PathPing is a simple and effective in-built tool for Windows machines to troubleshoot network-related errors. It is a command that can be used via the command prompt as well as Powershell. So now the question arises, ‘What does PathPing do?’. In simple words, the PathPing command is effective in providing all kinds of information with reference to network latency and network loss at intermediate hops. These hops lie between the source and destination address. PathPing is a combination of both Ping and Tracert as it features some functionality of both of these commands.
Now, how exactly does pingpath work? Well, for starters, PathPing sends packets to every router at its destination. By doing so, it then calculates its results on the basis of the packets that have been returned from each hop. This way, it becomes far simpler to locate where it is that the lost packets are occurring. Hence, you can discover the location of the problem. PathPing can be used to identify if your packets can make it across the network and if they’re utilizing the preferred path.
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How Can You Use PathPing?
The PathPing command is restricted to Windows users only for usage. The command can be run in Powershell or from the command prompt. To open up your command prompt, commence as follows.
- Use shortcut Windows Key+ R to open up your device’s run window.
- Next, input ‘cmd’
- Finally, press ‘Enter,’ and a black terminal will show up. This is where you will execute the Pathping command.
At this stage, you can input ‘PathPing’ followed by the IP address or even a hostname. As you can tell, it is very similar to a normal ping.
Once done, press ‘Enter.’ Now, depending upon the number of hops between you and the destination, this process could take some time. The command will start by tracing the router. It will show you all nodes on the route. Just this information is highly useful in understanding where the issue lies. For example, the problem could lie within a firewall.
Once it finishes tracing, it will commence calculating the latency and packet loss for all hops on the route. This is a highly time-consuming process. Therefore, if you do not require this information, use shortcut Ctrl + C to cancel it.
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How Can You Speed Up PathPing’ s Process?
Pathping, in general, works pretty slowly. Therefore, you can use various parameters that come with it to speed up the process. Each of the most used parameters are below in detail.
-n switch
By default, the PathPing command resolves the hostname of every single hop that it comes across. This can prove to be time-consuming. By employing the use of this parameter, you may prevent PathPing from resolving all hostnames. This will then speed up the traceroute part.
-q switch
The PathPing command, by default, sends out a hundred queries to each host. This parameter can help you bring that number down to your preferred choice. For example, a number of queries can be brought down to a ten from the default 100. The statics that is computed after the trace will hence be sped up.
-p switch
The purpose of this parameter is to reduce the wait time between all pings. PathPing, by default, waits 250 milliseconds between each ping. However, it reduces to 100 milliseconds as well. Therefore, ten pings can occur in a second instead of 4.
-h switch
This parameter is highly useful as it allows you to set the number of hops that you wish to test. The default number of hops is 30. So depending on where you want to reach, this figure can be lowered. For example, if you want to test if you’re able to reach your ISP, a total of 4-5 hops should suffice.
-w switch
This is the final useful parameter PathPing command offers. The purpose of this parameter is to specify the number of seconds to wait for every reply. Therefore, if a hostname is not reachable, it can try again after some time. By default, the time limit is three seconds. By reducing it to, say, 500 milliseconds, the process ultimately becomes much quicker than initially anticipated.
There exist other options that you can apply; however, these are the most common as well as effective. By typing PathPing in the command prompt, you can check out the other options and their uses if you wish.
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Conclusion
So if you’ve ever wondered what PathPing is, you’ve got your answer. Overall, it is a nifty in-built tool to test your network. Though it doesn’t get the best points in terms of speed, it is still highly effective. Understanding this tool could also enable you to better your understanding of your router. Therefore, you should employ the use of Pathping to troubleshoot your network related errors first, rather than hire a technician immediately.
Read More: Home Network Monitoring (A Complete Guide)
You can always find me with a cup of coffee Googling anything and everything related to the networking. Refer to our detailed How-To Guides on wifi routers and never face any issue with router again!
