diff --git a/check_conn b/check_conn
index 78487982df2cfb20ad1556be516ed182b429e967..efab1fe8e6c012ea7506c16973ca9ab9beabaafe 100755
--- a/check_conn
+++ b/check_conn
@@ -9,16 +9,13 @@
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------
 # 2021-11-05  v0.0  <axel.hahn@iml.unibe.ch>
 # 2023-07-27  v1.1  <axel.hahn@unibe.ch>      update help page
+# 2025-02-10  v1.2  <axel.hahn@unibe.ch>      no text on STDERR if portcheck fails
 # ======================================================================
 
 
-. $(dirname $0)/inc_pluginfunctions
-
-export self_APPVERSION=1.1
-
+. $(dirname $0)/inc_pluginfunctions || exit 1
+export self_APPVERSION=1.2
 cfgfile=$( dirname $0 )/$( basename $0 ).cfg
-
-
 out=""
 
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -87,12 +84,9 @@ case "$1" in
     *)
 esac
 
-configline=$( ph.getValueWithParam "" t "$@" )
-
+configline=$( ph.getValueWithParam "" t "$@" 
 test -z "$configline" || cfgfile=""
 
-
-
 typeset -i iWarnings=0
 typeset -i iErrors=0
 typeset -i iOK=0
@@ -107,18 +101,18 @@ do
 $myline"
 
   # --- syntax check of config entry
-  echo "$myline" | grep -E "^(tcp|udp)/[a-z][a-z0-9\.\-]*/[0-9]*$" >/dev/null 2>&1
-  if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+  if ! echo "$myline" | grep -Eq "^(tcp|udp)/[a-z][a-z0-9\.\-]*/[0-9]*$" 
+  then
     out="$out SKIP: INVALID ENTRY"
     iWarnings=$iWarnings+1
   else 
-    >/dev/$myline
-    if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
-        out="$out FAILED"
-        iErrors=$iErrors+1
-    else
+    if timeout 1 bash -c "> /dev/$myline " 2>/dev/null
+    then
         out="$out OK"
         iOK=$iOK+1
+    else
+        out="$out FAILED"
+        iErrors=$iErrors+1
     fi
   fi
 done