TCP and UDP Communication 12. Tips for Building an IP LAN 15. WAN Connectivity 16. Questions and Answers 17. Other Sources 19.
Ping is a low-level method of determining is a specific host is alive.
A successful ping to 127.0.0.1 means your IP stack is working properly. A ping to localhost doesn't even make it on the wire. If your address is 192.168.1.1, then ping 192.168.1.1. Actually, the packet may or may not actually make it on the wire, depending on your implementation. But it doesn't hurt.