ping -c 10 1.1.1.1Send 10 pings to 1.1.1.1 and print a summary.
When to use it
Ping is the quickest test of a connection: is the host reachable, how long does a round trip take, and are packets getting lost? Ping your router first, then a public address, to see whether a problem is inside your home or beyond it.
Steps
Ping your router
Find the router's address in System Settings › Network › Details › TCP/IP (Router), then ping it. Replies mean your Wi-Fi or Ethernet link works.ping -c 5 192.168.1.1Ping a public address
If the router answers, ping a reliable public host. Replies mean you have internet; failures mean the problem is between your router and the internet.ping -c 10 1.1.1.1Ping a name
Pinging a host name also tests DNS. If 1.1.1.1 works but apple.com doesn't resolve, the problem is DNS.ping -c 5 apple.comPing continuously to watch a problem
Leave ping running while you reproduce a problem, like a call that stutters. Stop it with Ctrl+C to see the summary.ping 1.1.1.1
Output explained
PING 1.1.1.1 (1.1.1.1): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 1.1.1.1: icmp_seq=0 ttl=57 time=16.381 ms
64 bytes from 1.1.1.1: icmp_seq=1 ttl=57 time=12.282 ms
64 bytes from 1.1.1.1: icmp_seq=2 ttl=57 time=8.952 ms
64 bytes from 1.1.1.1: icmp_seq=3 ttl=57 time=14.313 ms
--- 1.1.1.1 ping statistics ---
4 packets transmitted, 4 packets received, 0.0% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max/stddev = 8.952/12.982/16.381/2.741 ms
- icmp_seq numbers each ping. A gap in the sequence is a lost packet.
- ttl is how many more routers the reply could have passed. 57 means it came about 7 hops from a starting value of 64.
- time is the round trip in milliseconds.
- packet loss should be 0%. Anything above 1% causes trouble for calls and games.
- stddev (standard deviation) shows how much times vary, a rough measure of jitter.
Request timeout for icmp_seq 5 means no reply arrived for that ping within a second. A few are a sign of packet loss; all of them mean the host is unreachable or blocks ping.
Options and variations
| Flag | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -c N | Send N pings, then stop | ping -c 20 1.1.1.1 |
| -i S | Wait S seconds between pings (0.01 is the smallest allowed without sudo on macOS 15) | ping -i 0.2 1.1.1.1 |
| -s N | Payload size in bytes | ping -s 1472 -D 1.1.1.1 |
| -D | Set Don't Fragment, to test MTU | ping -D -s 1472 1.1.1.1 |
| -t N | Stop after N seconds | ping -t 30 1.1.1.1 |
| -q | Quiet: print only the summary | ping -q -c 50 1.1.1.1 |
Common errors
| Error | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Request timeout for icmp_seq N | No reply: packet loss, a firewall blocking ping, or the host is down | Ping your router and another host to narrow it down. |
| ping: cannot resolve apple.com: Unknown host | DNS failed | Ping 1.1.1.1; if that works, fix DNS. |
| ping: sendto: No route to host | No network path: Wi-Fi off, wrong network or VPN routing | Check your connection and VPN. |
Do it in the app
Ping tells you whether a host answers. LightAtom's connections view shows what your apps are actually doing on the network, with live rates per app, while you test.
Frequently asked questions
How do I ping on a Mac?
Open Terminal and type ping followed by a host, such as ping -c 10 1.1.1.1. Without -c, ping runs until you press Ctrl+C.
How do I stop ping on a Mac?
Press Ctrl+C. ping then prints the summary with packet loss and round-trip statistics.
What does “Request timeout for icmp_seq” mean?
No reply came back for that ping in time. Occasional timeouts mean packet loss; constant timeouts mean the host is unreachable or ignores ping.
Where is Network Utility's ping on newer Macs?
Apple retired Network Utility starting with macOS Big Sur. Use the ping command in Terminal instead; it's the same tool Network Utility used.
What is a good ping time?
Under 30 ms to a nearby server is excellent, under 60 ms good. Your router should answer in a few milliseconds over Ethernet, under about 10 ms over Wi-Fi.