Pinging a switch is an essential networking function because it allows administrators to verify the connectivity and reachability of the switch within the network.

By sending a small data packet and measuring the time it takes for a response, ping helps identify whether the switch is operational, properly configured, and able to communicate with other devices.

This simple diagnostic tool also assists in troubleshooting network issues, detecting latency, and confirming whether the switch is accessible from specific devices, ensuring smooth network performance and communication.

1. Open the command line interface application. Type “CMD” in the windows search bar and the application should show up.

2. To Ping a switch simply type the ping command to begin your probe into a switch.

Most sites run on a IPV4 standard. This means that the IP address has 4 different octets that we need to type in to ping the switch.(xx.xx.xx.xx).

The example below shows the IP address 10.20.10.101. 

Type in the appropriate IP address that you want to connect to.

3. After typing in the IP address press enter. It will indicate that it’s either responsive or unreachable. 

Example of a responsive switch:

The device responded to all four packets sent, indicating no packet loss. The response times varied, with the minimum being 2ms, the maximum being 71ms, and the average being 21ms. This suggests some fluctuation in network latency, with one response taking significantly longer than the others. Overall, it seems the device is reachable and responsive.

Sometimes a switch may be unreachable. This is what it might look like:

Notice at the bottom of the screen 4 packets were sent but 4 packets were not received. They were lost.