use IO::Socket::INET;

$server = '192.168.27.236';

$p = new IO::Socket::INET (
        PeerAddr => $server,
        PeerPort => 135,
        Proto    => "tcp",
        Timeout  => 5
     );

if ($p) {
     print "\tPINGed $server at ".scalar(localtime).".\n";
} else {
     print "\tFailed to PING $server at ".scalar(localtime).".\n";
}

##</code><code>##

Started at Tue Nov 18 15:03:02 2003.
Trying to RPCPing 192.168.27.236 at Tue Nov 18 15:03:02 2003.
	Failed to PING 192.168.27.236 at Tue Nov 18 15:03:25 2003.
Finished at Tue Nov 18 15:03:25 2003.