The invention provides a heartbeat detection method and network equipment. The method comprises that: when transmitting a heartbeat request message to detected equipment, detection equipment judges whether a sliding window with a given window length has a pane storing a response identifier or not, wherein the response identifier is acquired from a first heartbeat response message returned by the detected equipment, and is stored in a corresponding pane; if the sliding window with the given window length is judged to have the pane storing the response identifier, the detection equipment judgesthat the detected equipment is not crashed, simultaneously transits the heartbeat request message carrying a timestamp to the detected equipment, forwards slides the sliding window by the pane, and stores the timestamp into the pane obtained by the sliding; and if the sliding window with the given window length is judged not to have the pane storing the response identifier, the detection equipment judges the detected equipment is crashed. By the technical scheme provided by the invention, the problem in the prior art that the detection equipment erroneously judges the working state of the detected equipment due to the transmission delay or loss of the heartbeat request message or the heartbeat response message can be solved, and the accuracy of judging the working state of the detected equipment is improved.