Fping
Ping many hosts in parallel and report which are alive. One host per line, or comma-separated. Max 32.
Monitor this automatically
NetTests can run this check on a schedule, preserve historical results, compare changes over time, and alert you the moment something breaks.
Start monitoring free → See all monitoring productsFrequently Asked Questions
How is Ping Scanner different from a regular ping?
Ping Scanner uses fping to send Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) echo requests to multiple hosts simultaneously in parallel, reporting which are alive. A standard ping tests one host at a time sequentially. This makes Ping Scanner ideal for quickly checking a list of hosts, subnets, or servers without waiting for each to complete individually.
A host shows as unreachable — is it down?
Not necessarily. Many servers and firewalls block Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) ping requests as a security measure. An unreachable result means ICMP echo requests received no reply within the timeout — the host may still be serving traffic on Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)/User Datagram Protocol (UDP) ports. Use HTTP Request Timing to check HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP)/HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) accessibility.
Why does ping sometimes show higher latency than expected?
Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) packets are often deprioritised by routers and firewalls (put in a low-priority queue) compared to real application traffic. Ping latency may be higher than what Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connections actually experience. Consistent packet loss or latency above 200 ms from multiple locations is a better indicator of a problem than occasional spikes.
How many hosts can I scan at once?
The tool accepts a space- or newline-separated list of hostnames and Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. Keep the list to a reasonable size (under 50 hosts) to avoid excessive scan times. For large-scale host discovery, fping can be run directly on a network where you have proper authorisation.