2ping 2.0 has been released today. User-visible changes are minor, but behind the scenes, a major update to the protocol specification has been implemented, justifying the major version bump:

  • Updated to support 2ping protocol 2.0
    • Protocol 1.0 and 2.0 are backwards and forwards compatible with each other
    • Added support for extended segments
    • Added extended segment support for program version and notice text
    • Changed default minimum packet size from 64 to 128 bytes
  • Added peer reply packet size matching support, turned on by default
  • Added extra error output for socket errors (such as hostname not found)
  • Added extra version support for downstream distributions
  • Removed generation of 2ping6 symlinks at “make all” time (symlinks are still generated during “make install” in the destination tree)

2ping is a bi-directional ping utility. It uses 3-way pings (akin to TCP SYN, SYN/ACK, ACK) and after-the-fact state comparison between a 2ping listener and a 2ping client to determine which direction packet loss occurs.