PING is a command found in UNIX and in MS-DOS. On a UNIX workstation you can open a command window and type ping followed by the IP address of the system you are trying to reach. The same can be done in Windows by opening a DOS window. The PING command sends a TCP/IP PING packet with a few bytes of data, and if the remote system is able to respond, it will return a PING RESPONSE with the same data. If the data is returned, a message will be displayed with some relevant information. If not, the local system will time out and print an error message.

A successful PING tells you that the network connections are intact, the remote system is powered on, and the basic operating system is functioning. PING is a test of the lower level protocol layers used for the DICOM connection.

The DICOM Verification service is sometimes referred to as the “DICOM-Ping”. DICOM Verification or echo testing is a good way to see if two DICOM systems can talk with each other.