The 5 ping value is written in the check as the default value. If you do not
add any -p value, it pings the host 5x. Just like if you do not add a -t value
for a timeout for a check, it defaults to 10 seconds.
You can look at the source code for the check_ping here :
It might be worth while to mention that all the check commands are stored in
the /usr/local/Nagios/libexec/ directory and that each one can and should be
run manually to see how they work. They all support the –h switch to print out
how to use them.
Salvatore Polifemo
Sr. Systems
