IsNetworkAlive function (sensapi.h)

Article
10/13/2021

The IsNetworkAlive function determines whether or not a local system is connected to a network, and identifies the type of network connection, for example, a LAN, WAN, or both.

Syntax

BOOL IsNetworkAlive(
  [out] LPDWORD lpdwFlags
);

Parameters

[out] lpdwFlags

The type of network connection that is available. This parameter can be one of the following values:

NETWORK_ALIVE_LAN

The computer has one or more LAN cards that are active.

NETWORK_ALIVE_WAN

The computer has one or more active RAS connections.

Return value

Always call GetLastError before checking the return code of this function. If the last error is not 0, the IsNetworkAlive function has failed and the following TRUE and FALSE values do not apply.

Return code	Description
TRUE	If the last error is 0 and the function returns TRUE, SENS has determined that a local system is connected to a network. For information about the type of connection, see the lpdwFlags parameter.
FALSE	If the last error is 0 and the function returns FALSE, SENS has determined there is no connection.

Remarks

Starting with applications designed for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, developers should consider using the Network List Manager instead of this function.

This function can be used by an application to determine whether or not there is network connectivity before proceeding with network operations. A directory service type of application, e-mail client, or Internet browser can adapt to various types of network connectivity. For example, a printing operation can be deferred until a network connection is available.

It may not always be practical for an application to call IsNetworkAlive to determine whether or not a local system is disconnected from a LAN, because IsNetworkAlive can be slow, and it may take too much time for the function to detect that a local system is disconnected. However, IsNetworkAlive can always identify a WAN connectivity at the moment.

Note This function is only available for TCP/IP connections.

Requirements

Requirement	Value
Minimum supported client	Windows XP [desktop apps only]
Minimum supported server	Windows Server 2003 [desktop apps only]
Target Platform	Windows
Header	sensapi.h
Library	Sensapi.lib
DLL	Sensapi.dll