Command Reference

Test-NetConnection

PowerShell Networking Intermediate Risk: Low
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Summary

Tests name resolution, reachability, routing, or a specific TCP service port.

Syntax 

Test-NetConnection <ComputerName> [-Port <Int32>] [-InformationLevel Detailed]

Examples 

Test-NetConnection www.microsoft.com -Port 443

Tests DNS resolution and TCP connectivity to HTTPS on the named host.

Permissions

Administrator required: No

Standard reachability and TCP tests usually do not require elevation.

Risk and Impact

Risk level: Low

Changes the system: No

Use only approved destinations; a failed test can reflect a firewall policy rather than an outage.

Supported Platforms

Windows 10 Windows 11 Windows Server

Important Output Fields

RemoteAddress

Address selected after name resolution.

TcpTestSucceeded

Whether a TCP connection reached the requested port.

SourceAddress

Local address used for the test.

Common Errors

TCP connect failed

The port is blocked, closed, filtered, or unreachable.

Related Commands

Continue troubleshooting with related diagnostic commands.

PowerShell Intermediate

Resolve-DnsName

Queries DNS and displays the records returned for a hostname or domain.

PowerShell Beginner

Get-NetIPConfiguration

Shows active interfaces with IP addresses, default gateways, and DNS servers.

Command Prompt Beginner

ping

Tests whether a remote host can be reached and measures basic response time using ICMP echo requests.

Command Prompt Beginner

tracert

Traceroute (tracert) is a command-line utility that displays the path (route) and measures transit delays of packets across an Internet Protocol (IP) network to a target host. It records the route through the network by measuring the time-in-flight for packets to reach each successive router (hop) along the path and reports the IP address or hostname of each hop.

Official References

Test-NetConnection

Microsoft Learn · Official Documentation

Open Source