internet connection notification

[R Kimber]

My internet connection is currently irritatingly intermittent.  Pending
the resolution of this, which might take a few days, I still need to
work. The nature of the work requires me to know, independently of just
trying, whether or not the internet connection is working.

My machine connects to a router, which connects to a modem.

Is there an application that would give me a graphical real-time
indication of whether my machine can or cannot connect to the outside
world?

Having to break off and ping some particular server each time I need to
know is rather tedious.

- Richard
-- 
Richard Kimber
http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/