Ping sweep
(also ICMP sweep, ping scan)
Ping sweep definition
A ping sweep is a network scanning method or technique that has the ability to determine which IP addresses from an IP address range should live on hosts. The hosts are usually computers. A ping sweep can communicate with multiple hosts simultaneously by using ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) ECHO requests, commonly known as “ping.” For example, you can use a ping sweep to identify the total number of hosts you have on your network. All you’ll need to do so is your network ID – IP address. However, you should be aware of ping spoofing – sending false pings. This is used to send false information, and it can make your routers and firewalls inoperable.
Ping sweep tools
SolarWinds ping sweep. SolarWinds ping sweep is a tool that Windows users can use to scan a range of IP addresses that are a part of their network. The results that you get from this ping sweep tool show the hostname of every device on your network. Also, they show the amount of time each device took to respond to the ping sweep.
Nmap. Nmap is a free-to-use ping sweep tool that you can use on many different operating systems, including Windows, Linux, macOS, and Unix. It can perform scans as a ping or via the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), a widely used protocol in computing.
Fping. Fping is a command-line tool you can use for various Linux operating systems. It provides you with the hostnames of your active hosts. Also, it tells you if a DNS address is acting suspiciously.
Hping. Hping is also a command-line tool that you can use on Linux, Unix, Windows, or macOS. It’s useful for companies conducting frequent tests on their systems’ firewalls.