PowerShell Test-NetConnection

last modified February 15, 2025

In this article, we will cover the Test-NetConnection cmdlet in PowerShell. This cmdlet provides diagnostic information for network connections. It replaces traditional tools like ping and tracert with more powerful features.

Network connection basics

Network connectivity testing is essential for troubleshooting. The Test-NetConnection cmdlet checks if a remote host is reachable. It can test TCP ports, perform route tracing, and measure latency. This cmdlet is available in PowerShell 4.0 and later versions.

Basic ping test

The simplest usage tests basic ICMP connectivity to a host. This is similar to the traditional ping command but provides more detailed output. The cmdlet returns success/failure status and latency information. By default, it tests connectivity four times.

network1.ps1

Test-NetConnection -ComputerName "google.com"

This command tests connectivity to google.com. The output shows if the host is reachable and the average latency. It also displays the remote IP address.

PS C:\> .\network1.ps1

ComputerName           : google.com
RemoteAddress          : 172.217.16.206
InterfaceAlias         : Ethernet
SourceAddress          : 192.168.1.100
PingSucceeded          : True
PingReplyDetails (RTT) : 12 ms

Test specific TCP port

You can test if a specific TCP port is open on a remote host. This is useful for checking service availability. Use the -Port parameter with the port number. The cmdlet attempts to establish a TCP connection to the specified port.

network2.ps1

Test-NetConnection -ComputerName "example.com" -Port 80

This command tests if port 80 (HTTP) is open on example.com. The output shows if the connection succeeded and the time taken. This helps verify web server availability.

Detailed trace route

The cmdlet can perform a route trace similar to tracert. This shows the network path to the destination. Use the -TraceRoute parameter to enable this feature. Each hop in the path is displayed with its latency. This helps identify network bottlenecks.

network3.ps1

Test-NetConnection -ComputerName "microsoft.com" -TraceRoute

This command traces the network route to microsoft.com. The output shows each router along the path. Latency for each hop helps identify slow connections.

Test with specific source address

On multi-homed systems, you can specify which network interface to use. The -SourceAddress parameter defines the local IP address for testing. This is useful when testing connectivity from specific network adapters. It helps verify routing configuration.

network4.ps1

Test-NetConnection -ComputerName "8.8.8.8" -SourceAddress "192.168.1.100"

This command tests connectivity to Google DNS (8.8.8.8) using the specified local IP. The output confirms which interface was used for the test. This helps troubleshoot multi-interface scenarios.

Comprehensive connection test

For thorough testing, combine multiple parameters. This example tests a TCP port with detailed diagnostics. The -InformationLevel parameter provides verbose output. This gives complete connection details for troubleshooting.

network5.ps1

Test-NetConnection -ComputerName "github.com" -Port 443 -InformationLevel "Detailed"

This command performs a detailed test of HTTPS connectivity to github.com. The output includes TCP connection details and timing information. It helps diagnose SSL/TLS connection issues.

Source

PowerShell documentation

In this article, we have covered the Test-NetConnection cmdlet in PowerShell.

Author

My name is Jan Bodnar, and I am a passionate programmer with extensive programming experience. I have been writing programming articles since 2007. To date, I have authored over 1,400 articles and 8 e-books. I possess more than ten years of experience in teaching programming.

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