Network Professional Must-Have: IP Ping Checker

Overview

This Python script serves as a fundamental tool for network professionals by providing a simple yet effective means to check the reachability of multiple IP addresses. It utilizes the ping command to ascertain whether an IP address is responsive or not.

Features

• Bulk IP Address Checking: The script reads IP addresses from an input CSV file, allowing network professionals to check the status of multiple IPs in one go.
• Concise Status Reporting: It outputs the status of each IP address, indicating whether it is up or down, in both the console and an output CSV file.
• Error Handling: The script handles potential errors gracefully, ensuring smooth execution even in the presence of network issues or incorrect input.

Usage

1. Input CSV File: Prepare an input CSV file named ip_addresses.csv containing the list of IP addresses to be checked. Ensure that each IP address is listed in a separate row under the first column.
2. Execute the Script: Run the script by executing the main() function. Ensure that the script file and the input CSV file are in the same directory.
3. Check IP Status: Once executed, the script will ping each IP address listed in the input CSV file and display its status (up/down) in the console. Additionally, it will generate an output CSV file named ip_status.csv containing the IP addresses and their corresponding statuses.

Requirements

• Python 3.x
• csv module (standard library)
• Operating System supporting the ping command (e.g., Linux, macOS, Windows)

Example

Suppose you have an input CSV file ip_addresses.csv with the following IP addresses: 192.168.1.1 8.8.8.8 10.0.0.1 Executing the script will produce output similar to the following in the console:

• 192.168.1.1
• 8.8.8.8
• 10.0.0.1

Simultaneously, it will generate an output CSV file ip_status.csv containing:

• IP Address,Status
• 192.168.1.1,up
• 8.8.8.8,up
• 10.0.0.1,down