icmplib
Easily forge ICMP packets and make your own ping and traceroute.
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, for network diagnostics and monitoring tasks. The package is stable, dependency-free, and widely used (top 5000 on PyPI). The main consideration is that maintenance is dormant as of the fact sheet date—verify compatibility with your Python version and that any security or compatibility issues with recent Python releases have been addressed before adopting in production.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python 3.7 or later.
- On Unix systems, privileged mode (default) requires root or appropriate capabilities; unprivileged mode available but requires kernel support.
- Installation is straightforward with no external dependencies.
License · maintenance · safety
copyleft license (copyleft) — Licensed under GNU Lesser General Public License v3.0 (copyleft). You may use and modify the library freely, but any derivative works must also be licensed under LGPLv3 and source code must be made available to recipients.
last release 2023-10-10 (1039 days) · last repo commit 2024-02-07 · 308 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 1,194,341 downloads/mo, #4,234 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install icmplib
from icmplib import ping
host = ping('1.1.1.1', count=4)
print(f"Host {host.address} is alive: {host.is_alive}")
print(f"Average RTT: {host.avg_rtt} ms")- Whether the dormant maintenance status (last release October 2023) affects stability or security for current Python versions
- Specific behavior differences between privileged and unprivileged modes on different operating systems
What it is and what it does
icmplib is a pure Python ICMP protocol implementation that lets you send ping requests, perform concurrent multiping operations, and run traceroute diagnostics without external dependencies. It works with both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, supports asynchronous operations via asyncio, and can run in either privileged mode (full packet control, typically requires root) or unprivileged mode (kernel-managed, no special privileges needed).
The library is designed for developers who need to build network diagnostics tools, monitor host reachability, or implement custom ICMP-based applications. It provides ready-to-use functions like `ping()`, `multiping()`, and `traceroute()` for common tasks, as well as low-level socket classes (`ICMPv4Socket`, `ICMPv6Socket`) for building custom implementations. Cross-platform support for Linux, macOS, and Windows is built in.
Use it for
- Check if a host is reachable and measure latency with ping() or async_ping() in monitoring scripts
- Perform concurrent reachability checks on multiple hosts using multiping() for network surveys
- Build network diagnostics tools that trace the path packets take to a destination with traceroute()
- Implement custom ICMP-based applications by working directly with ICMPv4Socket and ICMPv6Socket classes
- Monitor network quality metrics like jitter and packet loss in real-time applications
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, for network diagnostics and monitoring tasks.
The package is stable, dependency-free, and widely used (top 5000 on PyPI). The main consideration is that maintenance is dormant as of the fact sheet date—verify compatibility with your Python version and that any security or compatibility issues with recent Python releases have been addressed before adopting in production.
Install
icmplib on PyPI
Before you install
Installation is straightforward with no external dependencies. The package is marked Production/Stable and has been actively maintained since 2019, though the last release was in October 2023 and the repository shows dormant status as of the fact sheet date.
Requires Python 3.7 or later. On Unix systems, privileged mode (default) requires root or appropriate capabilities; unprivileged mode available but requires kernel support.
License in practice
Licensed under GNU Lesser General Public License v3.0 (copyleft). You may use and modify the library freely, but any derivative works must also be licensed under LGPLv3 and source code must be made available to recipients.
Quickstart
pip install icmplib
from icmplib import ping
host = ping('1.1.1.1', count=4)
print(f"Host {host.address} is alive: {host.is_alive}")
print(f"Average RTT: {host.avg_rtt} ms")Verify before relying
- Whether the dormant maintenance status (last release October 2023) affects stability or security for current Python versions
- Specific behavior differences between privileged and unprivileged modes on different operating systems
Package facts
| License | copyleft license copyleft |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.7 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Dormant 1,039 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 1,194,341 / month, #4,234 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableIntended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: GNU Lesser General Public License v3 (LGPLv3)Operating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3 :: OnlyProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Topic :: Software Development :: LibrariesTopic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Python Modules |
Evidence: icmplib-3.0.4-py3-none-any.whl
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See also multiping · python-osc · ping3 · pythonping · aioping · pingparsing · pmd-pytcp · netaddr · rtp · pyroute2