How does Windows know when it is on the Internet?

[Diggs]

A bit of a geeky question (and mostly irrelevant) but I've always wondered what Windows does to check if it has access to the Internet. Does it ping microsoft.com or some other site? Is there something in the handshake between router and client that signifies Internet access? What is the process that changes the little world symbol in the lower right corner of the screen to a monitor/plug stating it has Internet access? What just happened?

 

[britechguy]

Snagged from Copilot, but certainly seems plausible:
How does Microsoft Windows determine whether it has an internet connection?
Microsoft Windows uses a mechanism called the Network Connectivity Status Indicator (NCSI) to determine whether it has an internet connection. Here's how it works:

1. DNS Lookup: NCSI performs a DNS lookup for a specific domain, such as www.msftconnecttest.com.
2. HTTP Request: It sends an HTTP GET request to a URL like http://www.msftncsi.com/ncsi.txt.
3. Check Response: If the HTTP request is successful and the response contains the expected text (e.g., "Microsoft connect test"), Windows concludes that there is full internet access.
4. Report Status: If the request fails or the response is incorrect, Windows reports limited or no internet access.

This process helps Windows provide a quick and accurate status of your internet connection.

 

[Diggs]

Snagged from Copilot

Sounds perfect to me. I could have done a bit more digging myself but was kind of thinking out loud.

Thanks!

 

[frase]

Sounds perfect to me. I could have done a bit more digging myself but was kind of thinking out loud.

Thanks!

@Diggs should be digging, dig it?

 

[Sky-Knight]

How does Windows decide whether your computer has limited or full Internet access? - The Old New Thing

Looking for special servers.

devblogs.microsoft.com

Longer winded version is in Learn: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/t...er-edge-open-connect-corporate-public-network

 

[GTP]

When your fav "pron" page wont load you know your internet is down...