| name | network-check |
| description | Network connectivity testing toolkit for checking host reachability, port availability, and DNS resolution. Use when diagnosing network issues, verifying service availability, testing connectivity to servers, or troubleshooting DNS problems. |
| license | MIT |
| metadata | {"author":"dspy-skills","version":"1.0"} |
Network Connectivity Check
A toolkit for diagnosing network connectivity issues and verifying host/service availability.
When to Use This Skill
Activate this skill when the user needs to:
- Check if a host is reachable (ping)
- Verify if a specific port is open on a host
- Perform DNS lookups to resolve domain names
- Diagnose network connectivity problems
- Test if a service is available
Available Scripts
Always run scripts with --help first to see all available options.
| Script | Purpose |
|---|
ping_host.py | Ping a host to check reachability |
check_port.py | Check if a TCP port is open |
dns_lookup.py | Perform DNS lookups |
Decision Tree
Task → What do you need to check?
│
├─ Is the host reachable at all?
│ └─ Use: ping_host.py <hostname>
│
├─ Is a specific service/port available?
│ └─ Use: check_port.py <hostname> <port>
│
└─ Need to resolve a domain name?
└─ Use: dns_lookup.py <domain>
Quick Examples
Check if a host is reachable:
python scripts/ping_host.py google.com
python scripts/ping_host.py 8.8.8.8 --count 5
Check if a port is open:
python scripts/check_port.py example.com 443
python scripts/check_port.py localhost 8080 --timeout 5
DNS lookup:
python scripts/dns_lookup.py example.com
python scripts/dns_lookup.py example.com --type MX
Common Use Cases
- Verify web server is running:
check_port.py myserver.com 80
- Test SSH access:
check_port.py server.local 22
- Check database connectivity:
check_port.py db.example.com 5432
- Diagnose DNS issues:
dns_lookup.py problematic-domain.com
Notes
- Scripts use Python standard library only (no external dependencies)
- Ping may require appropriate permissions on some systems
- Port checks use TCP connections (not UDP)
- DNS lookups support A, AAAA, MX, TXT, NS, and CNAME record types
