Ping (ICMP) Check Basics

This article covers the setup of the Ping (ICMP) check within Uptime.com. This check will test whether or not the server is connected and accessible by testing the amount of time it takes to send 5 packets and receive a response from the server.

As with all checks, some firewalls can cause problems. You can overcome a firewall issue by whitelisting the probe server IP address.

The following instructions assume you are into your Uptime.com account.

Table of Contents

• Adding Your First Ping (ICMP) Check
• Check That Your Server is Available and Connected
• Failed Checks
• Finalizing Your Check
• Other Commands

Adding Your First Ping (ICMP) Check 

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To add a new Ping (ICMP) Check, click Monitoring > Checks from the left-hand side of the screen, followed by the Add New button. Enter the name of your Ping check and use the slider to indicate the interval for running the Ping check—anywhere from 1 minute to an hour. Then enter your domain or IP to test.

For a detailed explanation of every parameter, please review the Uptime Checks Field Explanation Support Article.

Check That Your Server is Available and Connected

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This test will check your domain or IP to determine whether or not your server is available and connected. At the interval you designate, Uptime will send 5 packets of information and measure the length of time between the sending of the packets and the response from the server.

Failed Checks

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When your Uptime.com account was created, you entered the email address for the individual to notify in the event of a failed check. If your Ping check results in a 60% packet loss or it takes more than 1200 milliseconds for the server to respond, an alert is sent.

Please note: if all packets are lost, the Ping ICMP check will return a value of 1200 ms, which represents the Round Trip Average time before DOWN state is triggered.

When you receive an email alert, you can click the check’s real-time analysis or alert log for further technical details. 

Uptime will continue to run Ping checks according to the interval you have specified.

Finalizing Your Check

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Before finalizing your check, utilize the Run Test button to verify your settings are returning the expected results. To run a test, select from any of the probe server locations available to your account from the Location dropdown and click Run Test.

Required fields in the Ping (ICMP) check include:

• Name of check
• Check frequency (1 minute to 1 hour)
• Check Type
• URL or IP

Other Commands

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In addition to the check itself, you can schedule routine maintenance downtime, or control how long it takes to escalate downtime events.

Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the Uptime Checks Field Explanation Support Article. We’ve also included a notes section in this Check for any additional information you’d like to save for future reference.