I've been looking for something like this but couldn't find it so I did it myself. It's a time saver if you have a large directory and want to make sure your links are valid.

You can find it at linkdirectory dot tv/articles/phpld_bg_val/

It should work with 2.x and above without modification.

I'm looking for feedback for users of 3.x so please drop me a note here or on the contact page.