Ping (ICMP) monitoring
Is the host alive, and how far away is it?
A ping monitor sends ICMP echo requests to a host to confirm it is reachable and to measure round-trip latency.
How it works
UptimeAlien pings the target on a schedule and records reachability and latency; repeated loss marks the monitor down.
When to use it
- Servers and routers
- IoT gateways
- Network reachability baselines
What you get
Reachability, round-trip latency, and packet-loss-driven incidents.
Example
gateway.acme.com
Frequently asked questions
What is ping monitoring?
Ping monitoring sends ICMP echo requests to a host and records whether it answers and how long it takes. It is the simplest way to tell whether a machine is up and reachable on the network.
When is ping better than an HTTP check?
When there is no HTTP service to check — routers, switches, firewalls, VPN gateways or bare servers. For anything serving web traffic, an HTTP or keyword monitor tells you more.
Why does a host reply to ping but the site is still down?
Because ping only proves the machine is on the network. The web server behind it can be crashed or overloaded while ICMP still answers. Pair ping with an HTTP monitor to cover both.
Do all hosts respond to ping?
No. Many networks block ICMP for security reasons, in which case the host appears unreachable even though it is fine. Use a TCP monitor on a known open port instead.