Ping is a tool which is used to test network connections. It checks the network’s latency. Ping tools are part of Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux, mobile and many other devices.
Utility
Finding the IP address and Latency of a Website using Ping
Ping can also be used to find the IP address of a particular site.
To find the IP address of a site, simply open Terminal or Command prompt and type “ping domain.tld” and you will get the IP address of the site as well as the latency to it.
Use by Hackers
Using a “ping of death,” a hacker can also take down a website server temporarily. The hacker sends thousands of ping “packets” at once, and the unsuspecting server is overwhelmed by the ping attack and can’t serve its normal customers efficiently.
Although, operating systems could detect and safely handle illegal IP packets, but some fail to do this. ICMP ping utilities often includ large-packet capability and become the namesake of the problem, although UDP and other IP-based protocols also could transport Ping of Death.