OK, sounds like lots of folks think IO::Socket and/or IO::Socket::INET is the way to go. So is this the kind of thing you recommend?

use IO::Socket;
use IO::Socket::INET;

my $socket = IO::Socket::INET->new(
     PeerAdr => $my_server,
     PeerPort => 'ftp(21)', #might be http(80) someday
     Proto => 'tcp');

my $is_connected = $socket->connected();

$socket->shutdown(2);

if(!$is_connected){
     #go back to sleep
}

else{
     #do some stuff
}
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