Ping a website
Check whether a website is up and how fast it answers. Four timed HTTP requests from our server show the status code, connect, HTTPS and first-byte times, jitter and lost attempts, plus who runs the network.
- 4 attempts with min, average and max
- Compare with your own browser
- No signup needed
Status from our server
Enter a website to start
- DNSWaiting for inputName to IP address
- Connect—TCP connection
- First byte—Server starts answering
- Result—4 attempts
Ping report
Enter a website above to see whether it answers, its HTTP status, connect, HTTPS and first-byte times for 4 attempts, and who runs its network.
Fair-use limit: 30 checks per hour and 200 per day for each visitor IP address. Every check is live; results are not cached.
What a website ping tells you
Whether the web server answers, how quickly, and whether the answer is steady.
HTTP, not ICMP
Many servers ignore classic ping packets. An HTTP request asks the web server itself, so it shows what visitors would get.
Time has parts
Connecting, the HTTPS handshake and the server's thinking time each add up. Long waits for the first byte usually mean a slow server, not a slow network.
Several attempts, not one
One request can be unlucky. Four show the spread: jitter for steadiness and lost attempts for reliability.
Location changes everything
The times are from our server. Your visitors are elsewhere, which is why the browser comparison is there.
HTTP ping and other network checks
Which check answers which question.
| Check | What it sends | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
HTTP ping (this tool) |
HTTP HEAD or GET to the web server | Whether the website answers, its status code and response time. |
ICMP ping |
ICMP echo packets to the IP address | Raw network reachability. Often blocked by firewalls and CDNs. |
Traceroute |
Packets with rising TTL values | Which network hop adds delay or drops packets. |
DNS lookup |
Queries for A, AAAA and other records | Whether the name points to the right server. |
Speed test |
Large downloads and uploads | Bandwidth in Mbps, not response time. |
Page speed test |
A real browser loading the page | How fast the whole page appears for visitors. |
How this tool works
What happens between pressing Ping and seeing the report.
You enter a site
A domain, URL or public IP. Bare domains are tried over HTTPS first, then once over HTTP if HTTPS fails.
The address is checked
The name is resolved, private and reserved addresses are refused, and the connection is pinned to the checked IP.
4 requests are timed
Each on a new connection: connect, HTTPS handshake, first byte and total, with failures counted as lost.
You compare
See the network owner from RDAP, and optionally run the same test from your own browser.
What this tool does, and what it doesn't
A plain list, so you know exactly what to expect.
This tool does
- Send 4 timed HTTP requests from our server
- Split time into connect, HTTPS and first byte
- Count lost attempts and measure jitter
- Show the IP address and IPv6 support
- Name the network owner from RDAP
- Compare with a test from your browser
This tool does not
- Send ICMP ping packets
- Test from many countries
- Measure page load or bandwidth
- Monitor a site over time
- Get past bot protection
- Reach private or local addresses
Where your data goes
The website receives 4 requests from our server and sees our IP address, not yours. Its IP address is sent to the regional internet registry's public RDAP service to find the network owner; that lookup is cached for 24 hours. Pings themselves are not cached. "Test from my browser" runs only when you click it, and then the website sees your IP address. A hashed, temporary copy of your IP address is used for rate limiting. Like any website, our server may keep normal access logs, as described in our privacy policy.
Step-by-step guide by Bhavin J. Sheth.
Why your results might look unexpected
The six surprises people run into most, and what each one means.
403, 429 or a challenge
Bot protection blocked our request. The site is up; it just refused an automated visitor.
Slow from here, fast for you
Distance matters. Our server may be far from the site, while a CDN serves you from nearby.
First attempt slower
DNS caches, TLS session setup and cold servers make the first request slower than the rest.
Timed out, but the site works
The firewall may drop traffic from data centers, or the server only accepts certain countries.
301 or 302 instead of 200
The address redirects, for example to https or www. The ping times the redirect answer itself.
Down for us, up for you
Rare, but routing problems between networks can cut off one region. Try again in a few minutes.
Questions about pinging a website
How does this website ping work?
Our server sends 4 HTTP requests to the website, each on a new connection, and times every step: connecting, the HTTPS handshake, waiting for the first byte and the whole answer. It uses a HEAD request, which asks only for the headers, and switches to a short GET if the server does not allow HEAD. The result shows whether the site answered and how fast.
Is this the same as the ping command?
No. The ping command sends ICMP echo packets, which many servers, firewalls and CDNs ignore, so a site can be working while ping fails. An HTTP ping asks the web server itself, the way a browser does, so it shows whether the website answers. It also includes the time for the HTTPS handshake and the server's own work.
Is the website down for everyone or just me?
If our server reaches the site but you cannot, the problem is likely on your side: your connection, DNS cache, VPN, firewall or browser extensions. If our server cannot reach it either, the site or its hosting is probably down. Use "Test from my browser" in the report to compare both from the same page.
What is a good response time?
For a first byte, under about 200 ms from a nearby server is fast and under 800 ms is acceptable. The times here are measured from our server, so distance to the website's server adds to them. CDNs answer from a location near the visitor, which is why sites behind Cloudflare or similar often look fast from anywhere.
Why does it say 403 or 503 when the site works in my browser?
Bot protection and firewalls often block or challenge automated requests from data centers, and some servers answer HEAD requests differently. The site is reachable, it just refused our request. A 503 can also mean the site is overloaded or in maintenance.
What do jitter and lost attempts mean?
Jitter is how much the response time changes from one attempt to the next; a low number means a steady connection. A lost attempt is one that timed out or failed to connect. One lost attempt out of 4 can be a brief hiccup; all 4 lost means the site is unreachable from our server.
Is the address I check stored?
The website receives requests from our server, so it sees our IP address, not yours. The network owner is looked up in the public RDAP service of the internet registry using the website's IP address. Nothing is cached except that network lookup. If you click "Test from my browser", your browser contacts the website directly and the site sees your IP address. A hashed, temporary copy of your IP address is used for rate limiting. Like any website, our server may keep normal access logs, as described in our privacy policy.