Skip to main content

How to Perform UDP Ping in Linux

·451 words·3 mins
Linux UDP Ping Network Troubleshooting
Table of Contents

What Is UDP?
#

UDP (User Datagram Protocol) is a connectionless transport layer protocol. Unlike TCP, it doesn’t guarantee delivery, ordering, or error correction. Instead, it provides a lightweight way to send data with minimal overhead.

Because of this, UDP is widely used in real-time applications such as:

  • Voice over IP (VoIP)
  • Online gaming
  • Video streaming
  • DNS queries

Its low latency makes it ideal where speed matters more than reliability.


When Do You Need UDP Ping?
#

A UDP Ping test checks whether a host or service can receive and respond to UDP packets. It’s useful for troubleshooting and performance testing in cases such as:

  • Online gaming issues: Frequent lag or disconnections can be analyzed using UDP Ping to measure packet loss and latency.
  • VoIP or video calls: Since VoIP relies on UDP, testing UDP paths helps verify audio/video quality.
  • DNS servers: DNS traffic commonly uses UDP port 53. A UDP Ping can confirm if the server is reachable and responding properly.

In short: whenever you need to test UDP connectivity, latency, or packet loss, UDP Ping is the right tool.


How to Perform UDP Ping in Linux
#

Linux doesn’t have a built-in ping equivalent for UDP, but you can use tools like nping (from Nmap) or hping3.

1. Using nping
#

The nping command allows you to send custom packets, including UDP.

Example:

nping --udp -p 53 <target-ip>
  • --udp → Use UDP packets
  • -p 53 → Send to port 53 (DNS)
  • <target-ip> → Replace with the server’s IP address

If the server replies, you’ll see response times and packet statistics. This indicates that UDP communication is working.


2. Using hping3
#

Another option is hping3, which provides more flexibility for packet crafting.

Example UDP Ping:

hping3 --udp -p 53 -c 5 <target-ip>
  • Sends 5 UDP packets to port 53
  • Shows packet loss and round-trip times

This is particularly useful if you want finer control over packet size, frequency, or spoofing options.


Notes and Tips
#

  • You may need to install these tools first:

    sudo apt install nmap hping3    # Ubuntu/Debian
    sudo yum install nmap hping3    # CentOS/RHEL
    
  • Not all servers respond to UDP probes (they may silently drop packets).

  • For DNS servers, UDP Ping works best against port 53.

  • For VoIP applications, test against SIP or RTP ports.


✅ Conclusion
#

While the traditional ping command only works with ICMP packets, Linux admins can use nping and hping3 to perform UDP Ping tests.

This helps with:

  • Network troubleshooting
  • Latency measurement
  • Verifying UDP-based applications (DNS, VoIP, games, etc.)

UDP Ping is an essential tool in your Linux network troubleshooting toolkit.


🔎 SEO Keywords: Linux UDP ping test, UDP ping with nping, hping3 UDP ping, Linux network troubleshooting, check UDP latency

Related

Scheduling Regular MySQL Backups on Linux
·415 words·2 mins
Linux MySQL Backup Cron
Linux从内核的角度看外设芯片的驱动
·874 words·5 mins
Linux Device Driver Kernel Linux
htop: A Better Process Management Tool for Linux
·439 words·3 mins
Htop Linux Process Management System Monitoring