A system and method for maintaining network activity in a router to keep the router from entering a lock-up state due to inactivity. The system and method is operable to send a ping request via the router to an Internet Protocol (IP) address to which a response is expected. It is then determined whether the response is received. If no response is received, a notification message is displayed indicating that network access is unavailable. The process is preferably automatically repeated such that the network router does not experience a prolonged period of inactivity and the user is apprised of the status of his network connection.