What you need
- Multimeter for macOS 13 or later, $19.99 once.
- The direct download version of Multimeter from this site (the Script source isn’t in the Mac App Store version).
Set it up
- Try it in Terminal:Command
ping -c 3 -q -t 5 1.1.1.1 | awk -F/ '/round-trip/ {print $5}' - Add a Script meter with the command, refreshing every 10 seconds.
- Set the range to 0 to 200, unit
ms, and alerts to High values: warning at 80, critical at 150.
Multimeter settings
In Customize This Meter… (from the meter’s menu):
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Source | Script |
| Command | ping -c 3 -q -t 5 1.1.1.1 | awk -F/ '/round-trip/ {print $5}' |
| Refresh every | 10 seconds |
| Range | 0 to 200 |
| Unit | ms |
| Alerts | High values: warning 80, critical 150 |
| Label | PING |
| Face | Sparkline, Oscilloscope or Heat Strip |
Tested: Run on October 29, 2026: 15.883 ms to 1.1.1.1 and 43.276 ms to the Wi-Fi router, about 2 seconds per run.
Script meters need the direct download version of Multimeter from this site, which is the one on sale now. How commands run, the PATH they see and the 10 second limit are in the Script meters guide.
Limits
- Three pings take about two seconds;
-t 5stops it after five if the host doesn’t answer, so the meter shows that it got no number.
Variations
Your router (is it the Wi-Fi or the internet?)
Command
ping -c 3 -q -t 5 $(route -n get default | awk '/gateway/ {print $2}') | awk -F/ '/round-trip/ {print $5}'Packet loss in percent
Use the % unit and alerts on High values at 5 and 20.
Command
ping -c 5 -q -t 6 1.1.1.1 | awk '/packet loss/ {print $7}'Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The script didn’t print a number | The command failed or printed an error message instead. | Run the exact command in Terminal. If it works there, check for tools that live outside the meter’s PATH and use their full path (which tool). |
| The script took longer than 10 seconds | A slow network call. Multimeter stops scripts after 10 seconds. | Keep the -m timeout on curl, and refresh less often. |
| Scripts need the version from multimeterapp.com | This copy of Multimeter came from the Mac App Store, which can’t run scripts. | Use the direct download version, or run the command from cron or launchd and point a File meter at its output. |
| The meter shows no number while you’re offline | No reply means no round trip to print. | That is the signal. Add the packet loss variation if you want a number at 100% instead. |
Questions
Does this work in the Mac App Store version?
Script meters need the direct download version from multimeterapp.com, because the App Store sandbox doesn’t let apps run your commands. Web Address, File and Sent Value meters work in every version.
Which host should I ping?
1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8 for the internet, your router for the local network, or your own server for its path.