diff --git a/bundles/org.openhab.binding.wemo/src/main/java/org/openhab/binding/wemo/internal/handler/WemoHandler.java b/bundles/org.openhab.binding.wemo/src/main/java/org/openhab/binding/wemo/internal/handler/WemoHandler.java
index 1e094266d263d..25efd72b1a745 100644
--- a/bundles/org.openhab.binding.wemo/src/main/java/org/openhab/binding/wemo/internal/handler/WemoHandler.java
+++ b/bundles/org.openhab.binding.wemo/src/main/java/org/openhab/binding/wemo/internal/handler/WemoHandler.java
@@ -17,12 +17,6 @@
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.math.BigDecimal;
 import java.math.RoundingMode;
-import java.net.ConnectException;
-import java.net.InetSocketAddress;
-import java.net.NoRouteToHostException;
-import java.net.Socket;
-import java.net.SocketAddress;
-import java.net.SocketTimeoutException;
 import java.net.URL;
 import java.time.Instant;
 import java.time.ZonedDateTime;
@@ -49,6 +43,7 @@
 import org.eclipse.smarthome.core.types.Command;
 import org.eclipse.smarthome.core.types.RefreshType;
 import org.eclipse.smarthome.core.types.State;
+import org.eclipse.smarthome.io.net.http.HttpUtil;
 import org.eclipse.smarthome.io.transport.upnp.UpnpIOParticipant;
 import org.eclipse.smarthome.io.transport.upnp.UpnpIOService;
 import org.openhab.binding.wemo.internal.http.WemoHttpCall;
@@ -480,20 +475,20 @@ public String getWemoURL(String actionService) {
                 }
             }
             wemoURL = "http://" + host + ":" + port + "/upnp/control/" + actionService + "1";
+            logger.trace("WeMo url {}", wemoURL);
             return wemoURL;
         }
         return wemoURL;
     }
 
-    public boolean servicePing(String host, int port) throws IOException {
-        SocketAddress socketAddress = new InetSocketAddress(host, port);
-        try (Socket socket = new Socket()) {
-            logger.trace("Ping WeMo device at '{}'", socketAddress);
-            socket.connect(socketAddress, 250);
-            return true;
-        } catch (ConnectException | SocketTimeoutException | NoRouteToHostException ignored) {
+    public boolean servicePing(String host, int port) {
+        logger.trace("Ping WeMo device at '{}:{}'", host, port);
+        try {
+            HttpUtil.executeUrl("GET", "http://" + host + ":" + port, 250);
+        } catch (IOException e) {
             return false;
         }
+        return true;
     }
 
     @Override