I've found this useful for keeping an eye on my internet connection. Since my router goes haywire every now and then, I put it on an Insteon Appliance Linc. Now I have a Network Device that monitors my internet connection and power-cycles the router if it goes offline. The device is just looking at Google's DNS service, which seems reliable enough to count on for status.
Network Device: Internet Connection
Address: 8.8.8.8
Port: 53