Help Index

Introduction

Installation

Configuration

Using Multiple Tray Ping

Icon Reference

Version Information

Acknowledgements

License

Introduction

Do you need to monitor multiple servers and have a quick visual indication of their status. Do you need to keep active a connection between your machine and a remote server either on your local network or internet while you work. Well then Multiple Tray Ping is for you!

Multiple Tray Ping is a easy to use ping monitoring program for Windows NT and Windows 9x*. It allows you to test the response of a remote hosts at set intervals using ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol). You can have multiple pings active at the same time and their status is indicated by a traffic light icon in the system tray. Each host can have it's own settings specifying ping frequency, ip address, packet size and timeout etc.

I originally developed this to initiate a Isdn call via a router to remote hosts. This also allowed me to keep the line up to the remote host and stop the router from dropping the line after a period of inactivity, leaving my fellow colleges to steal the line!

*Early versions of Windows 95 may require winsock (networking bolt on) from Microsoft.

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Installation

Run the Install Shield setup.exe program and follow the onscreen instructions. This will install the program and also create a uninstall option in the Control Panel/Add remove programs.

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Configuration

Once the program is installed and running you will have a new icon in your system tray that looks like a yellow speaker: Before you can ping a host you must add a host in the configuration window. To display the configuration window either use the left mouse click on the system tray icon or Alternatively right mouse click and select Configuration from the menu.

To add a new entry select Add.

Enter a description for the host Enter the host name / URL or leave blank. If you specify a host and do not enter an IP address then it will try to resolve the host name for you. Enter a valid IP address i.e. 207.46.130.150. This will be used instead of resolving the host name. Enter the description for the host. This will be used to reference the host from the popup system tray menu. Enter the delay period in seconds between each ping. Enter the ping packet size in bytes. Don't set an excessive size as this could clog up your network. Enter the timeout period in seconds. Enter the time to live value. Enter then number of succesful pings before showing status as successful. Enter the number of failed pings before showing status as failed. Check Reduce Delay if you want to reduce the delay to one second after a failed ping. Check Resolve if you want to re-resolve the host name after a failed ping. As long as you have not already specified a IP address. If you want to save the changes then click OK else Cancel to abandon the changes.

Note: The host field may have two buttons, if you have a host or lmhost file. Pressing the respective button will drop down a list of the hosts defined in each file. If these buttons do not appear and you know these files exist then the program may have incorrectly detecting the O/S. To override the setting and force either NT or 95/98 add the following string key WinnNT to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Moxom Software\Multi Tray Ping\ and set its value to 1 for NT else 0 for 95/98. Before modifying the registry you MUST back it up before making any changes.

The Separate Icon's option creates a separate status icon in the system tray for each host. The Show IP in Hint shows the host's IP address instead of the description when displaying statistics.

In the above example I have added two hosts, one for my domain server and another for my local print server. You will notice that the two entries have a check box (above). This allows you to add many entries but only make a subset available in the system tray menu. The example below has both hosts available:

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Using Multiple Tray Ping

Once you have added a host entry you can start a ping by right mouse clicking the system tray icon and selecting the host then the start option. Alternativly you can start a ping by right clicking the host in the configuration window and selecting the host then the start option.

The system tray icon will initially change to red until it successfully receives the required number of responses from the host (Success Period). If you already have a ping running and the configuration option Separate Icon's is not checked then the icon will revert to the standard icon, though you can still see the status of the hosts in the system tray menu i.e.:

As you can see from the above image you also get an additional options to stop all active pings if there is more than one active.  If the Separate Icon's was selected and the same hosts were selected you would see three system tray icons instead of one i.e.:

When a ping is active you can hover your mouse pointer over the icon to see basic statistics and errors i.e.:

To stop a ping select the stop menu option against the corresponding host.

Once a ping is active you will get an additional menu option against the host which shows the ping details i.e.:

If you close the program down before you stop any active pings then they will be re-started when the program next starts. Always exit the program and don't kill the application. It will free itself automatically but you may need to wait for the background threads to terminate.

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Icon Reference

	This icon is displayed initially before a connection attempt has been made. If the icon does not change then either the host name has not been resolved (if specified) or that the host has not responded.
	This icon indicates that either there has not been the required successful/failure responses to statisfy the success/failed period settings.
	This icon indicates that the host has responded to the last ping.

Additional information is also available by hovering your mouse pointer over the system tray icon i.e.:

Note: If the configuration option Separate Icon's is not checked the icon will only indicate the status when one ping is active.

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Version Information

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Acknowledgements

Thanks to François Piette for his excellent components (http://www.rtfm.be/fpiette).

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License

You should carefully read the following terms and conditions before using this software. Your use of this software indicates your acceptance of this license agreement and warranty.

The Multiple Tray Ping freeware version may be freely distributed, provided as long as the accompanying files are not modified. No person or company may charge a fee for the distribution of Multiple Tray Ping. All rights not expressly granted here are reserved by Adrian Moxom.

Disclaimer Of Warranty

This software and the accompanying files are provided “as is” and without warranties as to performance or merchantability or any other warranties whether expressed or implied. Because of the various hardware and software environments into which Multiple Tray Ping may be put, no warranty of fitness for a particular purpose is offered.

Good procedures dictates that any program be thoroughly tested with non-critical data before relying on it. The user must assume the entire risk of using the program and the author will not be liable for data loss, damages, loss of profits or any other kind of loss while using or misusing this software.

Governing Law

This agreement shall be governed by the laws of the United Kingdom.