What does the command flag -t indicate when used in a ping command?

The command flag -t when used in a ping command signifies a continuous ping. This means that the command will keep sending echo requests to the designated host until the user manually stops the command (usually by pressing Ctrl + C). This functionality is especially useful for monitoring the availability of a network host over an extended period, allowing the technician to observe the stability and consistency of the network connection.

Continuous pings can help identify intermittent connectivity issues or performance problems by providing a stream of data that reflects real-time response times and packet loss. This is in stark contrast to sending a single ping request, which would only check the connection at one moment in time, or using other flags which may represent distinct functionalities such as traceroute or commands to stop pinging altogether.