> when using fixed ip, i can use ping to check if a computer is up and
> running.
> if i have dynamic ip, i cannot do this as i do not know the actual ip.
> is there a way to do something like ping, but directly going to the mac
> address instead of the ip?
if your on the same lan then its probablly possible though i don't know of
any tools built to do it. If your accessing over the internet then it is not
as mac addresses are only local to the lan.

others have suggested dynamic dns services and if you control the machine
you wan't to keep an eye on and it has internet access then theese are
probablly a good soloution.

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