A quick and easy way to determine if a computer is available, either on the web or on your network is to “ping” them. A ping sends the target computer a small network packet to which it replies saying it received it. If you do not receive a reply, it means the target computer either:
- Is turned off.
- Is not available on the network.
- Has a firewall blocking the ping request.
You can easily send a ping in Windows by doing the following:
- Open a command prompt: Start > Run > cmd
- Enter this into the command prompt:
ping [target computer domain name or IP address]
You will then see if the target computer replies.
Jason Faulkner is the man who brings you our daily tips. He is based in Atlanta, Georgia.
where or how do I find the target computer domain name or IP address?
You can ping either the local computer name (assuming you are on the same network), IP address, or internet domain name.
For example:
ping familypc
ping 216.154.204.201
ping google.com