Network Connectivity Status Indicator

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The Network Connectivity Status Indicator ( NCSI ) is a feature in Microsoft operating systems that checks whether the computer is connected to the Internet . A Microsoft web server is provided here, which must be accessible.

functionality

Microsoft has provided a web server at msftconnecttest.com , which provides the two text files "connecttest.txt" and "nsci.txt" with the content "Microsoft Connect Test" and "Microsoft NCSI".

The Windows operating system can automatically check whether these text files are available and have the correct text content. If this is the case, Windows can report that there is an active internet connection, otherwise there is no active internet connection.

Corporate environment

Proxy servers are usually used in larger networks and companies . As a result, a computer cannot establish a direct connection to the Microsoft web server. This means that all Windows computers falsely report that there is no Internet connection as long as they have not authenticated themselves on the proxy server. This is often noticeable through an exclamation mark or a warning symbol in the system tray next to the network symbol.

This can be remedied by adapting the group guidelines or deactivating the function in the registration database . For this purpose, for example, another server can be entered with which the network check is to be carried out.

criticism

The fact that Microsoft can use NCSI to register the current IP address of online access from any device equipped with the Windows operating system when logging on to the network has been criticized by data protectionists . Deactivation can only be carried out with specialist knowledge.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Ncsi exam - Switching off unwanted Internet queries from Windows , techchannel.de, accessed on January 17, 2020