Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →For common Windows connection problems, start with ipconfig, then use ping, tracert or PowerShell’s Test-NetConnection to narrow down where the failure may be. They check different parts of a connection; none proves by itself that every part of your internet connection is working.
ipconfig, ping and tracert are Windows command-line utilities you can run in PowerShell, not PowerShell cmdlets. Test-NetConnection is a PowerShell cmdlet. This four-command set is a practical diagnostic sequence, not a claim that these are the only useful Windows network commands.
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1. Check your adapter and network settings with ipconfig
Open PowerShell and run:
ipconfig /allFind the adapter you are actually using—such as Wi-Fi or Ethernet—and inspect its IP address, subnet mask, default gateway and DNS servers. These values provide a starting point for diagnosing whether Windows has plausible local network settings. Microsoft’s ipconfig reference describes the command’s output and switches.
- Default gateway: The local router address Windows uses to reach destinations outside the local network.
- DNS servers: The servers Windows is configured to ask when resolving names such as website domains.
- Adapter address and subnet mask: Help show how Windows has configured the network interface.
If the adapter uses DHCP and its configuration or lease appears wrong, you can request a renewal:
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ipconfig /renewRenewing is a request for updated DHCP configuration, not a general repair for every network problem. If settings still look unexpected, investigate the adapter, DHCP service or network configuration rather than repeating the command without a reason.
For a suspected stale DNS response, inspect the client resolver cache with ipconfig /displaydns. To clear that cache, run ipconfig /flushdns. Flushing affects cached name-resolution information; it does not repair Wi-Fi, routing or an outage on a remote server. Microsoft’s DNS client troubleshooting guide explains how to check DNS configuration and investigate resolution problems.
2. Check basic reachability with ping
Use ping to send ICMP echo requests and see whether a destination responds. First test the default gateway shown by ipconfig:
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ping <gateway-address>Then test a destination relevant to the problem:
ping <host-or-ip-address>For example, if a website name fails, comparing a ping to its hostname with a ping to its IP address—when you know the correct IP—is a clue. A response by IP but not by hostname is consistent with a name-resolution problem. It is not proof: the address may be wrong, and other conditions can affect the result.
Ping tests ICMP reachability, not whether a website or application’s service is available. A host or firewall may block ICMP while allowing other traffic, so a timeout does not conclusively mean the device is offline. Microsoft’s ping command reference covers the command, and its TCP/IP communication troubleshooting guidance describes ping as a way to test basic connectivity.
When the symptom points to DNS
If a website name fails but an IP-address test succeeds, check name resolution rather than assuming the whole connection is down. Query the configured DNS path with:
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nslookup <name>nslookup queries DNS without relying on the client’s DNS cache. You can also query a particular DNS server explicitly when you need to check whether that server answers. If you suspect an old or negative cached result, inspect it with ipconfig /displaydns and clear it only if appropriate.
3. See responding network hops with tracert
When a destination is unreachable or access is inconsistent and you want to examine the route, run:
tracert <host>tracert sends probes with increasing time-to-live (TTL) values and reports intermediate router interfaces that respond. This can show where responses stop along the path, but it does not guarantee that every router will answer. Microsoft documents the behavior in its tracert reference.
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An asterisk (*) means a probe did not receive the expected response before timing out. A router may not return the relevant ICMP message even while forwarding traffic, so an asterisk is not conclusive evidence that traffic is blocked at that hop. For path latency and packet-loss information gathered over time, Microsoft identifies pathping as another option.
4. Test a specific TCP service with Test-NetConnection
If Windows appears connected but a particular application or service is unavailable, test its TCP port rather than relying on ping:
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Test-NetConnection -ComputerName <host> -Port <port>Replace <host> with the server name or address and <port> with the TCP port the service uses. The output includes whether a TCP connection was established. A failed connection narrows the issue to that service path, but does not by itself identify the cause; application settings, server availability and network rules may still need checking.
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Test-NetConnection also supports ping, route tracing and route-selection diagnostics. Microsoft’s Test-NetConnection reference documents its parameters and output, while its NetTCPIP module examples show PowerShell networking commands.
Choose the command that matches the symptom
| Command | What it checks | Useful when |
|---|---|---|
ipconfig |
Local adapter configuration, including addresses, gateway and DNS settings. | You need to see how Windows is configured or investigate a DHCP or DNS-setting clue. |
ping |
Whether a destination responds to ICMP echo requests. | You want a basic reachability check, while allowing for ICMP filtering. |
tracert |
Which intermediate routers return responses to probes along a route. | You want to inspect a route or investigate inconsistent access. |
Test-NetConnection |
Whether a specified TCP connection can be established, among other network diagnostics. | A particular application or service is unavailable and you know its host and port. |
When these checks are not enough
These commands help distinguish configuration, name-resolution, ICMP-reachability, route-response and TCP-service symptoms. They do not necessarily reveal the root cause, especially when access is intermittent, requests time out or a website remains unreachable despite basic checks. Microsoft provides separate Windows client network troubleshooting scenarios for DNS and general TCP/IP connectivity, including data collection for deeper diagnosis.
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