Getting Started
System Requirements
- macOS 14.0 (Sonoma) or later
- Network connection for ping operations
- No special permissions required - uses standard system ping
First Launch
Ping Monkey is designed to work out of the box with no configuration required:
Launch the App
Open Ping Monkey from your Applications folder or Launchpad
Enter a Target Host
Type an IP address or hostname (e.g., 8.8.8.8 or google.com), or select from preset hosts
Start Monitoring
Click the Start button to begin pinging and see real-time results
Tip: Ping Monkey uses the standard macOS /sbin/ping command, which is fully compatible with App Sandbox requirements.
Understanding the Dashboard
The dashboard provides a comprehensive view of your network health at a glance:
Live Latency Chart
A real-time Swift Charts visualization showing ping response times over time.
- Green zone: Good latency (under spike threshold)
- Yellow zone: Elevated latency (approaching threshold)
- Red markers: Failed pings or spike events
Connection Status Indicator
A pulsing status indicator that shows your current connection health:
Statistics Cards
Real-time statistics calculated from your monitoring session:
Average
24ms
Minimum
18ms
Maximum
156ms
Jitter
8ms
Configuration
Customize Ping Monkey's behavior to match your monitoring needs:
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ping Interval | 1.0 second | Time between ping requests (1-10 seconds) |
| Spike Threshold | 200ms | Latency above this triggers a spike alert |
| Outage Threshold | 3 failures | Consecutive failures to declare an outage |
| Chart Window | 5 minutes | Time range displayed on the chart (1, 5, or 15 min) |
Preset Hosts
Quickly select from commonly used hosts:
Quick Presets
One-click presets automatically configure optimal settings for different use cases:
Gaming
Optimized for low-latency gaming with strict thresholds.
- Interval: 1.0s | Spike: 50ms | Outage: 2
Streaming
Balanced for video streaming and calls.
- Interval: 1.0s | Spike: 150ms | Outage: 3
General
Standard monitoring for everyday use.
- Interval: 2.0s | Spike: 200ms | Outage: 3
Low Power
Battery-efficient with relaxed thresholds.
- Interval: 5.0s | Spike: 300ms | Outage: 5
Event Detection
Ping Monkey automatically detects and logs network events to help you identify issues:
Network Outages
Detected when consecutive ping failures exceed your configured threshold (default: 3).
- • Tracks outage start time and duration
- • Records when connection recovers
- • Included in export reports
Latency Spikes
Triggered when latency exceeds your spike threshold (default: 200ms).
- • Useful for gaming and video calls
- • Configurable threshold per use case
- • Visible on the latency chart
Packet Loss Events
Individual ping failures are tracked with error context (timeout, unreachable, etc.).
- • Packet loss percentage calculated in real-time
- • Error type captured for troubleshooting
- • Shown in session statistics
Export Options
Export your monitoring sessions for documentation, troubleshooting, or analysis:
CSV
Spreadsheet-compatible format. Open in Excel, Numbers, or Google Sheets for analysis.
JSON
Structured data format. Ideal for programmatic use or integration with other tools.
Formatted report with statistics and charts. Perfect for documentation or sharing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Public DNS servers like Google (8.8.8.8), Cloudflare (1.1.1.1), and Quad9 (9.9.9.9) are highly reliable and respond quickly. They're excellent for testing your general internet connectivity. Pinging your local gateway (router) can help distinguish between local network issues and internet problems.
Jitter measures the variation in latency between ping responses. High jitter means inconsistent connection speeds, which can cause issues with video calls, gaming, and streaming - even if your average latency looks good. Low jitter (under 10ms) indicates a stable connection.
Currently, Ping Monkey does not persist sessions between app launches. However, you can export your session data to CSV, JSON, or PDF before closing the app. This is a great way to document network issues for your ISP or keep records of connection quality over time.
Gaming: Use if you play online games where low latency is critical.
Streaming: Good for video calls, Netflix, or YouTube.
General: Standard monitoring for everyday use.
Low Power: Use on battery when you want less frequent checks.
No. Ping Monkey operates 100% locally on your Mac. There are no accounts, no cloud services, no analytics, and no data collection. Your monitoring data stays on your device and is never transmitted anywhere.