What does the 'ping' command do?

The 'ping' command is primarily used to test the network connectivity between the local host and a remote host. When you execute the 'ping' command followed by an IP address or hostname, it sends a series of Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) echo request packets to the target. The target host then responds with ICMP echo reply packets. This process verifies whether the target is reachable over the network and provides information about the round-trip time for the packets sent.

Additionally, 'ping' can also help in diagnosing network issues by showing if a remote device is online, the latency of the connection, and the number of lost packets, which can indicate problems with the network path. The command is a fundamental utility for network troubleshooting and is widely used by network administrators.