portping trys a TCP port on a server, ssh by default. This is handy to check if firewalls are up, where ICMP has been blocked. Here we run portping on the server mars, $ portping mars mars is alive and now a server which is down $ portping venus venus failed portping can also try other TCP ports, $ portping mars 21 mars failed the telnet port is closed. The exit status is set correctly so this can be part of other scripts, $ portping mars mars is alive $ $ echo $? 0 $ $ portping venus venus failed $ $ echo $? 1