How to Allow Ping Through Windows 11 Firewall: 5 Best Methods

Are you unable to test network connectivity because the firewall blocks the ping? Know how to allow ICMP echo request through Windows 11 firewall.

The ping command is a popular method to troubleshoot network connectivity issues and check the stability of the internet connection. However, with the built-in Windows Firewall enabled on your Windows 11 computer, the ping requests will get blocked by default.

To remove this impediment, you need to enable ping in the Windows firewall. Check out how to allow ICMP echo request with top methods. But first, let’s have a basic understanding of the ping request and its safety to fix network problems more effectively and efficiently.

What Is Ping Request, and Should You Allow It in Firewall?

A ping request, or Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) echo request, is a kind of network packet. It is transferred between devices to test the connectivity between those devices.

Ping requests are often used to diagnose network problems, network responsiveness, and packet loss, while for an ordinary user, the common use of ICMP request is to determine network latency. This command-line utility is available on most operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and macOS.

Now comes the burning question of whether to allow ping through the Windows 11 firewall or not. Computers that allow ICMP echo request are comparatively more vulnerable to cyber attacks if it has a poorly configured firewall or it got other security vulnerabilities. But allowing ping requests through the Windows Firewall can help you test network connectivity or troubleshoot network issues.

For this reason, you can allow ping requests on computers belonging to a secure environment and with a properly configured firewall. Otherwise, it’s better to block ping requests if you’re using public WiFi.

How to Allow Ping Through Win 11 Firewall With Best Approaches

There are different methods to allow ICMP echo request through the firewall of your Windows 11 PC. You can choose any of these depending on your choice and convenience.

Method 1: Allow Ping From Windows Security Settings

The most commonly used approach to allow ping in Windows 11 firewall is to change settings for apps that are allowed to go through the firewall.

• Type Windows Security on the Windows 11 search bar and hit Enter.
• Windows Security app will open. Select Firewall & network protection from the left panel.
• Click on Allow an app through firewall hyperlink.
• Allowed apps window will appear on your screen.
• Click on the Change settings button.

• Scroll through the list to find the File and Printer Sharing option.
• Now, make sure to tick the boxes next to this option.
• Click on the OK button to save the changes and allow ping through the firewall.

Method 2: Enable ICMP Echo Request Using Command Prompt

It’s also feasible to enable the ping with the help of a command prompt on a Windows 11 computer or laptop.

• Press Windows + R keys to open the Run box and type cmd there.
• Now, press Ctrl + Shift + Enter keys to open the command prompt with Admin access.
• Type the following command and hit Enter:

netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="ICMPv4 Allow Ping Requests" protocol=icmpv4:8,any dir=in action=allow

• Next, type this command and press the Enter key to allow another type of ICMP request:

netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="ICMPv6 Allow Ping Requests" protocol=icmpv6:8,any dir=in action=allow

• Once the commands are executed successfully on the command prompt, you can easily enable ping through the Windows 11 firewall.

Method 3: Allow Ping Through Firewall Using Advanced Settings

There is another technique that allows ping to go through the firewall by running the advanced security settings for Windows Defender Firewall. For that, you need to follow these steps:

• First, you need to open the Run box by pressing Windows + R keys.
• Type wf.msc and press Enter.
• Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security window will appear on your screen.
• On the right panel, under the actions section, click on New Rule.

• New Inbound Rule Wizard will pop up on the screen.
• Select the Custom button and click on Next.
• Choose All programs button and click on Next.
• Click on the Protocol type to open the drop-down list.
• From there, select ICMPv4 or ICMPv6, depending on which one you want to allow.

• Click on the Customize… button on the same screen.
• On the Customize ICMP Settings wizard, select the Specific ICMP types button.
• Check the Echo Request option and click OK.
• This wizard will close you’ll be taken to the Inbound Rule Wizard. Click Next.
• With Any IP address option being selected for both options, click on Next.
• Select Allow the connection option before clicking on Next.
• Under the Profile section, select Domain, Private, and Public before clicking Next.
• Add a name for this new rule and click on the Finish button.

Method 4: Allow ICMP Echo Request Using PowerShell

If you’re more comfortable with using PowerShell, you can use that to allow ICMP echo request.

• Type PowerShell in your search bar.
• On the right panel, click on Run as Administrator.
• Once the PowerShell window opens, type the following code before hitting Enter:

netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="ICMP Allow incoming V4 echo request" protocol=icmpv4:8,any dir=in action=allow

• It’ll create a new firewall rule for allowing incoming ICMPv4 echo requests.

• Now, you can type another code to allow ping over IPv6.

netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="ICMP Allow incoming V6 echo request" protocol=icmpv6:128,any dir=in action=allow

• Press Enter and let the command get executed.
• Close the PowerShell window.

Method 5: Allow Ping Using Local Group Policy

You can also allow ping through the firewall using the local group policy editor.

• Open the Run box by pressing Windows + R keys.
• Type gpedit.msc and hit Enter to open the Local Group Policy Editor.
• On the left panel, select Computer Configuration.
• Double-click on Windows Settings to expand that.
• Choose Security Settings and double-click to expand Windows Firewall with Advanced Security.

• Select the Inbound Rules and right-click on it.
• Click on New Rule…
• In the new wizard, select the Custom button and click on Next.
• Select All Programs and click on Next.

• Open the Protocol type drop-down menu and choose ICMPv4 or ICMPv6, depending on which one you want to allow.
• Click on Customize button from the same screen.
• Select the Specific ICMP types button and tick the box for Echo Request. Click on Next.

• Select Any IP address for both options and click on Next again.
• Click on the radio button for Allow the connection button and click Next.
• Tick the boxes for all the options: Domain, Private, Public.
• Finally, add a name for the new rule and click on Finish to complete the process for allowing ping.

Conclusion

Allowing ping request may not be the safest choice in all situations, but you must allow it to some extent for network troubleshooting. It also helps you understand if there is some network latency issue. Now that you know how to allow ping through Windows 11 firewall, you shouldn’t have any trouble enabling ICMP echo request.

Which method did you find to be the most useful? Tell us in the comment section. Don’t forget to share this article with your friends and colleagues. Up next, how to fix Windows Online Troubleshooting Service is disabled.