Enable ping in XP

Enable ping (ICMP request or Echo request) in XP

Some times when firewall is on (by default it’s on) XP computer, you can’t ping to that computer, which means you will get ‘Request Time Out’ reply when you ping to the destination. But it will be accessing network shares over the network.

Ping request normally works as its sending ICMP packets to the destination computer and receiving ICMP packets reply. When destination computer is not acknowledging or replying for these packets you will be seeing ‘Request time out’ reply.

In two methods you can enable ping or ICMP requests in XP.

1) Completely switching off firewall ( which is not recommended and it’s not covered in this post)

2) Only enable ICMP packets (which means, giving exceptional for ICMP packets in your Firewall rule), so your firewall will be on wehn ping requests work.

Follow the steps to enable ping in xp.

a) Go to Network connections in Control panel.

b) Right Click on the connection you want to enable ICMP Requests.

c) Click on Properties

d) Go to Advanced tab and press Settings button under Windows Firewall.

e) Go to Advanced tab in Windows Firewall box. Press Settings button in ICMP area as shown by arrow mark.

f) Put a tick in ‘Allow incoming echo…..’. Press OK. Now this computer will be accepting ICMP echo requests and reply for them.

By enabling Echo or ICMP or Ping requests in this method without completely switching off the firewall. Your computer will be safe and reply for ICMP requests to avoid d duplicate or conflict IP addresses in your network.