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When Windows says you’re connected but a website or app won’t work, start by checking the connection in stages: run ipconfig to inspect network settings, ping to test basic IP reachability, tracert to view responding hops, and Test-NetConnection to test a specific TCP port. These commands help narrow down where a problem may lie; none can prove on its own that the entire connection or application is working.
What each command checks
The first three are Windows command-line utilities you can run from PowerShell; Test-NetConnection is a PowerShell cmdlet. Use them from the local connection outward, and choose the test that matches the symptom.
| Command | What it checks | What a result can tell you |
|---|---|---|
ipconfig |
Local adapter configuration | Whether an adapter has an IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, and DNS server settings |
ping |
ICMP echo reachability | Whether a destination responds to ICMP echo requests from your computer |
tracert |
Responding routers along a route | Which intermediate hops return the expected response as probes travel toward a destination |
Test-NetConnection |
Network diagnostics, including TCP connectivity | Whether a particular TCP connection, such as one to a service port, can be established |
1. Inspect your adapter and network settings with ipconfig
In PowerShell, run:
ipconfig /allFind the adapter you’re actually using, such as Wi-Fi or Ethernet. Check its IPv4 or IPv6 address, subnet mask, default gateway, and DNS servers. The gateway is usually the local router or another device that forwards traffic beyond your local network. An unexpected address, missing gateway, or DNS server you don’t recognize can point to a configuration or DHCP issue; it does not by itself identify the cause.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFor a shorter summary, run ipconfig without switches. It shows current IPv4 and IPv6 configuration, subnet masks, and default gateways. To request a fresh DHCP configuration for the adapters that use DHCP, run:
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ipconfig /renewThis asks for a renewal; it is not a general network reset. If the adapter uses a static configuration, or the underlying DHCP service or connection is unavailable, renewing may not address the problem.
Use DNS cache commands only for a name-resolution issue
If a website name appears to resolve incorrectly or a previous lookup may be cached, inspect the client’s DNS resolver cache with:
ipconfig /displaydnsTo clear that cache, run:
ipconfig /flushdnsFlushing removes cached name-resolution information from the Windows client. It does not repair Wi-Fi, routing, a remote server, or a broken internet connection, so it is not a general-purpose fix for “no internet.”
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- Supports IPv4/IPv6 pack Checksum Offload Engine (COE) to reduce Cental Processing Unit (CPU) loading
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2. Test basic reachability with ping
First test the gateway address shown by ipconfig:
ping <gateway-address>Then test a host you expect to be reachable:
ping <host-name-or-ip-address>A reply shows that the destination responded to ICMP echo requests. If the gateway responds but a remote destination does not, the local link is at least responding, but that alone doesn’t establish where an internet-path problem lies.
Ping is not a definitive online/offline test. A host or network may block ICMP while still allowing web or other traffic. A timeout therefore does not prove that the target is down.
Compare an IP address with a host name
If you have a known destination IP, compare a ping to that IP with a ping to its host name. If the IP responds but the name does not, the difference is consistent with a name-resolution problem. It is a clue, not proof: ICMP filtering or changes in the destination can also affect the comparison.
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For a DNS-focused check, query a name with:
nslookup <name>nslookup queries DNS without relying on the client’s DNS cache. If you need to check whether a particular configured DNS server answers, query that server explicitly with nslookup <name> <dns-server-address>. A DNS response helps assess name resolution, but does not test whether the resulting website or application service is reachable.
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3. See which route hops respond with tracert
When a destination is intermittently reachable or you want to examine the path, run:
tracert <host-name-or-ip-address>tracert sends probes with increasing time-to-live (TTL) values and reports intermediate router interfaces that return the expected ICMP response. Each reported hop is evidence that a response came back from that point; it is not a complete map of every device or link on the path.
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An asterisk (*) means a probe did not receive the expected response before the timeout. A router may decline to return the relevant ICMP message, so an asterisk is not conclusive proof that traffic is blocked at that hop. If you need to examine path latency and packet loss over time, Microsoft identifies pathping as another Windows option.
4. Test the application’s TCP port with Test-NetConnection
If general connectivity seems plausible but a particular application or service is unavailable, test its host and TCP port:
Test-NetConnection -ComputerName <host> -Port <port>For example, to test a web service using the usual HTTPS port:
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Test-NetConnection -ComputerName example.com -Port 443Check the result’s TcpTestSucceeded value. True means the TCP connection to that host and port was established from your computer; False means that test did not establish it. The result does not diagnose every possible cause, such as an application error after connection, an authentication problem, or a service-specific configuration issue.
The cmdlet also supports ping, route tracing, and route selection diagnostics. For a port-specific application symptom, however, the TCP test is more directly relevant than ping: a service can accept TCP while blocking ICMP, or respond to ping while its service port is unavailable.
How to choose the next test
- Windows shows Wi-Fi connected, but nothing loads: inspect the active adapter and gateway with
ipconfig /all, then test the gateway withping. - You can reach an IP but not a website name: compare hostname and IP tests, then query DNS with
nslookup. Inspect or flush the cache only if cached name information is a plausible factor. - A destination is slow or inconsistently reachable: use
tracertto see which hops respond. Treat missing responses as inconclusive, not as a definitive fault location. - One app or service fails while other connections work: test its host and TCP port with
Test-NetConnection. - The basic checks do not isolate the issue: intermittent access, timeouts, and website failures may require deeper Windows client TCP/IP or DNS troubleshooting.
What these commands can—and cannot—establish
Together, the commands separate several different questions: what settings Windows has, whether a destination responds to ICMP, which route hops return responses, and whether a particular TCP service accepts a connection. A successful test at one layer does not guarantee success at the next. For example, valid adapter settings do not prove DNS is working, and a successful TCP connection does not prove the application will function correctly.
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Use the result to choose a narrower next check rather than treating any single command as a universal repair. These tools diagnose and request limited configuration changes; they do not establish that hardware needs replacing or that a remote service is healthy in every respect.
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