RUST Essentials Intermediate

ICMP Ping Tool in Rust

Implement a real ping utility from scratch using low-level network operations.

Premium · 4h 18m · 5 ch

Practice →

What you'll build

We will create a fully functional ICMP ping utility in Rust from scratch. Starting with a bare project skeleton, we will gradually add command-line parsing, DNS resolution, raw socket management, and ICMP packet construction using the pnet crate.

Along the way, we will learn how ping actually works at the protocol level: we will assemble Echo Request packets byte by byte, calculate Internet checksums, filter replies by process ID and sequence number, and measure round-trip delay with monotonic clocks. By the end, the tool will behave like a real ping command: resolve host names, send repeated requests with configurable intervals, and report the time for each packet.

Learning objectives

✓Parse command-line arguments with clap's derive API

✓Resolve host names to IP addresses using DNS

✓Open raw ICMP transport channels using pnet

✓Create and send valid ICMP Echo Request packets

✓Receive and filter Echo Reply packets by identifier and sequence

✓Measure and report the round-trip time for each ping

Prerequisites

▸Basic Rust syntax (structures, enumerations, traits)

▸Familiarity with Result and the ? operator

▸Basic understanding of IP networks (addresses, protocols)

Course curriculum

1 ICMP Ping Utility

—Project Preparation

2 Creating the Transport Layer

—Opening a Socket

—Error Handling

—Saving the Sender and Receiver

3 Building the Packet

—Interaction Identifier

—Packet Constructor

—Adding a custom error type

—Filling in the request parameters

—Adding a Counter

4 Method Implementation

—The send Method

—The recv Method

—The ping Method

—Tool Implementation

—Testing the tool

5 Additional Features

—Additional Parameters

—Domain Name Resolution

Technologies

Rust ICMP Ping Networks Raw sockets pnet DNS Clap Transport channel Echo Request Checksum Round-trip time

FAQ

Is this a video course?

No. You work through the project step by step in your browser, and the reference code for each step saves to your disk — yours to run and keep locally.

Do I need to install anything?

No. The playground runs entirely in your browser — no toolchain or local setup required.

Can I try it before subscribing?

Yes. Preview steps are available without a subscription so you can see the format and quality first.

What do I get with full access?

Every step unlocked, the Workbench app, a snapshot for each step, jump-to-any-step navigation, and all new playground releases.

Does it work with an AI agent like Claude or Codex?

Yes. You can work through a playground solo or alongside an AI agent.

Is there reference code?

Yes. Every step has a complete reference solution you can compare against.