Check Host

When you want to see if a web site is working or not, you just need to go to its address or bring up a command prompt and ping it. The procedure is obviously simple, but it is ineffective if you need to be notified immediately when a server is down. Check Host is designed specifically for this purpose. Its interface and functions are very simple, but they are all you need to monitor a server or its services.

There is not much to say about the software's installation. Its setup package is almost 2 MB and you can install the program's components on your computer in a matter of seconds. The system requirements are modest and you will not have to install any additional services or make any network related settings.

The interface presents a list of monitored servers. All actions performed by the user or the application are logged and displayed beneath the servers list. The available options can be used to create, edit or delete monitoring tasks, pause them and more. To add a new server to your watch list, it is sufficient to specify its host name or IP address on a separate window, but you can also make various settings and adjustments.

You may choose between two checking methods: a simple ping or a socket connection. It is also possible to set a check interval (in seconds) and a timeout (in milliseconds). Besides monitoring one or more servers, the program can react in different ways, if one of them fails. When a server is no longer available, Check Host can display a notification on your desktop or send one by email and it can also launch a program of your choosing. It can also perform the same type of actions when a host is available again.

The monitored addresses are stored in a database, along with your personal settings. You can back up and restore the database at any time, in case you need to reinstall the program or if something goes wrong. You can also set the application to write the logs in a file of your choosing.