Can JavaScript Ping Servers for Browser-Based Network Monitoring?

Pinging Servers from JavaScript: A Browser-Based Network Monitoring

Utilizing ping as a network monitoring tool is a common practice, and it's often used to verify the availability of remote servers. While traditional ping commands can be executed from the command line, there are limitations to this approach, such as increased page load times.

To optimize page performance, consider running the ping process on the user's end. This allows for faster page loading while users await the availability status of servers. However, it poses the question: is it feasible to ping servers from JavaScript?

Implementing a JavaScript Ping

The provided solution leverages the Image object in JavaScript to accomplish this task. The following snippet demonstrates the core functionality:

function Pinger_ping(ip, callback) {

  if(!this.inUse) {

    this.inUse = true;
    this.callback = callback
    this.ip = ip;

    var _that = this;

    this.img = new Image();

    this.img.onload = function() {_that.good();};
    this.img.onerror = function() {_that.good();};

    this.start = new Date().getTime();
    this.img.src = "http://" + ip;
    this.timer = setTimeout(function() { _that.bad();}, 1500);

  }
}

The script utilizes the Image object's asynchronous loading feature. If the image successfully loads (indicating server availability), the onload event is triggered. Conversely, if the image fails to load (indicating server unavailability), the onerror event is triggered. This method effectively circumvents browser restrictions on direct ping commands while maintaining the ability to determine server availability.

Alternative Solutions and Caveats

While this solution has been reported to work across various server types and ports, it's important to note that the reliability of this implementation may vary. Additionally, Chrome may no longer support this method, potentially resulting in a net::ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED error.

If you experience these issues, consider exploring alternative solutions, such as the one available at https://github.com/jdfreder/pingjs.

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