Quick answer for the impatient
- Open Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security.
- Go to Inbound Rules.
- Enable the rule named File and Printer Sharing (Echo Request - ICMPv4-In) for the profile you're using (Domain, Private, or Public).
Test with ping <target IP> again. Done.
Why you're seeing Request Timed Out
Ping uses ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) packets. Windows Firewall blocks these by default for security. That's fine — you don't want random machines probing yours. But when you need to troubleshoot connectivity, that block gets in the way. The error "Request timed out" means your ping request left your machine but got no reply. Not a packet loss, not a destination unreachable — just silence.
Most of the time, the target machine's firewall is dropping ICMP. Or there's a router in the path doing the same. But let's be real: in a corporate network, it's Windows Firewall on the target. I've seen this on Windows 10 22H2, Windows 11 23H2, and even Windows Server 2019. The fix is identical.
Step-by-step fix (Windows Firewall)
- Open Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security. Quickest way: hit Win + R, type
wf.msc, press Enter. - In the left pane, click Inbound Rules.
- Scroll down. Look for File and Printer Sharing (Echo Request - ICMPv4-In). There might be three — one for Domain, one for Private, one for Public. They're usually disabled by default.
- Right-click the one for your network profile (if you're on a work network, enable Domain and Private). Select Enable Rule.
- Close the window. Ping from the other machine again.
If your network uses IPv6, also enable the ICMPv6-In variant. Same name, just v6 instead of v4.
Alternative methods (when the above doesn't work)
1. Check the target machine's network profile
Open Settings > Network & Internet > Status. Click Properties for your active connection. Make sure the network profile is set to Private if you're on a trusted network. Public profiles are more restrictive. If the rule you enabled matches Domain/Private but the machine is on a Public profile, ping still fails.
2. Check Windows Firewall is actually running
Run services.msc. Look for Windows Defender Firewall. If it's stopped, start it and set it to Automatic. No firewall service means no rules — but also no protection. Don't disable it permanently.
3. Check third-party firewalls
If you have Norton, McAfee, Bitdefender, or any antivirus with a firewall, they often override Windows Firewall. Temporarily disable the third-party firewall or add an ICMP allow rule inside its settings. I've seen Sophos and CrowdStrike block ICMP even when Windows rules allow it.
4. Check the network path
Open Command Prompt on the pinging machine and run tracert <target IP>. This shows each hop. If you see asterisks at hop 1, the issue is the first router or your own machine's firewall. If only later hops show timeouts, it's a router in the middle. Some routers (like Cisco) block ICMP by default on WAN interfaces. That's normal.
5. Check if the target machine is actually alive
Try to connect to a known open port. For example, if it's a web server, open a browser to http://<IP>. If that works but ping doesn't, it's definitely a firewall blocking ICMP. If nothing works, the machine might be down or unreachable.
How to prevent this from happening again
When you set up a new machine on your network, enable the File and Printer Sharing (Echo Request - ICMPv4-In) rule immediately — right after joining the domain or the workgroup. I do this as part of my standard workstation imaging process. Use Group Policy if you manage multiple machines: create a GPO that enables the rule for the Domain and Private profiles. That way, every new machine already has ICMP enabled. Saves you this headache later.
One more thing: if you're on a Wi-Fi network in a coffee shop, leave ICMP blocked. Only enable it on trusted networks. Otherwise, you're giving attackers an easy way to see your machine is alive.