Which command is used to send ICMP packets to remote hosts?

The command used to send ICMP packets to remote hosts is ping. This utility operates by sending Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) echo request packets to the target host and listens for echo reply packets in return. This process is instrumental for diagnosing network connectivity issues, enabling users to determine whether a host is reachable over a network and measuring the round-trip time for messages sent to the destination.

The ping command is commonly used in network administration and troubleshooting to confirm the presence of devices on a network, check if they are responding, and gauge the performance of the connection. It provides immediate feedback about the status of the network path to the specified host.

Other commands listed do not function in the same manner. For instance, traceroute is designed to trace the path that packets take from the source to the specified destination, providing details about each hop along the way but does not primarily send ICMP echo requests for connectivity verification. The host command is primarily utilized to perform DNS lookups, while dig provides domain name server information and does not engage in sending echo requests like ping does. Thus, ping is the optimal and specific command for sending ICMP packets to test connectivity with remote hosts.