Globalping: A Community-Driven, Open-Source Platform for Scalable, Real-Time Network Measurements

TL;DR

Globalping addresses the need for accessible, real-time network diagnostics across user types by deploying a community-powered network of probes and a user-friendly front end and API. The paper presents Globalping's architecture, measurement capabilities, node setup, and official integrations, with a detailed implementation and evaluation against RIPE Atlas. Results show Globalping offers low-latency measurements and good usability, though adoption lags behind RIPE Atlas; its official integrations and open-source model promise broad adoption. The work highlights practical impact for teams and researchers needing quick diagnostics from geographically diverse vantage points.

Abstract

We present Globalping, an open-source, community-driven platform for scalable, real-time global network measurements. It democratizes access to network diagnostics by offering every user, including non-technicals, technicals, and companies, the ability to perform ping, traceroute, and DNS lookups from a globally distributed network of user-hosted probes using either the intuitive Globalping front-end or REST API. Unlike solutions like RIPE Atlas, official integrations with other platforms, such as Slack and GitHub, make Globalping even more effective in real-time monitoring and collaboration.

Figures (2)

• Figure 1: Globalping's user interface (front end) dashboard.
• Figure 2: Globalping's workflow for executing measurements with or without the front end.