PowerShell Script to Test Network Connectivity Quickly

Use the PowerShell command Test-Connection -ComputerName 'hostname_or_ip' -Count 2 to test network connectivity by sending ping requests.

Examples

InputTest-Connection -ComputerName '8.8.8.8' -Count 2

OutputSource Destination IPV4Address IPV6Address Bytes Time(ms) TTL ------ ----------- ----------- ----------- ----- -------- --- YourPCName 8.8.8.8 8.8.8.8 32 20 117 YourPCName 8.8.8.8 8.8.8.8 32 21 117

InputTest-Connection -ComputerName 'localhost' -Count 1

OutputSource Destination IPV4Address IPV6Address Bytes Time(ms) TTL ------ ----------- ----------- ----------- ----- -------- --- YourPCName localhost 127.0.0.1 32 0 128

InputTest-Connection -ComputerName '192.0.2.123' -Count 1

OutputTest-Connection : Ping request could not find host 192.0.2.123. Please check the name and try again.

How to Think About It

To test network connectivity, you send a small message called a ping to the target computer or IP address. If the target replies, it means the network path is working. PowerShell's Test-Connection command does this by sending ICMP echo requests and waiting for replies.

Algorithm

1

Get the target hostname or IP address as input.

2

Send a ping request to the target using a network test command.

3

Wait for the response from the target.

4

If a reply is received, report success with timing details.

5

If no reply is received, report failure or unreachable host.

Code

powershell

param(
  [string]$Target = "8.8.8.8"
)

try {
  $result = Test-Connection -ComputerName $Target -Count 2 -ErrorAction Stop
  $result | Format-Table -Property Source, Destination, IPV4Address, Bytes, Time, TTL
} catch {
  Write-Output "Failed to reach $Target: $_"
}

Output

Source        Destination     IPV4Address      Bytes    Time(ms)  TTL
------        -----------     -----------      -----    --------  ---
YourPCName    8.8.8.8         8.8.8.8          32       20        117
YourPCName    8.8.8.8         8.8.8.8          32       21        117

Dry Run

Let's trace testing connectivity to 8.8.8.8 through the script

1

Input Target

Target = '8.8.8.8'

2

Send Ping

Test-Connection sends 2 ping requests to 8.8.8.8

3

Receive Response

Replies received with timing and TTL info

Ping #	Source	Destination	Bytes	Time(ms)	TTL
1	YourPCName	8.8.8.8	32	20	117
2	YourPCName	8.8.8.8	32	21	117

Why This Works

Step 1: Send Ping Requests

The Test-Connection command sends ICMP echo requests to the target to check if it is reachable.

Step 2: Wait for Replies

It waits for replies and measures the time taken for each response.

Step 3: Report Results

If replies come back, it shows details like source, destination, bytes, time, and TTL; otherwise, it reports failure.

Alternative Approaches

Using System.Net.NetworkInformation.Ping Class

powershell

param([string]$Target = "8.8.8.8")
$ping = New-Object System.Net.NetworkInformation.Ping
$reply = $ping.Send($Target)
if ($reply.Status -eq 'Success') {
  Write-Output "Ping to $Target successful: Time=$($reply.RoundtripTime)ms"
} else {
  Write-Output "Ping to $Target failed: $($reply.Status)"
}

This method gives more control over ping options but requires more code.

Using Test-NetConnection Cmdlet

powershell

Test-NetConnection -ComputerName 8.8.8.8 -InformationLevel Quiet

Simpler command that returns True/False for connectivity but less detailed info.

Complexity: O(n) time, O(1) space

Time Complexity

The time depends linearly on the number of ping requests sent (n). Each ping waits for a reply or timeout.

Space Complexity

The script uses constant extra memory to store ping results and output.

Which Approach is Fastest?

Using Test-NetConnection is fastest for simple checks, while Test-Connection provides detailed info with moderate overhead.

Approach	Time	Space	Best For
Test-Connection	O(n)	O(1)	Detailed ping info with multiple attempts
System.Net.Ping Class	O(n)	O(1)	Custom ping control and handling
Test-NetConnection	O(1)	O(1)	Quick connectivity check with simple output