I can set up any other sensor in yaml, but not ping! And if I have a sizable number of devices I want to track, I need to go via UI and set up EVERY SINGLE ONE by hand rather than create a dozen yaml entries with one command in Vim.
There is zero chances the devs will re-enable YAML support for any integration.
A workaround for you can be to use the wake_on_lan platform, still YAML enabled for now. It does a ping behind-the-scene to assess whether the device is on/off.
Deprecation of yaml for no reason is a big WTH on its own. WoL doesn’t work because of vlans. I worked arounded by using uptime kuma integration from hacs, but still.
You talked about ping. WOL will work as well (or as bad) as ping for the detection part.
Trust me, I’m as sad as you that YAML is going away for a shitload of reasons, but that discussion has long passed.
At a practical level the nmap_tracker may be better suited to what you want, but given that the ping sensor was just moved from YAML to UI there’s not a hope in hell that it’ll gain YAML again.