Gaming setupWorks on Free
How to check a game server is online before launching the game
Build a KeyRoutines routine with a Hotkey trigger and an If with Host reachable for the server's address and port. If it answers, Open app starts the game; if not, Ask with buttons tells you it's down and lets you launch anyway or cancel.
Steps
- 1
Add a Hotkey trigger
Pick a chord, such as Ctrl+Alt+M for your Minecraft or community server.
- 2
Check the server
Add an If with Host reachable. Use TCP mode with the server's host name or IP and its port, or HTTP mode for a status page.
- 3
Launch when it's up
In the If branch, add Open app for the game and Show banner with "Server is up".
- 4
Ask when it's down
In the Else branch, add Ask with buttons with "Launch anyway" and "Cancel", and an If on the clicked button that runs Open app.
Tips
- Host reachable waits 3 seconds by default and up to 30, and reports how long the answer took.
- In HTTP mode any answer counts, even an error page, so prefer TCP for game servers.
Questions
- Can it wait until the server comes back?
- Yes. Use a Wait until with Host reachable and a time limit; it re-checks the server on its own schedule.
- Does it work for official servers like Steam's?
- It checks whatever host and port you give it. Big services often answer even during an outage, so it's most useful for servers you or your community run.