diff --git a/ping.py b/ping.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fff66cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ping.py
@@ -0,0 +1,152 @@
+#!/bin/python3
+
+#importing the required modules
+
+import json
+import subprocess
+
+
+#file which will hold the online/offline status of servers
+
+file = "status.json"
+
+
+#dictionary containing current server hostnames/ips
+
+servers = {
+    "link": "1.2.3.4",
+    "ganon": "5.6.7.8",
+    "zelda": "9.10.1.12",
+}
+
+
+
+
+#function for pinging servers to check if they are offline
+#logic: create empty dictionary called status
+#loop over pre-defined servers dictionary, key is server, value is ip
+#ping each server's ip
+#if the return code for the ping is 0, the server's online status is true
+#else its false/offline/unreachable
+
+def online_check():
+    status = {}
+
+    for server, ip in servers.items():
+        result = subprocess.run(
+            ["ping", "-c", "2", "-W", "1", ip],
+            stdout=subprocess.DEVNULL,
+            stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL
+        )
+
+        if result.returncode == 0:
+            status[server] = True
+        else:
+            status[server] = False
+
+    return status
+
+
+
+#function for sending an email notification
+#logic: we are defining this subprocess as notify
+#any argument given to it becomes "email"
+#we later pass offline_message/online_message to it as the email to send
+
+def notify(email):
+    subprocess.run(
+        ["msmtp", "cool@dude.wow"],
+        input=email,
+        text=True
+    )
+
+
+
+
+
+
+#check to see if we can ping apache-intranet
+#(primary server for porygon monitoring)
+
+
+result = subprocess.run(
+    ["ping", "-c", "5", "-W", "2", "200.201.202.203"],
+    stdout=subprocess.DEVNULL,
+    stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL
+)
+
+#if apache-intranet is currently offline
+#and we have a current status.json
+#build previous status dictionary from it
+try:
+    with open(file) as f:
+        previous_status = json.load(f)
+except FileNotFoundError:
+        pass
+
+
+if result.returncode == 0:
+    print("apache-intranet is online")
+#apache-intranet is online
+#delete status.json
+#only need to keep track during outages
+#this server is the backup
+    subprocess.run(["rm", "-f", file])
+else:
+#apache-intranet is not offline
+#check if status.json exists
+#if it does we are currently in the midst of an outage
+    check = subprocess.run(["test", "-f", file])
+    if check.returncode == 0:
+        status = online_check()
+        for server, ip in servers.items():
+
+            if status[server] == True:
+                if previous_status.get(server) == False:
+
+                    online_message = f"""To: this@again.com
+Subject: {server} is back online
+
+{server} at {ip} looks to be back online and is now respon>
+"""
+                    notify(online_message)
+
+            if status[server] == False:
+                if previous_status.get(server) == True:
+                    offline_message = f"""To: lmao@haha.lol
+Subject: {server} is offline
+
+{server} at {ip} looks to be offline and is no longer responding to pings.
+"""
+                    notify(offline_message)
+        with open(file, "w") as f:
+            json.dump(status, f, indent=4)
+
+
+#if status.json does not exist
+#but apache-intranet is not reachable
+#then this is the moment porygon has become aware of the outage
+#we have no reference to track back online/healing alerts
+#only offline ones
+    else:
+        subprocess.run(["touch", file])
+
+        status = online_check()
+
+        for server, ip in servers.items():
+
+            offline_message = f"""To: oh.no@all.offline
+Subject: {server} is offline
+
+{server} at {ip} looks to be offline and is no longer responding to pings.
+"""
+
+            if status[server] == True:
+                print(f"{server} is online")
+                status[server] = True
+            else:
+                print(f"{server} is offline")
+                notify(offline_message)
+
+        with open(file, "w") as f:
+            json.dump(status, f, indent=4)