"No internet" icons, captive portals and what they really mean
Why Windows sometimes says "No internet" when things work (and vice versa), how captive portals behave, and how to test real connectivity.
- Level
- Beginner
- Length
- About 30 minutes
- Contents
- 3 lessons · 1 video · final exam
- Status
- Published · updated 1 Oct 2026
Skills you'll practise
- Explain how Windows decides to show "No internet"
- Recognize when the indicator is wrong (proxy, filtered probe) and how to prove real connectivity
- Handle captive portals on hotel and guest networks
Course outline
- 1."No internet" icons, captive portals and what they really meanVideo · 5 min
- 2.How the indicator worksLesson · 12 min
- 3.Testing real connectivity and handling captive portalsLesson · 10 min
- 4.Inside the connectivity check: probes, proxies and corporate networksLesson · 13 min
- 5."No internet" icons, captive portals and what they really mean: knowledge checkKnowledge check · 14 questions
- 6."No internet" icon, but everything worksScenario
- 7.Final exam6 questions · passing it completes the course, so people who already know the material can test out
Sources it draws on
The lessons and questions are written from these references, so learners can go back to the original.
- Microsoft Learn: Network Connectivity Status Indicator (NCSI) overview
- RFC 8910: Captive-Portal Identification in DHCP and Router Advertisements
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