NetworkInterface Class (System.Net.NetworkInformation)

Microsoft Developer Network

NetworkInterface Class

.NET Framework Class Library

NetworkInterface Class

Provides configuration and statistical information for a network interface.

Namespace: System.Net.NetworkInformation
Assembly: System (in System.dll)

Syntax

Visual Basic (Declaration)

Public MustInherit Class NetworkInterface

Visual Basic (Usage)

Dim instance As NetworkInterface

public abstract class NetworkInterface

Visual C++

public ref class NetworkInterface abstract

JScript

public abstract class NetworkInterface

Remarks

This class encapsulates data for network interfaces, also known as adapters, on the local computer. You do not create instances of this class; the GetAllNetworkInterfaces method returns an array that contains one instance of this class for each network interface on the local computer.

Examples

The following code example displays information about interfaces.

public static void ShowNetworkInterfaces()
{
    IPGlobalProperties computerProperties = IPGlobalProperties.GetIPGlobalProperties();
    NetworkInterface[] nics = NetworkInterface.GetAllNetworkInterfaces();
    Console.WriteLine("Interface information for {0}.{1}     ",
            computerProperties.HostName, computerProperties.DomainName);
    if (nics == null || nics.Length < 1)
    {
        Console.WriteLine("  No network interfaces found.");
        return;
    }

    Console.WriteLine("  Number of interfaces .................... : {0}", nics.Length);
    foreach (NetworkInterface adapter in nics)
    {
        IPInterfaceProperties properties = adapter.GetIPProperties();
        Console.WriteLine();
        Console.WriteLine(adapter.Description);
        Console.WriteLine(String.Empty.PadLeft(adapter.Description.Length,'='));
        Console.WriteLine("  Interface type .......................... : {0}", adapter.NetworkInterfaceType);
        Console.WriteLine("  Physical Address ........................ : {0}", 
                   adapter.GetPhysicalAddress().ToString());
        Console.WriteLine("  Operational status ...................... : {0}", 
            adapter.OperationalStatus);
        string versions ="";

        // Create a display string for the supported IP versions.
        if (adapter.Supports(NetworkInterfaceComponent.IPv4))
        {
             versions = "IPv4";
         }
        if (adapter.Supports(NetworkInterfaceComponent.IPv6))
        {
            if (versions.Length > 0)
            {
                versions += " ";
             }
            versions += "IPv6";
        }
        Console.WriteLine("  IP version .............................. : {0}", versions);
        ShowIPAddresses(properties);

        // The following information is not useful for loopback adapters.
        if (adapter.NetworkInterfaceType == NetworkInterfaceType.Loopback)
        {
            continue;
        }
        Console.WriteLine("  DNS suffix .............................. : {0}", 
            properties.DnsSuffix);

        string label;
        if (adapter.Supports(NetworkInterfaceComponent.IPv4))
        {
            IPv4InterfaceProperties ipv4 = properties.GetIPv4Properties();
            Console.WriteLine("  MTU...................................... : {0}", ipv4.Mtu);
            if (ipv4.UsesWins)
            {

                IPAddressCollection winsServers = properties.WinsServersAddresses;
                if (winsServers.Count > 0)
                {
                    label = "  WINS Servers ............................ :";
                    ShowIPAddresses(label, winsServers);
                }
            }
        }

        Console.WriteLine("  DNS enabled ............................. : {0}", 
            properties.IsDnsEnabled);
        Console.WriteLine("  Dynamically configured DNS .............. : {0}", 
            properties.IsDynamicDnsEnabled);
        Console.WriteLine("  Receive Only ............................ : {0}", 
            adapter.IsReceiveOnly);
        Console.WriteLine("  Multicast ............................... : {0}", 
            adapter.SupportsMulticast);
        ShowInterfaceStatistics(adapter);

        Console.WriteLine();
    }

Visual C++

void ShowNetworkInterfaces()
{
   IPGlobalProperties ^ computerProperties = IPGlobalProperties::GetIPGlobalProperties();
   array<NetworkInterface^>^nics = NetworkInterface::GetAllNetworkInterfaces();
   Console::WriteLine( "Interface information for {0}.{1}     ", computerProperties->HostName, computerProperties->DomainName );
   if ( nics == nullptr || nics->Length < 1 )
   {
      Console::WriteLine( "  No network interfaces found." );
      return;
   }

   Console::WriteLine( "  Number of interfaces .................... : {0}", nics->Length );
   System::Collections::IEnumerator^ myEnum4 = nics->GetEnumerator();
   while ( myEnum4->MoveNext() )
   {
      NetworkInterface ^ adapter = safe_cast<NetworkInterface ^>(myEnum4->Current);
      IPInterfaceProperties ^ properties = adapter->GetIPProperties();
      Console::WriteLine();
      Console::WriteLine( adapter->Description );
      Console::WriteLine( String::Empty->PadLeft( adapter->Description->Length, '=' ) );
      Console::WriteLine( "  Interface type .......................... : {0}",
         adapter->NetworkInterfaceType );
      Console::WriteLine( "  Physical Address ........................ : {0}",
         adapter->GetPhysicalAddress() );
      Console::WriteLine( "  Operational status ...................... : {0}",
         adapter->OperationalStatus );
      String^ versions = "";

      // Create a display string for the supported IP versions.
      if ( adapter->Supports( NetworkInterfaceComponent::IPv4 ) )
      {
         versions = "IPv4";
      }
      if ( adapter->Supports( NetworkInterfaceComponent::IPv6 ) )
      {
         if ( versions->Length > 0 )
         {
            versions = String::Concat( versions, " " );
         }
         versions = String::Concat( versions, "IPv6" );
      }
      Console::WriteLine( "  IP version .............................. : {0}",
         versions );
      ShowIPAddresses( properties );

      // The following information is not useful for loopback adapters.
      if ( adapter->NetworkInterfaceType == NetworkInterfaceType::Loopback )
      {
         continue;
      }
      Console::WriteLine( "  DNS suffix .............................. : {0}",
         properties->DnsSuffix );
      String^ label;

      if ( adapter->Supports( NetworkInterfaceComponent::IPv4 ) )
      {
         IPv4InterfaceProperties ^ ipv4 = properties->GetIPv4Properties();
         Console::WriteLine( "  MTU...................................... : {0}",
            ipv4->Mtu );
         if ( ipv4->UsesWins )
         {
            IPAddressCollection ^ winsServers = properties->WinsServersAddresses;
            if ( winsServers->Count > 0 )
            {
               label = "  WINS Servers ............................ :";
               ShowIPAddresses( label, winsServers );
            }
         }
      }
      Console::WriteLine( "  DNS enabled ............................. : {0}",
         properties->IsDnsEnabled );
      Console::WriteLine( "  Dynamically configured DNS .............. : {0}",
         properties->IsDynamicDnsEnabled );
      Console::WriteLine( "  Receive Only ............................ : {0}",
         adapter->IsReceiveOnly );
      Console::WriteLine( "  Multicast ............................... : {0}",
         adapter->SupportsMulticast );
      ShowInterfaceStatistics( adapter );
      Console::WriteLine();
   }
}

.NET Framework Security

SecurityPermission
for executing unmanaged code. Associated enumeration: UnmanagedCode

Inheritance Hierarchy

System..::.Object
System.Net.NetworkInformation..::.NetworkInterface

Thread Safety

Any public static (Shared in Visual Basic) members of this type are thread safe. Any instance members are not guaranteed to be thread safe.

Platforms

Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP SP2, Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows XP Starter Edition, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2000 SP4, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 98

The .NET Framework and .NET Compact Framework do not support all versions of every platform. For a list of the supported versions, see .NET Framework System Requirements.

Version Information

.NET Framework

Supported in: 3.5, 3.0, 2.0

Reference

NetworkInterface Members

System.Net.NetworkInformation Namespace