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Ping monitors: check that a host is reachable

A ping monitor answers one question: is the host reachable from the internet? It suits servers, routers and devices without a web page to check.

Updated 25 October 2026 · By the Upcertain team

How it checks

  1. In ICMP mode (the default) it sends one ICMP echo request. A reply means up.
  2. Without a reply, or in TCP mode, it tries a TCP connection on port 443, then port 80.
  3. A connection, or even a refused connection, means up: a refusal proves the host answered.
  4. No ICMP reply and no TCP answer within the timeout means down.

Many networks drop ICMP. The TCP fallback keeps a firewall that blocks ping from looking like an outage. The check log notes when a result came from the fallback, for example TCP reachability (port 443, no ICMP reply).

Set it up

  1. Choose New monitor, then Ping monitoring.
  2. Enter a hostname or IP address. Private and local addresses are refused.
  3. Pick ICMP or TCP mode, the timeout and the interval.

When to use something else

  • To know a specific service answers (a database, SMTP, SSH), use a port monitor.
  • To know a website or API works, use an HTTP monitor. A host can answer ping while its web server is down.

Questions

Which address family is used?
The hostname is resolved and checked at the address it resolves to, IPv4 or IPv6.
What does the response time mean for ping?
The round-trip time of the ICMP reply, or the time to open the TCP connection when the fallback answered.

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