if (((split(' ',`netstat -i | grep node1`))[3]) !~ /node1/) { die }
might be a somewhat shorter. This, ofcourse, is puzzling me since you're grepping for lines with node1 and then are matching/dieing on lines that don't contain it. Update: Changed that split according to blakem's node below.
Greetz
Beatnik
... Quidquid perl dictum sit, altum viditur.