check if remote site is down

[gvanaco]

I am using a webstat counter on my site from somewhere else.

sometimes that site is down (rearrely).
When he is down, on some browsers my pages are not loaded. he stays calculating on that extarnal script.

Can I check if that site is down, so I don't have to show that counter?

[gvanaco]

I think about PING command in dos.
Is there something in php?

[cahva]

Check function fsockopen. Comment section there is good read.