A C++ header-only ICMP/ICMPv6 Ping library

cpp-icmplib is simple header-only cross-platform library, which allows performing system-like ping requests from C++ applications without need of using system "ping" command. As this library is socket-based, on most operating systems, it will require administrator privilages (root) to run.

How to use

icmplib delivers function Ping declared as:

PingResult Ping(const icmplib::AddressIP &target, unsigned timeout = 1000, uint16_t sequence = 1, uint8_t ttl = 255);

Notice:

• target - Network address (may be created from std::string)
• timeout - Timeout in milliseconds
• sequence - Sequence number to be sent
• ttl - Time-to-live to be set for packet

PingResult structure is declared as:

struct PingResult {
    enum class ResponseType {
        Success,
        Unreachable,
        TimeExceeded,
        Timeout,
        Unsupported,
        Failure
    } response;
    double delay;
    icmplib::AddressIP address;
    uint8_t code;
    uint8_t ttl;
};

Notice:

• delay - Time in miliseconds between sending request and receiving response
• address - Address of responding host
• code - ICMP Code parameter
• ttl - Received IPv4 header TTL parameter
• response - Type of received response

ResponseType            | Meaning
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Success                 | ICMP Echo Response successfully received
Unreachable             | ICMP Destination Ureachable message received (eg. target host does not exist)
TimeExceeded            | ICMP Time Exceeded message received (eg. TTL meet zero value on some host)
Timeout                 | No message recived in given time (see "timeout" parameter)
Unsupported             | Received unsupported ICMP packet
Failure                 | Failed to send ICMP Echo Request to given target host

Examples

In order to make internet connection test simply use:

#include "icmplib.h"

...

bool isConnected()
{
    return icmplib::Ping("8.8.8.8", ICMPLIB_TIMEOUT_1S).response == icmplib::PingResponseType::Success; // Test Google DNS address
}

Simple traceroute implementation:

#include "icmplib.h"
#include <vector>
...

std::vector<std::string> traceroute(const std::string &address)
{
    std::vector<std::string> result;
    for (uint8_t ttl = 1; ttl != 0; ttl++) {
        auto ping = icmplib::Ping(address, ICMPLIB_TIMEOUT_1S, 1, ttl);
        switch (ping.response) {
        case icmplib::PingResult::ResponseType::TimeExceeded:
            result.push_back(ping.address.ToString());
            break;
        case icmplib::PingResult::ResponseType::Success:
            result.push_back(ping.address.ToString());
            return result;
        default:
            return result;
        }
    }
    return result;
}

Known issues

On Windows 10 ICMP messages other than Echo Response seem to be blocked and, while being received, are not passed to application via socket, timeout is detected instead