The TNSPING utility can be used to test an Oracle Service Name. To use it: 1.Open a Command Prompt (click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK). 2.Type (for Oracle 7.3 or Oracle 8i and later) or (for Oracle 8.0), and then press enter. The TNS Ping Utility will result in an OK or a Connect failed message.n Oracle DBA may need to provide the correct connection information. The Oracle ODBC Test utility may be used to test an ODBC data source. To use it: 1  An Oracle Service Name (known as an Alias in versions prior to Oracle 8.0) defines the location (server name and port) and database (instance) for the connection.