I've been using MultiPing to ping hundreds of IPs (from access points and such) and check their performance (packet loss, latency) and uptime. The program is very easy to use, but I was wondering if someone could recommend me something that would work better and that would also work in Linux. The features I'm looking for are:

• Notification Types: At least desktop notifications and SMS, but it would be great if it also had e-mail, IM, or other types of notifications. (MultiPing has some of these, but they don't work too well.)
• Being notified about the root problem only: Since some devices are dependent on others, I'd like to be notified only about the root problem. E.g. Let's say I have A[x.x.x.222]>B[x.x.x.33>C[x.x.x.44]>D[x.x.x.55], and B goes down, therefore C and D will also be down. Is it possible to get a notification only about B being down?
• Light on resources.
• Ideally multiplatform or at least available for both Linux and Windows.

I've heard about Nagios and Shinken being used for monitoring. Would you recommend that I use something of the sort or would that be too much for my needs? If using Nagios, Shinken, or similar software is recommended, can anyone tell me what sites I should go to or what books I should get that would be good for someone who is totally new at this?

I'd appreciate any suggestions.