This causes the switch off
With the Network Connectivity Status Indicator or NCSI for short, Microsoft has integrated an actually quite useful feature into current versions of its operating system such as Windows 10 or Windows 11. This automatically determines whether there is currently an active connection to the Internet and displays the result in the notification area of the taskbar.
- During the test, NCSI first sends a DNS query to the address www.msftmcsi.com . A request is then made to the file http://www.msftmcsi.com/ncsi.txt and finally a DNS query for dns.msftncsi.com.
- The result of the test can be seen by looking at the network icon in the taskbar. A crossed out circle or cross indicates that there is no internet connection. A yellow triangle with an exclamation mark indicates a problem.
- But: In some network configurations, NCSI shows problems even though the connection to the Internet works without any problems. Software firewalls or virus scanners can also interfere with the test.
- NCSI is also not entirely unproblematic when it comes to data protection, as the test always sends the current IP address of the computer to Microsoft. To prevent this, you should switch off the check.
- Although Windows uses other methods to check the current connection status, after deactivating NCSI it may no longer reliably indicate whether you are currently connected to the Internet. However, your internet connection will not be affected.
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