Here is a quick way to ping all the hosts in your host table.
NOTE: Just make sure that there are no blank lines in it, and
verify the ping command on your system exist after one ping. Your
mileage may differ slightly.
#!/bin/sh
grep -v "#" /etc/hosts | awk '{print $1}' | while read host
do
ping -c 1 $host
done
NOTE: All tips provided are USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Tips are submitted
by various unix admins around the globe. UGU suggest you read and
test each tip in a non-volitile environment before placing into
production.