If everything's working:
You'll see something similar to the following in the console:
Pinging [HOSTNAME] [127.0.0.1] with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from X.X.X.X: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from X.X.X.X: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from X.X.X.X: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from X.X.X.X: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
If there's a problem:
You'll see something similar to the following in the console:
Pinging [X.X.X.X] with 32 bytes of data:
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
If you see "Destination host unreachable", see Default Gateway issues, below.
Steps to take:
Default Gateway issues
If the ping results include the text "Destination host unreachable," a few things that may be causing this issue:
If the IP address displayed in the results is the local IP address, this probably indicates a problem with your Default Gateway.
In either case, contact your Network Administrator for more information.
Note: Some 3rd-party applications (for example, anti-malware software) are known to cause this issue. If this turns out to be the case, contact Microsoft or ask for help from experienced Windows users.