PingInfoView v3.20: A Comprehensive Guide to Network Monitoring

PingInfoView is a lightweight yet powerful utility designed for monitoring network connections. Developed by Nir Sofer, this tool allows users to effortlessly ping multiple host names and IP addresses simultaneously, displaying the results in a clear, tabular format. This article delves into the features, functionalities, and historical updates of PingInfoView, providing a comprehensive overview for network administrators, IT professionals, and anyone interested in network diagnostics.

Key Features and Functionalities

PingInfoView stands out with its user-friendly interface and robust capabilities. It automatically pings a list of hosts at user-defined intervals, presenting real-time data in an easily digestible manner. The software tracks crucial metrics such as:

Ping Status: Displays whether each ping was successful or failed.
Ping Time: Shows the round-trip time for each ping, crucial for assessing network latency.
Succeed/Failed Ping Counts: Provides a running tally of successful and failed pings for each host.
Average Ping Time: Calculates the average ping time, offering a general performance overview.

Beyond basic pinging, PingInfoView offers advanced features:

TCP and ICMP Ping Support: Versatile pinging capabilities using both Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) and Transmission Control Protocol (TCP). TCP pinging is particularly useful for verifying the availability of specific ports on a server.
IPv4 and IPv6 Compatibility: Supports both current and next-generation internet protocols, ensuring adaptability to modern network environments.
Logging and Reporting: Allows saving ping results to various formats including text, HTML, and XML, facilitating detailed analysis and record-keeping.
Customizable Interface: Offers options like black background mode and row marking for enhanced readability and user preference.
Alerts and Notifications: Enables users to configure sound alerts or execute commands upon ping failures or successes, crucial for proactive network monitoring.
Command-Line Options: Provides extensive command-line parameters for automated tasks and integration with scripts.
Custom Context Menu: Allows users to add custom actions to the right-click menu, enhancing workflow efficiency.
Multi-Adapter Support: Enables users with multiple network adapters to specify the source IP address for pinging.

System Requirements

PingInfoView is designed for broad compatibility across Windows operating systems. It operates seamlessly on:

Windows 2000
Windows XP
Windows Server 2003
Windows Server 2008
Windows Server 2012
Windows Server 2016
Windows Vista
Windows 7
Windows 8
Windows 10
Windows 11

Older Windows versions are not supported, ensuring the utility leverages modern system functionalities for optimal performance.

Version History: Evolution of PingInfoView

PingInfoView has undergone numerous updates, each iteration adding new features and improvements. Key updates include:

Version 3.20: Introduced ‘Black Background’ and ‘Mark Odd/Even Rows’ options for improved visual customization.
Version 3.15: Bug fixes for IPv6 address parsing and custom context menu functionality enhancement.
Version 3.10: Added support for IPv6 TCP pings, expanding its protocol versatility.
Version 3.05: Implemented ‘Source IPv4 Address’ selection for multi-network adapter environments.
Version 3.00: Significant update with IPv6 ping support and options for source IPv6 address selection. Introduced ‘Update Settings’ button for dynamic setting changes.
Version 2.30: Added ‘High Resolution Ping Time’ for microsecond-level precision and ‘Hide Disabled Items’ option for cleaner interface.
Version 2.25: Introduced item disabling/enabling for selective monitoring within the list.
Version 2.20: Enhanced grouping features with group name specification and collapsible group headers for better organization.
Version 2.15: Added ‘Execute command on success ping (After previous failure)’ for more flexible alert configurations.
Version 2.10: Introduced ‘Add ping line for every change in ping status’ mode for concise historical ping records.
Version 2.00: Landmark update with TCP ping support, enabling port-specific connection testing.
Version 1.86: Added CIDR format IP range specification and font selection for display customization.
Version 1.80: Introduced ‘Beep On Succeeded Pings (After Failure)’ for auditory success alerts.
Version 1.70: Implemented automatic export feature with filename generation options for session-based or time-stamped logs.
Version 1.60: Added automatic export to file at intervals, command execution on ping failure, and consecutive failed ping count for advanced monitoring and alerts.
Version 1.55: Sound selection for ping failure alerts and options for detailed or failed-pings-only logging.
Version 1.50: Ping size specification and ‘Order’ column for original host order tracking.
Version 1.45: Control over maximum concurrent pings to manage resource usage.
Version 1.40: ‘Auto Scroll Lower Pane’ option and improved handling of large IP address lists.
Version 1.35: Introduction of the lower pane for detailed ping history of selected hosts.
Version 1.30: Hostname resolution and ‘Minimum Ping Time’ and ‘Maximum Ping Time’ columns for detailed statistics.
Version 1.20: ‘% Failed’ column, ‘Beep On Failed Pings’, and ‘Put Icon On Tray’ options for essential monitoring features.
Version 1.15: IP Range and IP-Host Description format support for flexible host input.
Version 1.10: Command-line support, ‘Always On Top’ option, Drag & Drop, and file loading functionalities for enhanced usability.
Version 1.00: Initial release of PingInfoView, marking the beginning of this useful utility.

This extensive version history showcases continuous development and responsiveness to user needs, making PingInfoView a reliable and evolving tool.

Getting Started with PingInfoView

Using PingInfoView is straightforward. As a portable utility, it requires no installation. To begin:

Download: Obtain the PingInfoView executable from a trusted source.
Run: Execute PingInfoView.exe.
Enter Hosts: In the ‘Ping Options’ window, input the host names or IP addresses you wish to monitor. For TCP ping, append the port number (e.g., 192.168.0.100:80).
Start Pinging: Click ‘Ok’ to initiate the ping monitoring process.

Utilizing IP-Host Description Format

For organized monitoring, PingInfoView supports IP-Host Description format. This allows you to add descriptions to your IP addresses, enhancing readability and organization. The format is as follows:

192.168.1.10 Main Server
192.168.1.11 Host 01
192.168.1.12 Host 02
192.168.1.30:443 HTTPS Web Site
192.168.1.31:25 SMTP Server
#192.168.1.14 Host 03 (Remark - Ignored by PingInfoView)

Descriptions will appear in the ‘Description’ column, providing context to each monitored host.

Grouping Hosts

Introduced in later versions, the grouping feature allows categorizing hosts for better management. To use groups, format your host list like this:

Group: Computers Group 1
192.168.0.1 Computer01
192.168.0.2 Computer02
192.168.0.3 Computer03
Group: Computers Group 2
192.168.0.10 Computer10
192.168.0.11 Computer11
192.168.0.12 Computer12

This structure displays hosts under collapsible group headers, streamlining the monitoring of extensive networks.

Command-Line Options for Advanced Usage

PingInfoView offers a range of command-line options for single tests, saving results, and configuration adjustments. Some useful commands include:

/stext: Save results as a simple text file.
/stab: Save results as a tab-delimited text file.
/scomma: Save as a comma-delimited CSV file.
/shtml: Save as an HTML file (horizontal format).
/sxml: Save as an XML file.
/loadfile <filename>: Load hosts from a specified file.
/PingTimeout <milliseconds>: Set ping timeout duration.
/PingEvery <0|1>: Enable or disable periodic pinging.
/PingEverySeconds <seconds>: Set ping interval in seconds.
/IPHostDescFormat <0|1>: Enable or disable IP-Host Description format.
/StartPingImmediately <0|1>: Start pinging immediately on launch.

Furthermore, any setting from the PingInfoView.cfg configuration file can be overridden via command-line parameters, providing granular control for automation and scripting.

Customizing the Context Menu

PingInfoView allows users to extend functionality by adding custom menu items to the right-click context menu. This is configured by editing the PingInfoView.cfg file. For example, to add a “Ping This IP address” option that opens a command prompt:

[CustomMenu]
Caption0=Ping This IP address
Command0=cmd.exe /K ping %IPAddress%

Variables like %IPAddress%, %HostName%, and others corresponding to column names can be used to pass context-specific data to custom commands, greatly enhancing the tool’s interactivity.

Language Translation

PingInfoView supports multiple languages. To translate the utility to another language:

Run PingInfoView.exe /savelangfile to generate a PingInfoView_lng.ini file.
Edit PingInfoView_lng.ini with a text editor, translating string entries.
Run PingInfoView; it will automatically load translations from the .ini file.

License and Disclaimer

PingInfoView is freeware, freely distributable for non-commercial use. It is provided “AS IS” without warranty. The author is not liable for any damages arising from its use.

Conclusion

PingInfoView is an invaluable tool for network monitoring, offering a blend of simplicity and advanced features. Its continuous updates, broad compatibility, and customization options make it a top choice for network diagnostics and management. Whether for basic ping checks or in-depth network analysis, PingInfoView provides the functionality and flexibility needed for effective network oversight.

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