diff --git a/notebooks/Testing/Veilid/Alice-Python-Server.ipynb b/notebooks/Testing/Veilid/Alice-Python-Server.ipynb
index 8564567beef..3e1b7065c2c 100644
--- a/notebooks/Testing/Veilid/Alice-Python-Server.ipynb
+++ b/notebooks/Testing/Veilid/Alice-Python-Server.ipynb
@@ -152,20 +152,58 @@
   },
   {
    "cell_type": "markdown",
-   "id": "fd824cca-2a7f-4ea9-9e67-1c06d1f8bec2",
+   "id": "ddba6e22-96ee-46d7-8251-fcaa4140253b",
    "metadata": {},
    "source": [
-    "### Send AppMessage using VLD Key to Peer"
+    "### Ping Peer "
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": null,
+   "id": "3de4b843-f3a2-4d96-bd48-121ae2b6f197",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "peer_vld_key = str(input(\"Enter Peer VLD Key\"))"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": null,
+   "id": "575c3441-cd11-4a42-ab4e-0bde3e5d5c72",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "peer_vld_key"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": null,
+   "id": "64d0b338-a439-4982-b739-24c056833be1",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "res = requests.post(f\"http://{host}:{port}/ping/{peer_vld_key}\")"
    ]
   },
   {
    "cell_type": "code",
    "execution_count": null,
-   "id": "25cfb508-dd08-44b9-85c9-e6aa07e96a97",
+   "id": "3ce13553-dae5-442e-bd56-2dddb526c0f2",
    "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
-    "peer_vld_key = input(\"Enter Peer VLD Key\")"
+    "res.json()"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "id": "fd824cca-2a7f-4ea9-9e67-1c06d1f8bec2",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "### Send AppMessage using VLD Key to Peer"
    ]
   },
   {
@@ -235,7 +273,7 @@
    "name": "python",
    "nbconvert_exporter": "python",
    "pygments_lexer": "ipython3",
-   "version": "3.11.5"
+   "version": "3.11.8"
   }
  },
  "nbformat": 4,
diff --git a/packages/grid/veilid/server/constants.py b/packages/grid/veilid/server/constants.py
index 0714b9e0902..d0c5bd85627 100644
--- a/packages/grid/veilid/server/constants.py
+++ b/packages/grid/veilid/server/constants.py
@@ -9,3 +9,5 @@
 DHT_KEY_CREDS = "syft-dht-key-creds"
 
 USE_DIRECT_CONNECTION = True
+
+TIMEOUT = 10  # in seconds
diff --git a/packages/grid/veilid/server/main.py b/packages/grid/veilid/server/main.py
index 1bb6bb0cbd9..cabb8ee0360 100644
--- a/packages/grid/veilid/server/main.py
+++ b/packages/grid/veilid/server/main.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 from .veilid_core import app_message
 from .veilid_core import generate_vld_key
 from .veilid_core import healthcheck
+from .veilid_core import ping
 from .veilid_core import retrieve_vld_key
 
 # Logging Configuration
@@ -63,6 +64,16 @@ async def retrieve_vld_key_endpoint() -> ResponseModel:
         raise HTTPException(status_code=500, detail=str(e))
 
 
+@app.post("/ping/{vld_key}", response_model=ResponseModel)
+async def ping_endpoint(request: Request, vld_key: str) -> ResponseModel:
+    try:
+        logger.info(f"Received ping request:{vld_key}")
+        res = await ping(vld_key)
+        return ResponseModel(message=res)
+    except Exception as e:
+        raise HTTPException(status_code=500, detail=str(e))
+
+
 @app.post("/app_message", response_model=ResponseModel)
 async def app_message_endpoint(
     request: Request, vld_key: Annotated[str, Body()], message: Annotated[bytes, Body()]
diff --git a/packages/grid/veilid/server/veilid_core.py b/packages/grid/veilid/server/veilid_core.py
index 5364a6c547b..695bb94d856 100644
--- a/packages/grid/veilid/server/veilid_core.py
+++ b/packages/grid/veilid/server/veilid_core.py
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+# stdlib
+import asyncio
+from enum import Enum
+
 # third party
 from loguru import logger
 import veilid
@@ -11,6 +15,7 @@
 from veilid.types import RouteId
 
 # relative
+from .constants import TIMEOUT
 from .constants import USE_DIRECT_CONNECTION
 from .veilid_connection import get_routing_context
 from .veilid_connection import get_veilid_conn
@@ -19,6 +24,11 @@
 from .veilid_db import store_dht_key_creds
 
 
+class PingResponse(Enum):
+    SUCCESS = "SUCCESS"
+    FAIL = "FAIL"
+
+
 async def create_private_route(
     conn: _JsonVeilidAPI,
     stability: Stability = veilid.Stability.RELIABLE,
@@ -156,6 +166,16 @@ async def app_call(vld_key: str, message: bytes) -> bytes:
             return result
 
 
+async def ping(vld_key: str) -> str:
+    async with await get_veilid_conn() as conn:
+        try:
+            _ = await asyncio.wait_for(conn.debug(f"ping {vld_key}"), timeout=TIMEOUT)
+            return PingResponse.SUCCESS.value
+        except Exception as e:
+            logger.error(f"Failed to ping {vld_key} : {e}")
+            return PingResponse.FAIL.value
+
+
 # TODO: Modify healthcheck endpoint to check public internet ready
 async def healthcheck() -> bool:
     async with await get_veilid_conn() as conn: