Web servers are not the only devices out there that require monitoring. Routers, mail servers, and other specialized application servers may not be running Web Server software. That means you can't request a page from these devices.

But most Internet servers and devices will respond to a PING. PING is a low level connectivity test. If you PING a device, you are asking that device to reply, regardless of what application is being served from the device. This makes PINGing a device very useful. For instance, you can PING a router, but you usually can't ask a router for a Web Page. So if you want to check your company's Internet connectivity, you can PING the router from somewhere else on the Internet to see if it responds. If it does, your company's internet connection is up and active.

Again, KnightGuard.net can help. When you setup a URL to monitor, simply select PING as the protocol to test with. When entering an address to test, you must either use the addressable Domain Name (if any) or use the device's IP address directly.

NOTE: PING is the subject of some discussion in it's use in Denial of Service attacks, has been disabled by various providers from time to time. Users are encouraged to use HTTP tests whenever possible.