Before reading more about the default ping port number, we should know what ping is,The Internet is a very helpful technology to transmit important data even overseas within seconds. Internet technology backs the way several computers are connected over the network. The TCP/IP protocols successfully transmit the data from one device to another. But what to do when you are unable to access a network? That’s where ping comes in.
In this article, you will learn what ping is, what the different TCP/IP ports and a default ping port are, and what it all means.
What Does Ping Mean?
Ping is when your computer sends some data to a server and receives it back. It is a network command-line tool that is used to check whether a specific IP address is accessible or not. You can understand it as a troubleshooting measure. It measures the time it takes to ping. Its unit of measurement is milliseconds, so you can understand the speed at which the Internet is supposed to work. Ping plays an important role in measuring Internet and online gaming speed. If you ever face any delay in transmission, you can conduct a ping test and troubleshoot the problem.
A Brief Overview of TCP/IP/ ICMP Ports
Before we answer the query ‘what is the default Ping port?’, you must learn how these things work. A brief overview of TCP/IP/ ICMP protocol will clear the air for you.
There are different layers on your network which work together. Every layer has a different function. It is sent via Internet Protocol whenever you send a message or interact over the Internet. You can understand it as a computer’s phone number. Every computer has a certain IP address. When a computer designates a packet to a certain IP address, the IP takes it via the designated route to the designated user.
Another layer has been added to IP, known as Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) to take it further. Together they make TCP/IP protocol. Today every transmission over the Internet, including email, uses TCP/IP protocol. With its use, computers can send communication and ensure the packet’s delivery. UDP, or User Datagram Protocol, is another protocol that lies on top of IP to send data quickly. The audio and video streaming apps use this protocol.
These protocols we have mentioned here use specific ports to connect to a network. However, these are not physical ports you can locate on your computer but virtual ports designated to carry out certain functions. For example, Port 80 for HTTP, Port 20 and 21 for FTP, Port 25 for SMTP, etc.
Apart from TCP and UDP, an ICMP protocol runs over IP. The abbreviation refers to Internet Control Message Protocol. It uses ping to diagnose connectivity problems. It is via ICMP that the ping command transmits the ICMP message only to receive it back to assess the network speed.
What is ICMP?
ICMP is a part of IP. You can understand it as a messenger of the receiver that reports to the sender about unreachable hosts. The ping command uses ICMP and sends an echo message to a host, and the host replies with an echo reply whether it has been received or not. It is not an actual transmission protocol that sends any crucial data but only a protocol that is used when there is an error in data transmission.
The ICMP sends Redirect messages, Destination Unreachable Messages, Time Exceeded messages, etc.
Which Port is the Ping Default Port Number?
There is no specific port for ping. Yes. It is a command-line tool that uses the ICMP protocol. As you learned, the ICMP protocol is integrated with TCP/IP. Ping service does not use any port. There is nothing called a default ping port. Port 7 was used as a TCP/IP port to conduct ping tests. But in present computers, there is no default ping port.
How to Ping Specific Port Number?
When you face a connectivity issue with an IP address, pinging the port is the first step you should take for troubleshooting. It uses ICMP to check if the connection is alive or not. You must ping both the IP and the port to obtain the information.
There are multiple ways to ping a port.
- By using the Telnet utility
- By using the NC command
- By using Powershell
- By using Nmap
By Using Telnet Utility
First, you must install it on your system if you don’t have it already.
Use the command given below:
sudo apt-get install telnet
Now use it to ping the port with the following command:
telnet [IP address] [port number]
You can alternatively put domain name instead of IP address:
telnet [domain name] [port number]
If you can establish a connection, it means that your service is running. Now you can quit the utility by using the “q” command or pressing “Ctrl”+” J”.
These commands are the same for both Windows and Unix users.
Pinging a Port Using NC Command
You can also use the NC command to ping by using the host and the port number.
If your system does not have NC command, you can install it by executing the following command:
sudo apt-get install netcat
These commands work for Unix users.
nc – vz [IP address/domain name] [port number]
Here “v” means verbose, and “z” means scanning.
If the connection gets established, your service is working. Else, it will show an error message.
By Using Powershell
This is for Windows users. Here, you will use the “Test-Net Connection” command. The command goes like this:
Test-Net Connection [IP Address] – p [Port Number]
That’s all it takes with Powershell.
By Using Nmap
You can also ping a specific port by using Nmap command, but only use it for accessing local ports; else, there can be legal repercussions. First, install Nmap on your system by using the following command:
sudo apt-get install nmap
Now write the following command using –p, in the following manner.
nmap –p [port number] [IP Address/domain name]
You can also scan the port range with the help of Nmap. Run the following command to scan-
nmap – p 1-50 [IP Address/domain name]
This command will scan ports in the range of 1 to 50.
Conclusion
All you need to know is the default ping port, how you can test a connection, how ICMP works, and how to use some simple commands to ping a specific port. All the technicians use the ping port daily to troubleshoot the issues. You can also test these commands and check your newest pining skills to check the connections of some popular websites. Sometimes, these commands may not work due to an external issue like your Internet service provider has some issues, or any of your wires have gone bad, etc. But whenever you need, ping and find out the problem.
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