Linux.com

Well, as it turns out, many people have to administer networks incorporating Windows XP clients, which have just enough network services disabled to be annoying by default. Now, many of those are administered by the sysadmin(s)/help desk/etc., but for the particular purpose of an 802.11a/g network at a uni, or some other similar public access purpose, this is a godsend. Yeah, the two are very different mechanisms, but the result is the same; You can check for physical network connectivity. If you wish, you can then extend that with a ping from the same subnet (to check whether it filters pings) and then a ping from a remote subnet (to check whether its routing table is hosed). So, all in all, arping can be a very useful tool for many purposes<nobr> <wbr></nobr>:)

Cheers,

Michael

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