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5 Incredible Ping command Examples

By Bob on July 26, 2022

Today we will explore the Ping command. First, we will explain its definition and how you can use it. Finally, we will discover the five most popular Ping commands. Let’s start.

Definition of the Ping command

One of the built-in network diagnostic commands in your operating system is the Ping command (Windows, Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, etc.). Ping is used to test connectivity between your device and the target, which can be an IP address like 188.114.97.7 or a hostname like google.com.

By default, Ping uses the ICMP protocol to send the target four messages, each containing 32 bytes (Internet control message protocol).

Brief History of Ping command

How can you use it?

You can use the command on Windows devices in one of two ways: through the Command Prompt or using Windows PowerShell.

And if you are using Linux or macOS Operating systems, you may use it through the Terminal application.

5 examples of Ping command

The basic Ping command allows you to check your connectivity and the capability of the computer you are testing. As a result, on Linux or macOS, you will constantly hear a ping. Use the Ctrl-C combo to stop it. If there are no problems, you will get four replies and statistics for Windows.

ping example.com

On Windows, you should add the extra option “-t” for continuous ping. Fill in the following:

ping -t example.com

For a specific quantity of inquiries. You are allowed to make a custom number of queries on macOS and Linux and more than four requests on Windows.

For Linux and Mac

ping –c 8 example.com

in Windows

ping –n 8 example.com

The space in between pings. You can calculate the time in seconds between requests.

Linux/macOS

ping -i 20 1.2.3.4

Waiting period. It can be set to stop the ping command on macOS/Linux in seconds.

ping –w 50 example.com

Conclusion

So, the Ping command is a fundamental tool for network device testing. It is available on almost every OS and functions nearly identically on each one. ICMP packets should be sent, and the duration of the echo-response should be timed. Simple and ideal.

Purpose and Advantages of GeoDNS

By Bob on April 18, 2022

GeoDNS is the topic of today’s article. First, we will explore it in detail: its purpose, how it works, and its advantages.

GeoDNS – what is its purpose

GeoDNS stands for global traffic director or simply traffic director. It is an effective method for optimizing traffic to domains through the use of geographically based routing. It is also regarded as a cloud alternative for load balancing. In addition, it has a positive impact on network performance.

How does it work?

GeoDNS operates in a unique way. How? To begin, when users query your site, their requests are routed through DNS servers. If you use GeoDNS, you will be using multiple DNS servers located all over the world. This is determined by the DNS service provider you choose. That is, these servers will search their database for each user’s IP address and compare it to the information they have on file for that IP address. The traffic is subsequently forwarded to a predefined IP address, which is usually the one closest to the query’s origin.

Advantages of using GeoDNS

GeoDNS could be really beneficial. Here are some of its main advantages:

It’s simple to use. When it comes to setting it up, you will have no problems. After that, everything will operate on its own. All you need is a basic understanding of DNS.
Monitoring the DNS. One of the most critical benefits is that it could also keep track of your DNS. It might also be set up such that IP addresses on your blacklist are blocked. As a result, complications will be avoided.
Traffic redirecting. You may establish a comprehensive CDN with GeoDNS. That way, you may host your website on multiple servers and use GeoDNS to automatically guide customers to the version of your site that is closest to them. That method will also serve as a load balancer for you. Your network will run without a hitch.
Implementing Geo-restrictions. You could set geo-restrictions based on your users’ IP addresses (location). You have the option of choosing who will be allowed to see specific kinds of information. This is particularly handy when dealing with intellectual property, such as videos, music, and photographs.

Who is GeoDNS for?

GeoDNS could be an excellent solution for a variety of companies. The great majority of large organizations with a global presence, on the other hand, are likely to reap the most benefits from using this type of service. Also, content platforms that serve a worldwide audience and e-commerce websites that require a high level of uptime.

Conclusion

Let’s review. GeoDNS is a global traffic director. Its primary purpose is to distribute the traffic. Its main advantages are that it redirects the traffic, manages geo-locations, and monitors the Domain Name System. In addition, it is really easy to configure. So, it’s worth giving it a chance!

Dynamic DNS – Common ways to use it

By Bob on January 27, 2022

For many people, using a Dynamic DNS could be really advantageous. Put simply, this DNS service is a method for automatically refreshing new IP addresses. We’ll look at what Dynamic DNS is and how it works in more detail in this article.

Dynamic DNS – What does it mean?

Dynamic DNS, also known as DDNS, is a very useful service that allows us to keep the DNS constantly updated, with the correct IP address, even when the Internet Protocol is changing. Commonly, these kinds of resources include a Web server, a Web camera, or a computer for remote control operation.

The Domain Name System (DNS), as we already know, is a user-friendly and simple-to-use system for associating domains with their IP addresses. Unfortunately, these Internet Protocols are running out on a daily basis. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are attempting to avoid this scarcity by utilizing dynamic DNS in particular. DDNS automatically logs changes from dynamic IP addresses. This ensures that domains remain connected to the appropriate Internet Protocols.

How does it work?

Most often, to take advantage of a dynamic DNS, you need to look for a provider. Then when you find it, you need to install their software on the host computer or on the router. When the IP addresses provided by the ISP are changed, this software connects with the DDNS service provider. As a result, the dynamic DNS provider updates the A record or AAAA record to reflect the changes, resulting in near-instantaneous updates.

In addition, a dynamic DNS service is incompatible with networks that use static IP addresses. This is because the domain name does not need to be asked again after the IP address is given the first time. The reason is straightforward: static IP addresses do not change.

Why do you need to benefit from Dynamic DNS?

There are many advantages. Some of which are as follows:

It keeps you online. It will reduce downtime by automatically updating A record or AAAA record. As a result, the gadgets or services will continue to be accessible via the Internet.
Incredibly simple. It only has to be set up once – for example, IP cameras for surveillance. You’ll need to configure your router’s Dynamic DNS service by heading to settings and entering the user and password.
Static IPs are more expensive. If you have multiple devices, it will be far more cost-effective to pay for only one DDNS service. It could be costly to pay for each static IP address.

Conclusion

We can conclude that it is a long and complex explanation for a very simple service that keeps millions of people connected to their devices all over the world. Remember that the DDNS method is useful in the case of dynamic IP addresses. The Dynamic Domain Name System (DDNS) is a very helpful technology that can save you a lot of time and money. It may be the only logical solution to a problem in some cases.

Transmission control protocol (TCP) explained.

By Bob on September 9, 2021

TCP – What is it?

Transmission Control Protocol, or also for short called just TCP, is a communication standard. Software applications benefit from it for exchanging data. Its purpose is to improve efficiency, not speed.

The packets of information can reach their destination out of order or get lost when they are transported. TCP serves to ensure that they will arrive at their target and without the need to be rearranged. In case a packet is not delivered in a specific timeframe, TCP requests re-transmission. It handles the communication between the two applications through the entire exchange. It assures the delivery and sending for both parties and also verifies that packets are accurate. TCP is a popular protocol in network communication and is ordinarily used on top of IP. Usually, the Internet protocol stack is associated with TCP/IP.

Usage of TCP

Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is one of the main components operating while we use the Internet every day. For example, when we are browsing the web or exploring a web page, the webserver is supported with the help of HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) to carry the website’s file to our device.

HTTP relies on TCP to successfully connect your computer and the server and ensure that the file is transferred correctly over IP. Moreover, File Transfer Protocol (FTP) for peer-to-peer file sharing depends on TCP and Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) for sending and receiving emails.

TCP is beneficial when the accuracy of the data transfer is more valuable rather than the speed. It applies three-way handshakes to establish the connection. So, the data is chopped into smaller packets and requests for re-transmission to ensure correctness. That is the reason the time for the data to transport is extended.

In some cases, such as video gaming and streaming, or Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP), TCP is not beneficial because of the prolonged latency. In these examples, User Datagram Protocol (UDP) comes in hand. It is less precise, yet it is faster.

TCP vs. HTTP

The two protocols may fool you that they are very alike, but The Hypertext Transfer Protocol and the Transmission Control Protocol have some remarkable differences.

HTTP utilizes TCP for data transfer, and TCP is a data transfer protocol.
TCP is applied to establish communication or a session linking two machines. On the other hand, HTTP is used to reach information on web pages and access websites from a web server. It’s a client-server protocol.
TCP handles IP addresses, while HTTP handles hyperlinks, also identified as URLs.
TCP process requires a three-way handshake. This requires some time. However, HTTP is a one-way connection. That is the reason why TCP is much slower rather than HTTP.
TCP is connected-oriented. In contrast, HTTP is stateless but not sessionless.
TCP utilizes various ports (80, 8000, 8080, etc.). HTTP typically uses the 80 port.

Benefits of TCP

The data delivery is guaranteed to be accurate end-to-end. The bytes received are the precise ones and in the same order as originally sent.
The functionality of TCP covers the detection of issues, such as lost or duplicated packets and the capability to fix them.

Error 502 Bad Gateway – 5 quick fixes

By Bob on August 9, 2021

What does Error 502 Bad Gateway mean?

Error 502 Bad Gateway is a HTTP status code. It is a general pointer that there’s something that is not right with a website’s server communication.

This status code shows that the server, while serving as a gateway or proxy, received an invalid response from an inbound server it accessed while trying to achieve the request.

If you want to visit a website on the Internet, your browser sends a request to a server connected to the web. This server receives the request and applies a process to deliver back the resources you demanded, including an HTTP header and an HTTP status code.

In case everything works, users are not going to see the HTTP status code. Simply, this is the way servers interact with each other. However, if something fails, the server will inform you with exactly this code.

Error 502 Bad Gateway can be displayed like:

502 Bad Gateway
Temporary Error (502)
HTTP 502
502 Proxy Error
502 Service Temporarily Overloaded
502 Server Error: The server faced a temporary error and is not able to complete your request.
Bad Gateway: The proxy server got an invalid response from an upstream server.

Let’s observe some of the quick fixes that could help you.

Reload the page.

The first thing you could try when you face an Error 502 Bad Gateway is simply to wait a moment and reload the page. Of course, the host or the server could be just overloaded. If it is so, the website should come right back.

Also, another thing to quickly try is opening the website through a different browser.

You can find platforms that can check if the website is actually down or the problem is on your side.

Remove Your Browser Cache

If the error continues, it could be the possibility that your browser cache holds outdated and corrupted data. If this is the case, you should clean the browser cache to fix this error.

It is important to know that removing the cache might lead to losing some essential browser data or bookmarks and preferences, which you set. Therefore, you should export your data from the browser, and after you finish removing the cache, import it back to prevent losing data.

Check for any DNS changes.

A possible reason for facing Error 502 Bad Gateway could be a DNS issue. For example, the domain does not reveal the right IP.

It is necessary to be patient for things to completely propagate, in case you recently migrated your website to a new host. The required time depends on the TTL value of your DNS records.

Briefly Disable Firewall or CDN

Perhaps there could be an issue with your firewall or Content Delivery Network (CDN). In case you are using a provider of CDN, you can simply disable your CDN for a moment. Then you can test to reach your website again.

This error is possible to occur sometimes with providers of DDoS protection and mitigation or fully proxy services. This is because they hold an extra firewall in-between. It can often happen if you are using a free plan.

Suggested article: Error 404 – how to fix it?

Reach your host.

In case you can’t solve the problem on your own, give a call to your host company. They can observe what is going on and deliver more information about the situation.

Perhaps the issue could be on their end, and they could be able to fix it easily. They can also help if the problem is particularly associated with your website.

Why use a CDN?

By Bob on June 7, 2021

What does CDN mean?

CDN is an acronym for Content Delivery Network. It is a network of data centers, and proxy servers spread in several and strategic points around the world.

The networks’ servers at every location are named as a point of presence (Pop). Each one of them has its cache memory data for users of the specific area. This is a service that you can have besides your primary web hosting. It is a bonus to cache multiple copies of data and arrange them in a way that users’ access is ensured.

CDN was created in the late 90s.’ The purpose is to solve traffic jams on the Internet. It is also improving availability and the overall performance of the Internet.

In present days the need for delivery content has grown progressively, and the use of CDN too. Just think about all the possible content that is circulating over the Internet. For example like, documents, media files, text, software, social media, and many more.

How does it work?

The concept is simple. On the way are DNS resolvers that analyze the DNS request. Depending on the request’s source, they will provide the IP address of the closest cache server. They are called delivery nodes by some service providers. Those DNS servers are placed strategically in different locations. Based on your DNS provider, you can have multiple, and you can be able to put even more in your most significant area.

You can use a service called GeoDNS, depending on your provider, of using regular DNS. With it, you can set different IP addresses for the different regions.

In such a way, you won’t send the whole traffic to the same origin. You can manage to have the needed number of web hosting located in the crucial areas for you.

Those servers you will use as cache servers, and you will set their IP addresses for the closest DNS server. Thus, the DNS request will perform very fast to the DNS resolver that can present an answer. Then it will redirect to the cache server, and it will save a lot of time.

For whom is CDN intended?

For everybody! Yes, everyone could use CDN. Like for example, a media company. If you have one, CDN could be the one thing to help you to distribute content to some more locations. It could be very beneficial for e-commerce sites, too. Primarily if they operate on various markets like many states – The US. Or maybe different countries like the European Union is your target market, it could be a perfect fit.

Blog sites, news sites, online services, and a lot more are not an exception. It all depends on your needs.

The truth is that some of the CDN prices are very affordable. Even for a small company or a start-up, it won’t be a problem implementing CDN and paying a monthly subscription. And that is amazing!