Each IP layer has an associated address—a four-integer period-separated number (such as 191.72.109.12). ping takes as an argument an IP address and attempts to send a single packet to the named IP protocol stack.
First, determine if your own protocol stack is operating correctly by “pinging” your own computer. For example, if your IP address is 191.72.109.12, enter this command at the command prompt:
ping 191.72.109.12
Wait to see if the packets are routed. If they are, you see output similar to:
c:> ping 191.72.109.12 Pinging 191.72.109.12 with 32 bytes of data: Reply from 191.72.109.12: bytes=32 time<.10ms TTL=32 Reply from 191.72.109.12: bytes=32 time<.10ms TTL=32 Reply from 191.72.109.12: bytes=32 time<.10ms TTL=32 ...
If the ping works, it indicates that the computer can route packets to itself. This is reasonable assurance that the IP layer is set up correctly. Ask someone else running TCP/IP for his or her IP address, and try pinging that computer.
Before proceeding with additional diagnostics, ensure that you can ping the computer running the database server from the client computer.