Updated on
Open your router’s firewall settings and turn off replies to ping on the WAN, its internet-facing connection. Look for a setting such as Respond to WAN ping or Ignore Ping Packet From WAN Port. The two switches use opposite wording.
Find the WAN ping setting on your router
Connect to your home network and sign in to the router’s local settings. Look under Firewall, Security, or WAN. Use the manual for your exact model if the menus differ.
| Router | Setting to look for |
|---|---|
| ASUS | In Firewall → General, set Respond ICMP Echo (ping) Request from WAN to No, then apply the setting. See the ASUS firewall guide. |
| TP-Link | On supported models, go to Advanced → Security → Settings, turn on Ignore Ping Packet From WAN Port, and save. See the TP-Link WAN ping guide. |
If your router uses a custom firewall rule, match incoming IPv4 ICMP Echo Request traffic on the WAN interface with the router itself as the destination. Set the action to Drop or Block for that traffic. A FRITZ!Box may offer a broader Firewall in stealth mode option, so check the FRITZ!Box firewall documentation for your model.
Test from outside your home network
- Find the WAN IPv4 address on the router’s status page. For a direct test, your router needs a public address that can receive traffic from the internet.
- Connect a computer to another internet connection, such as a phone hotspot using cellular data. Run
ping -4 YOUR_PUBLIC_IPV4in Windows, replacing the placeholder with your own address. - Compare the result before and after the change. If there was already no reply, your ISP or an upstream router may be filtering the traffic. A shared or private WAN address can also prevent the test from reaching your router.
For a separate test from inside your home, see our guide to checking the connection with Windows ping and tracert.
Keep essential ICMP traffic working
Ping uses an Echo Request. ICMP stands for Internet Control Message Protocol. Other ICMP messages report network errors. IPv6 relies on ICMPv6 for tasks such as neighbor discovery and reporting that a packet is too large. Use your router’s IPv6 firewall guidance for IPv6 and avoid a blanket ICMPv6 block. See RFC 4890 on ICMPv6 filtering.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to block WAN ping?
It is optional. A ping reply can help with remote diagnostics. The switch controls whether the router replies to those requests. Port forwarding and remote administration have separate settings.
Will this stop me from pinging the router at home?
A WAN-only rule applies to requests arriving through the internet connection. To test from home, ping the router’s local gateway address.
Why does my external ping already time out?
The router may already ignore WAN ping. An ISP, an upstream modem or router, or carrier-grade NAT can also stop the request from reaching it.