How to See Active Network Connections (Windows)

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
Method 1 of 4:

Accessing the Network and Sharing Menu in Windows 7 through 10

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    Click Start.
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    Go to Settings.
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    Select "Ethernet" under the options of "Network & Internet".
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    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]
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    Click Details. This will prompt a window to display that will show the details of your network connection.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 4:

Using the Network Connections Folder in Windows 7

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    Open the Start menu.
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    Search "ncpa.cpl" without the quotation marks in the search box.
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    Wait for the Network Connections Folder to display. This will show you all of the available connections on your network.
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    Right click on the connection you want.
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    Select Status in the drop down menu.
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    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]
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Method 3
Method 3 of 4:

Using the Netstat Command in Vista or Later

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    Go to the Start menu.
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    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]
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    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.
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    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]
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    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]
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    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]
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    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]
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    Check active network connections. Once you have entered your netstat command, a list of TCP/UDP connections with IP addresses will appear.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 4:

Using the Netstat Command in XP

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    Press Start.
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    Click "Run." This will prompt a text box to appear.
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    Type "cmd" without the quotation marks.
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    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/UDP connections with IP addresses will appear.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    Why isn't my computer shown in the network group?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Your computer is probably not set to work with the networking group then. You need to re-configure that correctly.
  • Question
    How do I get access on other websites using my active network connections?
    Community Answer
    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.
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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
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This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles 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 937,981 times.
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Co-authors: 31
Updated: June 15, 2021
Views: 937,981
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!

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