Error Message

[BulldogGC]

I get this error message while running the code below:

Warning: shell_exec(): Cannot execute using backquotes in Safe Mode in /usr/local/httpdocs/servers.php on line 8

function ping($link) { 
        $link = preg_replace('![url]http://www.[/url]!','',$link); 
		$link = eregi_replace('unreal://','',$link);
		$link = preg_replace('/:.*/','',$link);

	$cmd = `ping -c1 -w1 $link`;
    if (preg_match('!time=(.+) ms!', $cmd, $m)) { 
            print "<font color='lime'><strong>UP</strong></font> (".round($m[1]) . "ms)"; 
    } else { 
            print "<font color='red'><strong>DOWN</strong></font>"; 				
    } 
}

I wrote that function a while ago and it worked perfectly fine until we moved servers.
How can I adjust the code to work now?
And using exec("ping"); as the $cmd variable doesn't work either.

[HalfaBee]

Safe mode is ON and you are not allowed to run system commands.
You can only change the setting in php.ini or httpd.conf.
This normally can only be done by your host.

HalfaBee