How to Determine Bytes Moved in a Packet
- 1). Click "Start" and navigate through "All Programs," "Accessories" and "Command Prompt" to open the Windows command prompt.
- 2). Type "ping www.(website).com -f -l 1472" into the command prompt window. You can use any website for this test; it's intended to gauge how well your computer, Internet connection and router work together. 1500 is the default setting used by Microsoft Windows; it's also the highest number of bytes that can be sent in a packet. You start with 1472 because 28 bytes are reserved for the IP and ICMP Echo Request headers.
- 3). View the results. If you get the message "Packet needs to be fragmented but DF set," enter the command again, lowering the number by 8; for example "ping www.(website).com -f -l 1466" would be the next command typed. If you get a "Reply from" message, add 28 to the number you used; the result is the maximum transmission unit for each packet.