Ping

Network administrators usually have a lot to worry about, but it all becomes more comfortable when relying on the right set of tools. For instance, Ping is an application which can check the availability of computers on a network, save custom reports, and even perform power options on selected computers.

On the bright side of things, the application comes in a lightweight package which doesn’t require deployment through an installer, so you can see what it can do for you as soon as download is done. This allows it to be carried around on a USB flash drive to function on different computers, but you need to be sure that .NET Framework is on the target PC.

The interface is clean, relying on classic window elements, making it easy for individuals of all levels of experience to get the hang of things. A large list is where all items get added, while the side of the window is where you fill in all details you know. The operation doesn’t start immediately, and you can choose which items to ping.

Note that the application is dedicated to network use, so you’re not able to ping external websites. In fact, there isn’t even a URL field through which items are added, so you need to know at least one input value like name, IP, mask, MAC, RDP port, or WoL port.

There’s the possibility the select items you wish to ping, and this can be done at regular intervals specified in seconds. Items can be added from the ARP, workgroup, or subnet scan. Given that the WoL port is filled in, you can trigger different power options on target computers. Items can be copied as table, and even saved as a CSV file.

Taking everything into account, we can state that Ping comes in handy for checking the availability of network computers without actually being in front of them. Multiple items can be pinged at a time, and even have power options triggered.