Testing Local Connection / Internet Connection

**Peter Duniho** · Mar 25 '08, 05:25 PM

Re: Testing Local Connection / Internet Connection

On Tue, 25 Mar 2008 10:03:01 -0700, Bsmengen
<Bsmengen@discu ssions.microsof t.comwrote:

I am trying to make sure that the local connection is up. I have
presently
been using the NetworkChange.N etworkAvailabil ityChanged Event for this.
Is
there a better way to do this?
>
Also, I want to test to see if the Internet Connection is up. I need the
Internet to be up for the Web Services I am calling. Is it better to
test
the Internet Connection through Pinging an IP Address (I presently do 3
ping
failures for it to be down) or some other way? Is there any
eventhandler out
there for checking the internet connection?

The absolute best way to detect whether your web service calls will
succeed is to try them.

You can detect network availability, but that obviously won't tell you
whether you're on the Internet or just a LAN. You also cannot reliably
know whether the network will become present at some time in the future.
For example, merely attempting network access is, in some cases,
sufficient for enabling a network that was not previously present (e.g.
dial-up network adapter).

Just because the network's not there when you look, that doesn't mean it
won't be if you try to do something with it. Likewise, just because it's
there when you do look, that doesn't mean it will be when you try to do
something with it.

Along these same lines is the Internet connectivity issue. The same thing
applies: just because it's not available when you look, that doesn't mean
it won't be when you try to use it later, and vice a versa.

So, your code must handle the error cases anyway, and it's rude to the
user to provide them with false negatives (not making an attempt to call
the web service even though it might have worked). So you should just
ignore the question of whether the network is present and connected to the
Internet, and just try to use it. If it succeeds, great...if not, tell
the user and let them deal with it. They have a _lot_ more information
than your code ever could and can much more successfully handle the issue.

Pete

**=?Utf-8?B?QnNtZW5nZW4=?=** · Mar 25 '08, 05:45 PM

Re: Testing Local Connection / Internet Connection

Peter,

Thanks so much for the prompt response.

However, I am running a standalone application where there is no user around
to deal with it. I have to deal with it. I am also dealing with FTP issues
and need both the local connection and internet connection up. Could you
please explain to me how to best do that in your opinion?

Thanks again,
Bob

"Peter Duniho" wrote:

On Tue, 25 Mar 2008 10:03:01 -0700, Bsmengen
<Bsmengen@discu ssions.microsof t.comwrote:
>

I am trying to make sure that the local connection is up. I have
presently
been using the NetworkChange.N etworkAvailabil ityChanged Event for this.
Is
there a better way to do this?

Also, I want to test to see if the Internet Connection is up. I need the
Internet to be up for the Web Services I am calling. Is it better to
test
the Internet Connection through Pinging an IP Address (I presently do 3
ping
failures for it to be down) or some other way? Is there any
eventhandler out
there for checking the internet connection?

>
The absolute best way to detect whether your web service calls will
succeed is to try them.
>
You can detect network availability, but that obviously won't tell you
whether you're on the Internet or just a LAN. You also cannot reliably
know whether the network will become present at some time in the future.
For example, merely attempting network access is, in some cases,
sufficient for enabling a network that was not previously present (e.g.
dial-up network adapter).
>
Just because the network's not there when you look, that doesn't mean it
won't be if you try to do something with it. Likewise, just because it's
there when you do look, that doesn't mean it will be when you try to do
something with it.
>
Along these same lines is the Internet connectivity issue. The same thing
applies: just because it's not available when you look, that doesn't mean
it won't be when you try to use it later, and vice a versa.
>
So, your code must handle the error cases anyway, and it's rude to the
user to provide them with false negatives (not making an attempt to call
the web service even though it might have worked). So you should just
ignore the question of whether the network is present and connected to the
Internet, and just try to use it. If it succeeds, great...if not, tell
the user and let them deal with it. They have a _lot_ more information
than your code ever could and can much more successfully handle the issue.
>
Pete
>

**Ignacio Machin ( .NET/ C# MVP )** · Mar 25 '08, 05:45 PM

Re: Testing Local Connection / Internet Connection

On Mar 25, 1:34 pm, Bsmengen <Bsmen...@discu ssions.microsof t.com>
wrote:

Peter,
>
Thanks so much for the prompt response.
>
However, I am running a standalone application where there is no user around
to deal with it. I have to deal with it. I am also dealing with FTP issues
and need both the local connection and internet connection up. Could you
please explain to me how to best do that in your opinion?
>
Thanks again,
Bob
>
>
>
"Peter Duniho" wrote:

On Tue, 25 Mar 2008 10:03:01 -0700, Bsmengen
<Bsmen...@discu ssions.microsof t.comwrote:

>

I am trying to make sure that the local connection is up. I have
presently
been using the NetworkChange.N etworkAvailabil ityChanged Event for this..
Is
there a better way to do this?

>

Also, I want to test to see if the Internet Connection is up. I need the
Internet to be up for the Web Services I am calling. Is it better to
test
the Internet Connection through Pinging an IP Address (I presently do 3
ping
failures for it to be down) or some other way? Is there any
eventhandler out
there for checking the internet connection?

>

The absolute best way to detect whether your web service calls will
succeed is to try them.

>

You can detect network availability, but that obviously won't tell you
whether you're on the Internet or just a LAN. You also cannot reliably
know whether the network will become present at some time in the future.
For example, merely attempting network access is, in some cases,
sufficient for enabling a network that was not previously present (e.g.
dial-up network adapter).

>

Just because the network's not there when you look, that doesn't mean it
won't be if you try to do something with it. Likewise, just because it's
there when you do look, that doesn't mean it will be when you try to do
something with it.

>

Along these same lines is the Internet connectivity issue. The same thing
applies: just because it's not available when you look, that doesn't mean
it won't be when you try to use it later, and vice a versa.

>

So, your code must handle the error cases anyway, and it's rude to the
user to provide them with false negatives (not making an attempt to call
the web service even though it might have worked). So you should just
ignore the question of whether the network is present and connected to the
Internet, and just try to use it. If it succeeds, great...if not, tell
the user and let them deal with it. They have a _lot_ more information
than your code ever could and can much more successfully handle the issue.

>

Pete- Hide quoted text -

>
- Show quoted text -

Hi,

It's as simple as trying to conenct to the ftp server, if you can
connect there is connectivity TO THE SERVER, that is what you care
about in reality.
Cause, what would you call it if there is connectivity to the rest of
the internet but to your server?

**Ignacio Machin ( .NET/ C# MVP )** · Mar 25 '08, 05:45 PM

Re: Testing Local Connection / Internet Connection

On Mar 25, 1:03 pm, Bsmengen <Bsmen...@discu ssions.microsof t.com>
wrote:

I am trying to make sure that the local connection is up. I have presently
been using the NetworkChange.N etworkAvailabil ityChanged Event for this. Is
there a better way to do this?
>
Also, I want to test to see if the Internet Connection is up. I need the
Internet to be up for the Web Services I am calling. Is it better to test
the Internet Connection through Pinging an IP Address (I presently do 3 ping
failures for it to be down) or some other way? Is there any eventhandler out
there for checking the internet connection?
>
Thanks

Hi,

And what happens if the server is up (you get ping) but the web
service is down?

**Peter Duniho** · Mar 25 '08, 05:45 PM

Re: Testing Local Connection / Internet Connection

On Tue, 25 Mar 2008 10:34:00 -0700, Bsmengen
<Bsmengen@discu ssions.microsof t.comwrote:

However, I am running a standalone application where there is no user
around
to deal with it. I have to deal with it.

Unless you've got a robot controlled by your code that can plug the
network cable back in, you're stuck.

My main point is that checking for network conditions before trying to use
the network doesn't benefit you in any way. If you find that the network
isn't there, that doesn't mean it won't be there if and when you try to
use it. And if you find that the network _is_ there, that doesn't mean it
will still be there if and when you try to use it.

I am also dealing with FTP issues
and need both the local connection and internet connection up. Could you
please explain to me how to best do that in your opinion?

To do what? If you're asking how to find out whether the connection is
"up", I've already explained that. If you're asking something else, I
don't understand the question.

Pete

**=?Utf-8?B?QnNtZW5nZW4=?=** · Mar 25 '08, 07:35 PM

Re: Testing Local Connection / Internet Connection

Thanks so much for your help.
--
Bob

"Ignacio Machin ( .NET/ C# MVP )" wrote:

On Mar 25, 1:03 pm, Bsmengen <Bsmen...@discu ssions.microsof t.com>
wrote:

I am trying to make sure that the local connection is up. I have presently
been using the NetworkChange.N etworkAvailabil ityChanged Event for this. Is
there a better way to do this?

Also, I want to test to see if the Internet Connection is up. I need the
Internet to be up for the Web Services I am calling. Is it better to test
the Internet Connection through Pinging an IP Address (I presently do 3 ping
failures for it to be down) or some other way? Is there any eventhandler out
there for checking the internet connection?

Thanks

>
Hi,
>
And what happens if the server is up (you get ping) but the web
service is down?
>
>

Testing Local Connection / Internet Connection

Testing Local Connection / Internet Connection

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