Enable or disable Only ping the target mode

If Only ping the target mode is enabled, the scanner sends an ICMP echo request to the host. If the host returns an ICMP echo reply, the scanner determines that the host is online and can be scanned.

You can enable Only ping the target mode if you:

  • Are troubleshooting scanner connectivity issues.
  • Want to reduce the host identification scan load or host identification scans are producing a lot of traffic.
  • Are scanning through a stateful firewall.

These targets might not be scanned if Only ping the target mode is enabled for:

  • Host identification scans — Networks and devices that are configured to not reply to ICMP echo requests.
  • Vulnerability scans — If a host identification scan can not detect the host, the host is also excluded.
Note:

Only ping the target mode does not affect what information is scanned. For example, device name, operating system, or MAC address.

These actions are required:

  • Make sure that the scanner is able to ping the target, regardless of whether Only ping the target mode is enabled. If the scanner cannot ping the target, the scanner cannot detect the target and scan for vulnerabilities.
  • If Only ping the target mode is not enabled, make sure that the target has an open port.
  1. Sign in to the Risk Dashboard.
  2. In the navigation menu, click Config > Scanner Config.
  3. In the Scanner Configuration section, click Troubleshoot Settings.
  4. Click the Only ping the target (normally turned off) toggle to the on or off position.