How to See Active Network Connections (Windows)

wikiHow Staff
Co-authored bywikiHow Staff

wikiHow’s team of trained editors and researchers

November 15, 2019References

You may find yourself needing to check your current network connectivity when using your Windows computer. There are a few simple methods that you can use to accomplish this. For Windows 10, you can access the Network and Sharing Center. For all other users, the “netstat,” or network statistics, is a command-line tool that can be used to uncover problems or detect the amount of traffic in the network. Fortunately, this command can be employed in a few simple steps.

Method 1 of 4:
Accessing the Network and Sharing Menu in Windows 7 through 10

  1. Image titled See Active Network Connections (Windows) Step 1
    1
    Click Start.
  2. Image titled See Active Network Connections (Windows) Step 2
    2
    Go to Settings.
  3. Image titled See Active Network Connections (Windows) Step 3
    3
    Select Ethernet.
  4. Image titled See Active Network Connections (Windows) Step 4
    4
    Go to the Network and Sharing Center. The Network and Sharing Center is a feature of Windows 10 where you can find that status of your network, the type of connection you have, if you can connect to other computers other than your own, and if you are connected to your network or the internet.[1]
  5. Image titled See Active Network Connections (Windows) Step 5
    5
    Click on the icon next to "Connections." This should correspond to your connection type, for example "Ethernet" will be paired with an ethernet cable "plug" and a wireless network connection will be paired with five bars.[2]
  6. Image titled See Active Network Connections (Windows) Step 6
    6
    Click Details. This will prompt a window to display that will show the details of your network connection.
    Advertisement

Method 2 of 4:
Using the Network Connections Folder in Windows 7

  1. Image titled See Active Network Connections (Windows) Step 7
    1
    Open the Start menu.
  2. Image titled See Active Network Connections (Windows) Step 8
    2
    Search "ncpa.cpl" without the quotation marks in the search box.
  3. Image titled See Active Network Connections (Windows) Step 9
    3
    Wait for the Network Connections Folder to display. This will show you all of the available connections on your network.
  4. Image titled See Active Network Connections (Windows) Step 10
    4
    Right click on the connection you want.
  5. Image titled See Active Network Connections (Windows) Step 11
    5
    Select Status in the drop down menu.
  6. Image titled See Active Network Connections (Windows) Step 12
    6
    Wait for the Network Connection Status page to appear. This is where you will be able to view the status of the network. You can select Details for more information.[3]
    Advertisement

Method 3 of 4:
Using the Netstat Command in Vista or Later

  1. Image titled See Active Network Connections (Windows) Step 13
    1
    Go to the Start menu.
  2. Image titled See Active Network Connections (Windows) Step 14
    2
    Search “cmd.” Enter "cmd" without the quotation marks in the search box if on Vista or a later version of Windows to open the command prompt.[4]
  3. Image titled See Active Network Connections (Windows) Step 15
    3
    Wait for a black window, or terminal, to appear. This is where you will enter your netstat command. There are a few different options that you can use and some of the more popular are listed below.
  4. Image titled See Active Network Connections (Windows) Step 16
    4
    Enter netstat -a to show current connections. This command will show you a list of your current TCP, or Transmission Control Protocol connections and ports, with the physical computer name listed for local addresses and the host name listed for remote addresses. It will also tell you the state of the port (waiting, established, etc…)[5]
  5. Image titled See Active Network Connections (Windows) Step 17
    5
    Enter netstat -b to show which programs are using connections. This command will show you the same list as netstast -a but it will also show you which programs are using the connections/ports.[6]
  6. Image titled See Active Network Connections (Windows) Step 18
    6
    Enter netstat -n to show IP addresses. This command will show you the same list of TCP connections and ports, but with numerical, or IP addresses instead of the actual names of the computers or services.[7]
  7. Image titled See Active Network Connections (Windows) Step 19
    7
    Enter netstat /? to show the different commands that are available to you. This command will provide you with the statistics for all of the variations of the netstat protocols.[8]
  8. Image titled See Active Network Connections (Windows) Step 20
    8
    Check active network connections. Once you have entered your netstat command, a list of TCP/UCP connections with IP addresses will appear.
    Advertisement

Method 4 of 4:
Using the Netstat Command in XP

  1. Image titled See Active Network Connections (Windows) Step 21
    1
    Press Start.
  2. Image titled See Active Network Connections (Windows) Step 22
    2
    Click "Run." This will prompt a text box to appear.
  3. Image titled See Active Network Connections (Windows) Step 23
    3
    Type "cmd" without the quotation marks.
  4. Image titled See Active Network Connections (Windows) Step 24
    4
    Wait for a black window, or terminal, to appear. This is where you will enter your netstat command. There are a few different options that you can use and some of the more popular are listed below.
  5. Image titled See Active Network Connections (Windows) Step 25
    5
    Enter netstat -a to show current connections. This command will show you a list of your current TCP, or Transmission Control Protocol connections and ports, with the physical computer name listed for local addresses and the host name listed for remote addresses. It will also tell you the state of the port (waiting, established, etc…)[9]
  6. Image titled See Active Network Connections (Windows) Step 26
    6
    Enter netstat -b to show which programs are using connections. This command will show you the same list as netstast -a but it will also show you which programs are using the connections/ports.[10]
  7. Image titled See Active Network Connections (Windows) Step 27
    7
    Enter netstat -n to show IP addresses. This command will show you the same list of TCP connections and ports, but with numerical, or IP addresses instead of the actual names of the computers or services.[11]
  8. Image titled See Active Network Connections (Windows) Step 28
    8
    Enter netstat /? to show the different commands that are available to you. This command will provide you with the statistics for all of the variations of the netstat protocols.[12]
  9. Image titled See Active Network Connections (Windows) Step 29
    9
    Check active network connections. Once you have entered your netstat command, a list of TCP/UCP connections with IP addresses will appear.
    Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    Why isn't my computer shown in the network group?
    Community Answer
    Your computer is probably not set to work with the networking group then. You need to re-configure that correctly.
    Thanks!
    YesNo
    Not Helpful 8Helpful 2
  • Question
    How do I get access on other websites using my active network connections?
    Community Answer
    If you have the proper credentials, use an ssh-connection, if this port is open on the website you would like to access.
    Thanks!
    YesNo
    Not Helpful 0Helpful 0
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit

      Advertisement

      Tips

      • Experiment - there are many UNIX commands available (i.e. "netstat" mentioned above)- use your favorite search engine to look them up.
        Thanks!
      • Alternatively download TCPView from SysInternals
        Thanks!
      • It should be noted that the netstat command is outdated on Linux, therefore, "ip –s," "ss," or "ip route" may be used instead of the netstat command.
        Thanks!

      Advertisement
      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

      Related wikiHows

      Make a Network Cable

      How to

      Make a Network Cable
      Network

      How to

      Network
      Set up a Wireless Network (WiFi) Connection

      How to

      Set up a Wireless Network (WiFi) Connection
      Build a Social Network

      How to

      Build a Social Network
      Find All Commands of CMD in Your Computer

      How to

      Find All Commands of CMD in Your Computer
      Connect One Router to Another to Expand a Network

      How to

      Connect One Router to Another to Expand a Network
      Virtualize Your IT Environment

      How to

      Virtualize Your IT Environment
      Connect Two Computers

      How to

      Connect Two Computers
      Install a Network Printer

      How to

      Install a Network Printer
      Connect Two Computers Together with an Ethernet Cable

      How to

      Connect Two Computers Together with an Ethernet Cable
      Connect Two Monitors

      How to

      Connect Two Monitors
      Configure Your PC to a Local Area Network

      How to

      Configure Your PC to a Local Area Network
      Share an Internet Connection

      How to

      Share an Internet Connection
      Set up a Network Drive

      How to

      Set up a Network Drive
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-vista/view-the-status-of-your-network
      2. ↑ http://www.cox.com/residential/support/internet/article.cox?articleId=2431aa40-1d50-11e2-4953-000000000000
      3. ↑ https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg252549(v=ws.10).aspx
      4. ↑ http://superuser.com/questions/11207/how-can-i-see-all-active-connections
      5. ↑ https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff961504.aspx
      6. ↑ https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff961504.aspx
      7. ↑ https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff961504.aspx
      8. ↑ https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff961504.aspx
      9. ↑ https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff961504.aspx
      1. ↑ https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff961504.aspx
      2. ↑ https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff961504.aspx
      3. ↑ https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff961504.aspx

      About This Article

      wikiHow Staff
      Co-authored by
      wikiHow Staff Editor
      This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. This article has been viewed 816,096 times.
      How helpful is this?
      Co-authors: 28
      Updated: November 15, 2019
      Views: 816,096
      Categories: Computer Networking | Windows
      Article SummaryX

      To see your active network connections in Windows, start by selecting Settings in your Start menu and going to Ethernet. Then, click on the Network and Sharing Center before choosing the icon that’s next to Connections. On the next page, click on Details to display information about your network connection. Alternatively, if you’re using Windows 7, open the Start menu and type NCPA.CPL into the search box. After the Network Connections folder opens, right click on the connection you want and choose Status from the dropdown menu. After the Network Status page loads, go to Details to find out more about the connection. For tips on how to get network connection details on Windows Vista or XP, keep reading!

      Did this summary help you?
      In other languages
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 816,096 times.

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisement