Concepts

Ping monitoring

Monitor network-level reachability of any server or IP address with ICMP echo requests (ping), without HTTP.

On this page

How it works
Configuration
Use cases
Plan availability
FAQ

Ping (ICMP) monitors check network-level reachability of any server or IP address using ICMP echo requests. Unlike HTTP monitors, they work at the network layer and require no HTTP server on the target.

How it works

Prober sends pingA HowlOps prober region sends ICMP echo requests to the target at the configured interval.

Target respondsThe host replies with ICMP echo replies, or nothing at all within the timeout.

RTT measuredRound-trip time and packet loss are recorded for the check.

EvaluatedReachable within the timeout is up; no reply after the configured packet count is down.

ICMP check, from the prober to the target and back

A workspace without multi_region is dispatched to one effective region. When multi_region is enabled, you can select several currently available regions in the monitor form.

See Monitors, Prober regions for how multi-region results combine into one status.

Ping monitors require the target to allow ICMP traffic. Many cloud providers block ICMP by default: if ping cannot reach your server, use an HTTP monitor instead.

Configuration

Field	Description
Host / IP	Hostname or IP address to ping, e.g. `192.168.1.1` or `db.example.com`
Check interval	How often to send the ping. The monitor form enforces the current workspace minimum.
Timeout	Max wait time for an ICMP reply. Default: 5 seconds
Packet count	Number of ICMP packets per check. Default: 3
Alert threshold	Consecutive failures before triggering an alert. Default: 2

Use cases

Database servers: verify network-level availability even when no HTTP endpoint exists.
VPN gateways and routers: monitor network infrastructure from an external perspective.
CDN edge nodes: ping specific IPs to verify anycast routing.

Plan availability

Ping monitors count toward the workspace monitor quota. Check frequency and the number of active regions use the same Uptime entitlements as other monitor types. See the pricing page for current limits.

FAQ

Can I ping a private IP address? No. HowlOps probers run from cloud infrastructure and can only reach publicly routable IPs. Private/internal addresses are not reachable from external probers.

Why does ping fail but HTTP works? ICMP is most likely blocked by a firewall, which is common on cloud VMs. Use an HTTP monitor instead.

Does ping check SSL certificates? No. Ping is network-layer only. Use an HTTP monitor for SSL monitoring.

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