diff --git a/slsDetectorSoftware/multiSlsDetector/multiSlsDetector.cpp b/slsDetectorSoftware/multiSlsDetector/multiSlsDetector.cpp
index 3c25906a9..873359d87 100644
--- a/slsDetectorSoftware/multiSlsDetector/multiSlsDetector.cpp
+++ b/slsDetectorSoftware/multiSlsDetector/multiSlsDetector.cpp
@@ -885,19 +885,18 @@ int multiSlsDetector::setOnline(int off) {
 
 
 
-int multiSlsDetector::checkOnline() {
-  int ret1=-100,ret;
+string multiSlsDetector::checkOnline() {
+  string retval1 = "",retval;
   for (int idet=0; idet<thisMultiDetector->numberOfDetectors; idet++) {
     if (detectors[idet]) {
-      ret=detectors[idet]->checkOnline();
-      cout<<"ret:"<<ret<<endl;
-      if (ret1==-100)
-	ret1=ret;
-      else if (ret!=ret1)
-	ret1=-1;
+      retval=detectors[idet]->checkOnline();
+      if(!retval.empty()){
+        retval1.append(retval);
+    	retval1.append("+");
+      }
     }
   }
-  return ret1;
+  return retval1;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/slsDetectorSoftware/multiSlsDetector/multiSlsDetector.h b/slsDetectorSoftware/multiSlsDetector/multiSlsDetector.h
index 3f0a78f2f..30b36a882 100644
--- a/slsDetectorSoftware/multiSlsDetector/multiSlsDetector.h
+++ b/slsDetectorSoftware/multiSlsDetector/multiSlsDetector.h
@@ -360,7 +360,7 @@ class multiSlsDetector  : public slsDetectorUtils {
   /** checks if each of the detectors are online
       \returns online/offline status and -1 if any of the detector's online status is different from the other
   */
-  int checkOnline();
+  string checkOnline();
 
 
   /**
diff --git a/slsDetectorSoftware/slsDetector/slsDetector.cpp b/slsDetectorSoftware/slsDetector/slsDetector.cpp
index 401745614..4470aa2f1 100644
--- a/slsDetectorSoftware/slsDetector/slsDetector.cpp
+++ b/slsDetectorSoftware/slsDetector/slsDetector.cpp
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-
 #include "slsDetector.h"
 #include "usersFunctions.h"
 #include "slsDetectorCommand.h"
@@ -908,26 +907,35 @@ int slsDetector::setOnline(int off) {
 
 
 
-int slsDetector::checkOnline() {
-  int retval=ONLINE_FLAG;
-  if(!controlSocket)
-    controlSocket= new MySocketTCP(thisDetector->hostname, thisDetector->controlPort);
-  if (controlSocket->Connect()<0) {
-    controlSocket->SetTimeOut(5);
-    thisDetector->onlineFlag=OFFLINE_FLAG;
-    delete controlSocket;
-    controlSocket=NULL;
-    retval=OFFLINE_FLAG;
+string slsDetector::checkOnline() {
+  string retval = "";
+  if(!controlSocket){
+	//this already sets the online/offline flag
+    setTCPSocket();
+    if(thisDetector->onlineFlag==OFFLINE_FLAG)
+      return string(thisDetector->hostname);
+    else
+      return string("");
+  }
+  //still cannot connect to socket, controlSocket=0
+  if(controlSocket){
+    if (controlSocket->Connect()<0) {
+      controlSocket->SetTimeOut(5);
+      thisDetector->onlineFlag=OFFLINE_FLAG;
+      delete controlSocket;
+      controlSocket=NULL;
+      retval = thisDetector->hostname;
 #ifdef VERBOSE
-    std::cout<< "offline!" << std::endl;
+      std::cout<< "offline!" << std::endl;
 #endif
-  }  else {
-    thisDetector->onlineFlag=ONLINE_FLAG;
-    controlSocket->SetTimeOut(100);
-    controlSocket->Disconnect();
+    }  else {
+      thisDetector->onlineFlag=ONLINE_FLAG;
+      controlSocket->SetTimeOut(100);
+      controlSocket->Disconnect();
 #ifdef VERBOSE
-    std::cout<< "online!" << std::endl;
+      std::cout<< "online!" << std::endl;
 #endif
+    }
   }
   return retval;
 }
@@ -970,7 +978,7 @@ int slsDetector::setTCPSocket(string const name, int const control_port, int con
     }
   } else
     strcpy(thisName,thisDetector->hostname);
-    
+
   if (control_port>0) {
 #ifdef VERBOSE
     std::cout<< "setting control port" << std::endl;
diff --git a/slsDetectorSoftware/slsDetector/slsDetector.h b/slsDetectorSoftware/slsDetector/slsDetector.h
index a1702ea43..13a6208b4 100644
--- a/slsDetectorSoftware/slsDetector/slsDetector.h
+++ b/slsDetectorSoftware/slsDetector/slsDetector.h
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ typedef  struct sharedSlsDetector {
 
   int setOnline(int const online=GET_ONLINE_FLAG);
   
-  int checkOnline();
+  string checkOnline();
 
   /** returns if the detector already existed
       \returns 1 if the detector structure has already be initlialized, 0 otherwise */
diff --git a/slsDetectorSoftware/slsDetector/slsDetectorCommand.cpp b/slsDetectorSoftware/slsDetector/slsDetectorCommand.cpp
index 1353d7958..13eb391cb 100644
--- a/slsDetectorSoftware/slsDetector/slsDetectorCommand.cpp
+++ b/slsDetectorSoftware/slsDetector/slsDetectorCommand.cpp
@@ -183,6 +183,10 @@ slsDetectorCommand::slsDetectorCommand(slsDetectorUtils *det)  {
   descrToFuncMap[i].m_pFuncPtr=&slsDetectorCommand::cmdOnline;
   i++;
 
+  descrToFuncMap[i].m_pFuncName="checkonline"; //
+  descrToFuncMap[i].m_pFuncPtr=&slsDetectorCommand::cmdOnline;
+  i++;
+
   descrToFuncMap[i].m_pFuncName="enablefwrite"; //
   descrToFuncMap[i].m_pFuncPtr=&slsDetectorCommand::cmdEnablefwrite;
   i++;
@@ -2233,13 +2237,23 @@ string slsDetectorCommand::cmdOnline(int narg, char *args[], int action) {
   }
   int ival;
   char ans[1000];
-  if (action==PUT_ACTION) {
-    if (sscanf(args[1],"%d",&ival))
-      myDet->setOnline(ival);
-    else
-      return string("Could not scan online mode ")+string(args[1]);
+
+  if(cmd=="online"){
+    if (action==PUT_ACTION) {
+      if (sscanf(args[1],"%d",&ival))
+	myDet->setOnline(ival);
+      else
+	return string("Could not scan online mode ")+string(args[1]);
+    }
+    sprintf(ans,"%d",myDet->setOnline());
+  }//"checkonline"
+  else{
+	  strcpy(ans,myDet->checkOnline().c_str());
+	  if(!strlen(ans))
+		strcpy(ans,"All online");
+	  else
+		strcat(ans," :not online");
   }
-  sprintf(ans,"%d",myDet->setOnline());
   return ans;
 }
 
diff --git a/slsDetectorSoftware/slsDetector/slsDetectorUtils.h b/slsDetectorSoftware/slsDetector/slsDetectorUtils.h
index ead657c0d..c92940afb 100644
--- a/slsDetectorSoftware/slsDetector/slsDetectorUtils.h
+++ b/slsDetectorSoftware/slsDetector/slsDetectorUtils.h
@@ -194,6 +194,12 @@ class slsDetectorUtils :  public slsDetectorActions, public postProcessing {
   virtual int64_t getId(idMode mode, int imod=0)=0;
 
   /**
+    checks if the detector(s) are online/offline
+    \returns hostname if offline
+ */
+ virtual string checkOnline()=0;
+
+ /**
     Digital test of the modules
     \param mode test mode
     \param imod module number for chip test or module firmware test
diff --git a/slsDetectorSoftware/slsDetectorAnalysis/angularConversionStatic.o b/slsDetectorSoftware/slsDetectorAnalysis/angularConversionStatic.o
index 7290b57ae..0bc7d3b3d 100644
Binary files a/slsDetectorSoftware/slsDetectorAnalysis/angularConversionStatic.o and b/slsDetectorSoftware/slsDetectorAnalysis/angularConversionStatic.o differ