diff --git a/epicyon.py b/epicyon.py
index dfdf5a0d9..d856bd300 100644
--- a/epicyon.py
+++ b/epicyon.py
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ from poison import load_dictionary
 from poison import load_2grams
 from webapp_post import get_instance_software
 from siteactive import site_is_active
+from siteactive import is_online
 
 
 def str2bool(value_str) -> bool:
@@ -457,6 +458,11 @@ def _command_options() -> None:
                         dest='shared_items_federated_domains',
                         help='Specify federation list for shared items, ' +
                         'separated by spaces')
+    parser.add_argument("--internet", "--online",
+                        dest='online',
+                        type=str2bool, nargs='?',
+                        const=True, default=False,
+                        help="Checks if internet is available")
     parser.add_argument("--poisoned", "--poison",
                         dest='poisoned',
                         type=str2bool, nargs='?',
@@ -869,6 +875,14 @@ def _command_options() -> None:
 
     argb = parser.parse_args()
 
+    if argb.online:
+        # is the internet available?
+        if is_online():
+            print("True")
+        else:
+            print("False")
+        sys.exit()
+
     if argb.poisoned:
         # LLM poisoning example
         base_dir = os.getcwd()
diff --git a/siteactive.py b/siteactive.py
index 79b0fdbba..fe21daaea 100644
--- a/siteactive.py
+++ b/siteactive.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ __module_group__ = "Core"
 
 import http.client
 import ssl
+import socket
 from urllib.parse import urlparse
 from utils import data_dir
 
@@ -183,3 +184,17 @@ def load_unavailable_sites(base_dir: str) -> []:
         print('EX: unable to read unavailable sites ' +
               unavailable_sites_filename)
     return sites_unavailable
+
+
+def is_online(host: str = "8.8.8.8",
+              port: int = 53, timeout: int = 3) -> bool:
+    """
+    Returns True if the internet is available
+    """
+    try:
+        socket.setdefaulttimeout(timeout)
+        socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM).connect((host, port))
+        return True
+    except socket.error as ex:
+        print(ex)
+        return False