Network Administrators can ping their computers again.

USA (SANEPR.com) June 27, 2008 -- Why can't I ping the computers on my LAN?

Back in the good old days of networking, ftp was the Internet, and ping could tell you everything that was going on inside and outside of your network.

But, just as ftp has given way to the World Wide Web, Network Administrators have had to adapt their arsenal to maintain control of their LAN.

One problem that many IT Professionals are facing is the fact that Windows Firewall now comes installed by default on Windows XP and Vista. Although this has been great for the added security, it is a nuisance for one simple command.

Ping.

That's right.

Trusted, time tested ping is becoming obsolete, and here's why.

Windows Firewall, by default, blocks ping requests, also known as ICMP echo request packets.

This is why you can't ping the new computer you just added to the LAN. It's because the firewall on that new computer isn't responding to the ping request.

Sure there are ways around it. Some organizations have Group Policy setup to allow ping requests once computers have joined the domain. Some organizations have gone as far as to disable Windows Firewall on all computers just to be able to ping them.

But, there is a simpler way.

Hardping

Hardping is a hardware level ping utility.

The reason Hardping works when ping fails is that Hardping doesn't rely on ICMP packets. Hardping sends its requests using ARP packets. ARP packets work at the hardware or MAC addresses level. Lets just say, it would be difficult for a personal firewall to block these and still talk to other computers.

Hardping Pros and Cons.

Pros:
1. Works well in an environment when you need to know which computers are on the network, but don't want to give up the security of Windows Firewall.
2. More accurate than regular ping in determining which computers are on your LAN because of Personal Firewalls.
3. Hardping also now comes with a Windows GUI for those who have outgrown DOS and the command line.

Cons:
1. Hardping isn't routable. Because Hardping uses ARP packets, you'll never be able to Hardping www.hardping.com. You can only use it for LAN monitoring.

Should I replace ping with Hardping?

No, you'll need both

Networks have become more complicated and the number of tools necessary to administer them has also increased. Hardping is a good tool to use in some situations, like LAN monitoring, but should still be seen as an additional tool to ping, not a replacement for it.

Hardping Pro is available for Windows 2000/XP/Vista and can be purchased from www.hardping.com for the price of $24.95 as of this writing.