A tool that is very similar to the well-known ping utility is fping. However, it is also built with a number of additional features that are not present in ping. These additional features allow fping to be used as a functional scan tool, without additional modification. This recipe will demonstrate how to use fping to perform layer 3 discovery on remote hosts.
Using fping to perform layer 3 discovery does not require a lab environment, as many systems on the Internet will reply to ICMP echo requests. However, it is highly recommended that you perform any type of network scanning exclusively in your own lab unless you are thoroughly familiar with the legal regulations imposed by any governing authorities to whom you are subject. If you wish to perform this technique within your lab, you will need to have at least one system that will respond to ICMP requests. In the examples provided, a combination of Linux and Windows systems are used...