HOW-TO: Check network connectivity

Checking network connectivity involves verifying both your local network connection and your ability to access the internet. Here are the steps for Windows, macOS, and Linux:

Windows

1. Using Network & Internet Settings:
   1. Press Win + I to open Settings.
   2. Go to “Network & Internet.”
   3. Under “Status,” you can see if you are connected to the internet. It will say “You are connected to the Internet” if your connection is active.
2. Using Command Prompt:
   1. Press Win + R, type cmd, and press Enter.
   2. Type ping google.com and press Enter.
      • If you see replies from the server (e.g., Reply from 142.250.72.14: bytes=32 time=14ms TTL=118), your internet connection is active.
      • If you see errors (e.g., Request timed out), there may be an issue with your internet connection.
   3. Type ipconfig and press Enter.
      • This will display your network configuration. Look for the “IPv4 Address” under your active network connection to see if you have an IP address assigned.
3. Using Network Troubleshooter:
   1. Press Win + I to open Settings.
   2. Go to “Update & Security” > “Troubleshoot.”
   3. Click on “Additional troubleshooters” (if using Windows 10) or “Other troubleshooters” (if using Windows 11).
   4. Select “Internet Connections” and click “Run the troubleshooter.”
   5. Follow the prompts to identify and fix network issues.

macOS

1. Using Network Preferences:
   1. Click on the Apple menu in the top-left corner and select “System Preferences.”
   2. Click on “Network.”
   3. Your active network connection will be highlighted, and its status will be displayed (e.g., “Connected”).
2. Using Terminal:
   1. Open Terminal (you can find it in Applications > Utilities).
   2. Type ping google.com and press Enter.
      • If you see replies from the server (e.g., 64 bytes from 142.250.72.14: icmp_seq=0 ttl=118 time=14ms), your internet connection is active.
      • If you see errors (e.g., Request timeout for icmp_seq 0), there may be an issue with your internet connection.
   3. Type ifconfig and press Enter.
      • This will display your network configuration. Look for the inet entry under your active network interface (usually en0 for Wi-Fi) to see if you have an IP address assigned.

Linux

1. Using Network Manager:
   • Open the network manager applet (usually found in the system tray or system settings).
   • Check the status of your active network connection (e.g., “Connected” or “Disconnected”).
2. Using Terminal:
   1. Open a terminal window.
   2. Type ping google.com and press Enter.
      • If you see replies from the server (e.g., 64 bytes from 142.250.72.14: icmp_seq=0 ttl=118 time=14ms), your internet connection is active.
      • If you see errors (e.g., ping: google.com: Name or service not known), there may be an issue with your internet connection.
   3. Type ifconfig or ip addr and press Enter.
      • This will display your network configuration. Look for the inet entry under your active network interface (e.g., eth0 for wired or wlan0 for wireless) to see if you have an IP address assigned.
3. Using Network Troubleshooter (Ubuntu):
   1. Open a terminal window.
   2. Type nmcli device status and press Enter.
      • This will display the status of your network devices (e.g., “connected” or “disconnected”).
   3. Type nmcli networking connectivity check and press Enter.
      • This will check the network connectivity status and provide a result (e.g., “full,” “limited,” or “none”).

These methods will help you check your network connectivity on most operating systems.