machine. However, you can use different tools to open a connection to a particular IP and port and obtain the same information you would get if you could ping an IP and port.
Ping Alternatives to Check Ports
One method to check whether you can connect to a particular machine is to use telnet, a straightforward system connection tool. It’s installed on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
On Windows, you may need to activate telnet before you can utilize it through the Control Panel.
- To do as such, open the Start Menu and type “Control Panel” in the search box.
- Snap “Programs,” followed by “Programs and Features.” Select “Turn Windows features on and off” and “Telnet Client” to turn telnet on.
- Snap “alright” whenever provoked to do so.
- After telnet is activated, open a command brief on your operating system. In Windows, do this by typing “cmd” in the search encase the Start Menu and tapping the command brief image.
- In the command brief window, type “telnet” followed by a space, at that point an IP address or domain name followed by another space, and then the port number.
- For example, to check whether you can associate to port 80 on www.example.com, you type “telnet www.example.com 80” in the order brief window.
- In case the port is open and reachable, you get a response from the other computer. Otherwise, you see a blunder message.
You can use different tools to check whether a port is open. If it’s a port that you want to connect to with a certain tool, similar to an email client or internet browser, you use that tool to attempt to connect to the port.
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You can also use other system maintenance tools, for example, Netcat, Nmap, or Ncat to test a particular port.
