PingTool: User-defined actions

By default, PingTool already offers many options for executing certain actions on one or more objects. Using the context menu (right mouse button), objects can be pinged via the command line, an RDP session can be established or a connection via HTTPs, for example.

However, there are often additional company-specific actions that would be desirable. This is where user-defined actions come into play: create your own actions that can be executed with the right mouse button on one or more objects.

Content

► Example 1: Jumbo Ping
► Example 2: RDP in full screen
► Example 3: DNS lookup for IP address
► Example 4: Opening computer administration of a remote computer (Windows)
► Example 5: Ping with permanent deletion of DNS cache
► Variables

Example 1: Jumbo Ping

The standard ping transfers 32 bytes. In certain cases, however, it may make sense to transfer a larger amount of data. For example, to generate more traffic or to verify that jumbo frames are transported end-to-end without fragmentation. To do this, proceed as follows:

1. Open "Settings" in the three-dot menu.
2. Activate the first user-defined action and enter Jumbo-Ping 5000 bytes as the display text. Enter the following as Command:
   
   cmd /c ping.exe -l 5000 -t %hostname%
   
   
3. Click on the "Bold" option so that the action is displayed in bold in the context menu.

Now click OK, select an object to be pinged and click the right mouse button.

To check whether a 5000 byte frame is transmitted to the destination without fragmentation, add the option -f (do not fragment) to the ping command, i.e. cmd /c ping.exe -f -l 5000 -t %hostname%.

Example 2: RDP in full screen

If you open a remote desktop connection in PingTool with the right mouse button / RDP on object(s), it is established in 1280x1024 resolution (which can be changed in the WaitForRdp.cmd file). If you want to start RDP sessions in full screen instead, create a new custom action with the following settings:

Display text: RDP full screen

Command: mstsc.exe -f -v:%hostname%

Example 3: DNS lookup for IP address

Sometimes it is important to check whether the DNS reverse lookup is working. This involves performing a DNS query on the IP address. To do this, create a new user-defined action with the following settings:

Display text: DNS on IP address

Command: cmd /k nslookup %ipaddress%

Here cmd /k is used to keep the prompt open. Alternatively, you could also use cmd /c nslookup %ipaddress% & pause.

Example 4: Opening computer administration of a remote computer (Windows)

If you have administrator rights on the remote computer with the logged-in user - under which PingTool was started - you can connect to the computer administration with the following action:

Display text: Computer management

Command: compmgmt.msc /computer=%hostname%

Example 5: Ping with permanent deletion of DNS cache

For computers that change subnets or when converting network components, it is often helpful if the local DNS cache is repeatedly cleared. For this use case, a user-defined action is used that calls a small batch file. The batch file first clears the local DNS cache (ipconfig /flushdns) before pinging the object 10 times. Then it starts all over again.

First create a PingAndFlushDns.cmd file in the PingTool directory %localappdata%\PingTool\User with the following content:

@echo off
:MyStart
ipconfig /flushdns
ping -n 10 %1
GOTO MyStart

Then create a custom action with the following settings:

Display text: Ping and FlushDns

Command: cmd /c %PingToolPath%\User\PingAndFlushDns.cmd %hostname%

If you apply the newly created action to an object, the result should look like this:

Variables

The following variables are available for user-defined actions:

%hostname%
%ipaddress%
%description%
%tcpport%
%macaddress%
%vendor%
%responsetime%
%state%
%pingtoolpath% - the PingTool folder