Ping monitoring
DoubleCheck pings your host three times per run, records packet loss and round-trip time, and alerts you when it stops answering.
The problem
Routers, firewalls and internet connections at branch offices often have no website to check. Whether the line is up is the first thing you want to know.
Why it matters
Ping is the simplest test that a host and the path to it are alive. Packet loss and a rising round-trip time are early signs of a line or network problem.
How to check it manually
Send a few pings and look at the loss and times:
ping -c 3 gateway.example.com # Linux / macOS
ping -n 3 gateway.example.com # WindowsHow DoubleCheck checks it
Each run DoubleCheck sends three pings. If all three come back, the check is OK and the average round-trip time is stored. One lost ping gives a warning, two or more an error.
Many hosts block ping on purpose. For those, a TCP port check on a port they do answer on is the better choice.
- Measures
- Three ICMP echo requests (pings) to your host, recording packet loss and the minimum, average and maximum round-trip time.
- Runs
- Every minute by default. You set the interval per check.
- Status
-
- OK when all 3 pings get an answer.
- Warning when 1 of the 3 pings is lost.
- Error when 2 or more pings are lost, or the host name does not resolve.
Frequently asked questions
My server is up but the check says error. Why?
The server or a firewall in front of it probably blocks ICMP. Use a TCP port check or an HTTP check for that host instead, or allow ICMP from the monitoring addresses, see Firewall and network requirements.
Why three pings?
One lost ping happens now and then on any network. Three pings per run tell a single lost packet (warning) apart from a host that is really unreachable (error).
Start monitoring with DoubleCheck
Alerts by email, SMS, Slack, Microsoft Teams or Discord. You pay per check run: cost management in the app shows what every check costs, and a longer interval lowers it.