How to Diagnose Network Issues with Ping and PingPlotter

When your website is slow, keeps timing out, or loads inconsistently, the problem isn't always the server — it can be your local network, your ISP, or a router somewhere along the path between you and our data centre. Ping and PingPlotter are two simple tools that measure the connection between your computer and your server, so you (and our support team) can see exactly where the delay or drop is happening.

This guide shows you how to run both, how to read the results, and what to send to Cynet support.

When to Use This Guide

Run these tests if you experience:

• The website loads for some visitors but times out for you
• Slow or inconsistent loading that comes and goes
• FTP, cPanel, or email connections that drop out randomly
• "Connection timed out" or "took too long to respond" errors

Before you start: Try loading your site from a different network (e.g. switch from office WiFi to mobile data). If it works on one network but not another, the problem is almost certainly local or with your ISP — not the server. See also How to Request an IP Whitelist.

Part 1: Using Ping in Command Prompt (Windows)

Ping sends small test packets to your server and measures how long each one takes to come back. It's the fastest way to check if the server is reachable and how healthy the connection is.

Step 1: Open Command Prompt

1. Press the Windows key on your keyboard
2. Type cmd
3. Press Enter — a black window (Command Prompt) opens

Step 2: Run a Basic Ping

Type the following, replacing yourdomain.com with your actual domain, then press Enter:

ping yourdomain.com

Windows sends 4 test packets and shows a result like this:

Reply from 123.45.67.89: bytes=32 time=18ms TTL=54
Reply from 123.45.67.89: bytes=32 time=19ms TTL=54
Reply from 123.45.67.89: bytes=32 time=17ms TTL=54
Reply from 123.45.67.89: bytes=32 time=18ms TTL=54
Ping statistics for 123.45.67.89:
    Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
    Minimum = 17ms, Maximum = 19ms, Average = 18ms

Step 3: Read the Results

• Reply from… = good. The server answered.
• Request timed out = a packet was sent but never came back.
• 0% loss = the connection is stable. Any loss points to a network fault along the way.

Step 4: Run a Continuous Ping (for intermittent problems)

If your problem comes and goes, a one-off ping may look fine. Run a continuous ping to watch the connection over time:

ping -t yourdomain.com

Let it run for a few minutes while you reproduce the issue. Press Ctrl + C to stop it and see the summary. Watch for occasional Request timed out lines or latency spikes — those confirm an intermittent fault.

Tip: You can also ping your server's hostname or IP address directly (e.g. ping server123.cynet.com.my). If you're not sure of your server name, find it in your Cynet welcome email or in manage.cynet.com.my.

Optional: Trace the Route (tracert)

To see every "hop" (router) between you and the server, use:

tracert yourdomain.com

This lists each stop along the path with its latency. If you see high times or timeouts starting at a specific hop, that's roughly where the slowdown begins. PingPlotter (below) does the same thing but in a much easier-to-read visual form.

On a Mac?

Ping works almost the same way. Open Terminal (press Cmd + Space, type Terminal, press Enter) and run:

ping yourdomain.com

Mac ping runs continuously by default — press Ctrl + C to stop. Use traceroute yourdomain.com for the route trace.

Part 2: Using PingPlotter

PingPlotter turns the ping and traceroute data into an easy-to-read graph. It's the best tool for intermittent problems because it monitors the connection over time and shows exactly which hop is losing packets or adding delay.

Step 1: Download and Install

1. Go to the official site: https://www.pingplotter.com
2. Download the free version (PingPlotter Free is enough for basic diagnostics)
3. Run the installer and open PingPlotter

Step 2: Start a Trace

1. In the address bar at the top, type your domain (e.g. yourdomain.com)
2. Click the green Play button (or press Enter)
3. PingPlotter begins mapping every hop between your computer and the server, updating continuously

Step 3: Let It Run

• Leave it running for 5 to 10 minutes — longer if the problem is occasional
• If possible, reproduce the issue (load your site, use FTP, etc.) while it runs
• The longer it runs, the more clearly any pattern of packet loss or spikes will show

Step 4: Read the Graph

PingPlotter shows a list of hops from your PC (top) to the server (bottom), plus a timeline graph:

Key rule: Packet loss or latency that starts partway down the list and continues to the bottom usually means the fault is at your ISP or somewhere on the internet path — not the server. Loss that appears only on the final hop points to the server itself.

Step 5: Save the Results

To share your findings with support:

1. Let the trace collect at least a few minutes of data
2. Go to File → Save Image (or Edit → Copy as Image) to capture the graph, or take a screenshot showing the full hop list and the timeline
3. Make sure the timestamp, all hops, and the PL% / Avg columns are visible

What to Send to Cynet Support

To help us diagnose your issue quickly, include the following in your support ticket:

Why this helps: These results let our team see whether the problem is on the server, on the wider internet path, or with your local network/ISP — so we can either fix it on our end or point you to exactly what to raise with your internet provider.

Quick Reference