DIY Ping Tool: How to Create Custom Network Tests in Windows

Creating custom ping tools in Windows allows for tailored network diagnostics, going beyond the standard ping command. Whether you need to adjust ping intervals or automate tests, PowerShell and CMD offer flexible solutions. This guide will show you how to set up your own ping tools using simple scripts.

PowerShell Ping Tool Setup

PowerShell provides robust commands for network testing. Here are a few ways to create a custom ping tool:

Basic PowerShell Script:

This script uses a while loop to send 10 pings to 1.1.1.1 with a 500-millisecond interval.

$cnt=0; while ($cnt -le 9) {$cnt++; Start-Sleep -MilliSeconds 500; Test-Connection 1.1.1.1 -Count 1}

• $cnt=0: Initializes a counter variable.
• while ($cnt -le 9): Loops 10 times (from 0 to 9).
• $cnt++: Increments the counter in each loop.
• Start-Sleep -MilliSeconds 500: Pauses the script for 500 milliseconds (0.5 seconds).
• Test-Connection 1.1.1.1 -Count 1: Sends a single ping to the IP address 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare’s public DNS).

PowerShell Script with Aliases:

This is a shorter version using aliases for common commands:

$cnt=0;while($cnt -le 9){$cnt++;Test-Connection 1.1.1.1 -Cou 1; sleep -M 500}

• Test-Connection is used as in the previous example.
• sleep -M 500 is an alias for Start-Sleep -MilliSeconds 500.
• -Cou 1 is an alias for -Count 1.

Golfed PowerShell Version:

For an even more concise script, you can use the range operator:

0..9|%{test-Connection 1.1.1.1 -cou 1;sleep -m 500}

• 0..9: Creates a range of numbers from 0 to 9.
• |%{}: The pipeline and ForEach-Object cmdlet, which iterates through each number in the range.
• test-Connection 1.1.1.1 -cou 1;sleep -m 500: Executed for each number in the range, performing the ping and sleep actions.

PowerShell Script Output:

The output shows the results of each ping, including source, destination, IP addresses, bytes, and time in milliseconds.

Source          Destination     IPV4Address     IPV6Address                 Bytes    Time(ms)
------          -----------     -----------     -----------                 -----    --------
YOUR_DEVICE_NAME    1.1.1.1         1.1.1.1         2606:4700:4700::1111         32       18
YOUR_DEVICE_NAME    1.1.1.1         1.1.1.1         2606:4700:4700::1111         32       20
YOUR_DEVICE_NAME    1.1.1.1         1.1.1.1         2606:4700:4700::1111         32       15
YOUR_DEVICE_NAME    1.1.1.1         1.1.1.1         2606:4700:4700::1111         32       17
YOUR_DEVICE_NAME    1.1.1.1         1.1.1.1         2606:4700:4700::1111         32       15
YOUR_DEVICE_NAME    1.1.1.1         1.1.1.1         2606:4700:4700::1111         32       19
YOUR_DEVICE_NAME    1.1.1.1         1.1.1.1         2606:4700:4700::1111         32       16
YOUR_DEVICE_NAME    1.1.1.1         1.1.1.1         2606:4700:4700::1111         32       16
YOUR_DEVICE_NAME    1.1.1.1         1.1.1.1         2606:4700:4700::1111         32       18
YOUR_DEVICE_NAME    1.1.1.1         1.1.1.1         2606:4700:4700::1111         32       19

CMD Ping Tool Setup

For those preferring Command Prompt, pathping and ping commands can be combined to create a custom ping tool.

Basic CMD Script:

This batch script uses a loop to continuously ping 1.1.1.1 with a 500ms delay using pathping.

@echo off
:loop
pathping 127.1 -n -q 1 -p 500 >nul 2>nul
ping 1.1.1.1 -n 1 -4
goto :loop

• @echo off: Disables command echoing.
• :loop: Defines a loop label.
• pathping 127.1 -n -q 1 -p 500 >nul 2>nul:
  • pathping 127.1: Uses pathping to introduce a delay. 127.1 (localhost) is used to minimize network overhead.
  • -n: Prevents hostname resolution, speeding up the command.
  • -q 1: Sends only one query.
  • -p 500: Sets the period between pings to 500 milliseconds.
  • >nul 2>nul: Suppresses output to the console.
• ping 1.1.1.1 -n 1 -4: Sends a single IPv4 ping to 1.1.1.1.
  • ping 1.1.1.1: The standard ping command.
  • -n 1: Sends only one ping.
  • -4: Forces IPv4.
• goto :loop: Jumps back to the :loop label, creating an infinite loop.

CMD Script with Loop Limit:

To limit the number of pings, you can add a counter:

@echo off & setlocal
set _cnt=0
:loop
pathping 127.1 -n -q 1 -p 500 >nul 2>nul
ping 1.1.1.1 -n 1 -4
set /a "_cnt+=1"
if %_cnt% leq 10 (goto :loop) else goto :eof

• set _cnt=0: Initializes a counter variable _cnt.
• set /a "_cnt+=1": Increments the counter by 1 in each loop.
• if %_cnt% leq 10 (goto :loop) else goto :eof: Continues the loop as long as _cnt is less than or equal to 10, otherwise exits the script.

Understanding pathping:

pathping is a command-line tool that combines features of ping and traceroute. It is useful for network diagnostics as it provides information about packet loss at each hop along the path to a destination.

C:UsersYourUsername>where pathping
C:WindowsSystem32PATHPING.EXE

To see pathping options, use pathping /?:

C:UsersYourUsername>PATHPING.EXE /?

This will display the help information, explaining options like -p for period (interval) and -q for the number of queries.

By using these PowerShell and CMD scripts, you can effectively create custom ping tools tailored to your network testing needs, allowing for precise control over ping frequency and test duration.