PING to Broadcast Address May Get Response

 Last reviewed: September 5, 1996
Article ID: Q137421
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5 and 3.51
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5 and 3.51

If the PING command is used to a broadcast address, some devices will respond.

The following RFC section discusses pinging a broadcast address: 

   RFC-1122 Section 3.2.2.6  Echo Request/Reply

   "An ICMP Echo Request destined to an IP broadcast or IP multicast
    address MAY be silently discarded.

    DISCUSSION:
    This neutral provision results from a passionate debate between
    those who feel that ICMP Echo to a broadcast address provides a
    valuable diagnostic capability and those who feel that misuse of
    this feature can too easily create packet storms."
Windows NT 3.5 computers do not reply to these PING Echo Requests. Novell 3.12 Servers send an Echo Reply.

KBCategory: kbnetwork
KBSubcategory: nttcp ntprotocol NTSrvWkst
Additional reference words: prodnt 3.50 3.51 tcp/ip

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Last reviewed: September 5, 1996
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