Pete,what ? you don't want to use kix ????
Get off !
No, just kidding ...
sample batch I (once) used (called by some other batches (%1 = Computername)
code:
@echo off
if "%logfile%."=="." SET logfile=CON
rem %1: Servername
echo .............................
echo Workin' @ %1
SET PINGLOOP=0
:STARTPING
if %PINGLOOP% == 9 echo %1: No ping reply >> %logfile%
if %PINGLOOP% == 9 GOTO SENDMAIL
SET /a PINGLOOP += 1
ping %1 -n 5 -w 5000 | find /C "TTL=" > nul
if errorlevel 1 GOTO STARTPING
exit
:SENDMAIL
Your mail command here !
hth
Jochen
ps : errrmmm, this was used in a VWAN (Very Wide Area Network) so you might wanna ammend timeout, retries, and loops 
[ 02 August 2001: Message edited by: jpols ]
Uups , and not to fergot the calling batch :
code:
@echo off
set logfile=%0\..\log\miss.log
CALL %0\..\Yourbatchname.CMD Computername1
CALL %0\..\Yourbatchname.CMD Computername2
CALL %0\..\Yourbatchname.CMD Computername3
.
.
[ 02 August 2001: Message edited by: jpols ]
