how to call it

#include "threadedPing.h"

 threadedPing pingTest;
 
 
  bool checkInternet(){
        
        string serverIP = "www.google.com";
        //        string result = ofSystem("ping -c1 www.google.com");
        //        return result.find("received",0) != string::npos;

        pingTest.serverIP = serverIP;
        pingTest.start();
        
        if(pingTest.bServerConnected == true){
            cout<<"YES connect to timing server at IP "<<serverIP<<endl;
            return true;
        }else{
            cout<<"NO could not connect to timing server at IP "<<serverIP<<endl;
            return false;
            
        }
    }

threadedPing.h

#ifndef _THREADED_OBJECT
#define _THREADED_OBJECT

#include "ofMain.h"


class threadedPing : public ofThread{
    
public:
    
    bool bServerConnected;  // threaded fucntions that share data need to use lock (mutex)
    // and unlock in order to write to that data
    // otherwise it's possible to get crashes.
    //
    // also no opengl specific stuff will work in a thread...
    // threads can't create textures, or draw stuff on the screen
    // since opengl is single thread safe
    
    string serverIP;
    
    threadedPing(){
        bServerConnected = false;
    }
    
    void start(){
        startThread();   // blocking, verbose
    }
    
    void stop(){
        stopThread();
    }
    
    //--------------------------
    void threadedFunction(){
        
        while(isThreadRunning()){
            if( lock() ){
                string pingStr = (string)"ping -c 1 -t 1 " + serverIP ;
                
                //                int flag = system(pingStr.c_str()); //look at coco40 code 
                string result = ofSystem(pingStr.c_str());
                cout<<"threaded ping result "<<result;
                bool flag = result.find("received",0) != string::npos;
                
                if(flag == 0){
                    //                    bServerConnected = true;
                    bServerConnected = false;
                    cout<<"cloud not connect to timing server at IP "<<serverIP<<endl;
                }else{
                    //                    bServerConnected = false;
                    bServerConnected = true;
                    //   cout<<ofGetTimestampString()<<endl;
                    //                    cout<<"cloud not connect to timing server at IP "<<serverIP<<endl;
                }
                unlock();
                stop();
            }
        }
    }
    
    //--------------------------
    void draw(){
    }
    
};

#endif