---
id: plugins-network
title: "Network"
summary: "The 5 plugins in Network: Ping, Tcp client, TCP server and 2 more."
audience: user
keywords: "PingPlugin, TcpClientPlugin, TcpServerPlugin, UdpClientPlugin, UdpServerPlugin"
---
# Network

Talk to devices and servers at the network level. **Ping** checks availability; the **TCP** and **UDP** clients and servers send and receive raw data, for protocols no other plugin covers.

```text
Timer → Ping → Decision router → Alarm
UDP server → ... your decoding → Table writer
```

## Plugins

| Plugin | What it does | Pins |
|---|---|---|
| [Ping](/documentation/plugins/network/ping-plugin) | Sends one ICMP echo request (ping) to a host for every record it receives and emits the result. Use it for simple availability checks of servers and network devices. | `Input`, `Output`, `Continue` |
| [Tcp client](/documentation/plugins/network/tcp-client-plugin) | Opens a persistent TCP connection to a remote server, writes the bytes of every input record to it and, optionally, emits everything the server sends back. Use it to talk to devices or services with a raw TCP protocol. | `Input`, `Output`, `Continue` |
| [TCP server](/documentation/plugins/network/tcp-server-plugin) | Listens for TCP connections on an address and port, emits all received data as `TcpDatagram` records and sends data back to a specific client through the `Response` pin. Use it to accept connections from devices or services that speak a raw TCP protocol. The component keeps the flow running. | `Start`, `Request`, `Response`, `Tcp events` |
| [UDP client](/documentation/plugins/network/udp-client-plugin) | Sends the bytes of every input record as one UDP datagram to a configured address and port, and optionally emits the datagrams the remote side sends back. Use it for UDP-based devices, telemetry or simple request/reply protocols. | `Input`, `Output`, `Continue` |
| [UDP server](/documentation/plugins/network/udp-server-plugin) | Listens on a UDP port and emits every received datagram as a `UdpDatagram` record. Use it to receive telemetry, syslog-style messages or device notifications sent over UDP. The component keeps the flow running. | `Start`, `Output` |