If preload is specified, ping sends that many packets as fast as possible before falling into its normal mode of behavior. Only root may set a preload value. Numeric output only. No attempt will be made to lookup symbolic names for host addresses. This is useful for diagnosing data-dependent problems in a network.
Nothing is displayed except the summary lines at startup time and when finished.
The default is 10. Disable the loopback, so the transmitting host doesn't see the ICMP requests. When using ping for fault isolation, it should first be run on the local host, to verify that the local network interface is up and running. Round-trip times and packet loss statistics are computed. This program is intended for use in network testing, measurement and man- agement.