Wi-Fi automatically disconnects when no public internet access is available

Hi @kerman QPC ,

Thank you for sharing the details.

From my understanding, this behavior is tied to the Network Connectivity Status Indicator (NCSI), which checks for public internet connectivity using http://www.msftconnecttest.com/connecttest.txt. When the check fails, Windows marks the network as “limited,” and in some cases, auto-disconnect occurs.

Why This Happens

Windows is designed to improve user experience by detecting captive portals and avoiding “dead” connections. However, in intranet-only environments, this can feel unnecessary.

While there’s no direct toggle in current Windows versions, you can disable the active probe that triggers this behavior. Here are two common approaches:

Option 1: Disable NCSI Active Probes via Registry

1. Open Registry Editor (regedit).
2. Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NlaSvc\Parameters\Internet
3. Modify or create the DWORD value:

• Name: EnableActiveProbing
• Value: 0 (to disable)

4. Restart your computer.

This stops Windows from checking msftconnecttest.com, so your Wi-Fi won’t disconnect due to lack of internet.

Option 2: Use Group Policy (Enterprise Recommended)

1. Open Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc).
2. Go to: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Network > Network Connectivity Status Indicator
3. Enable the policy: "Specify passive polling".
4. Apply and restart.

Important Note: Disabling NCSI means Windows won’t detect captive portals or limited connectivity, which is usually fine for intranet setups. For more details, see:

• Microsoft Docs: Network Connectivity Status Indicator
• Group Policy Settings for NCSI

If this resolves your issue, please let me know. Your feedback helps others with similar setups.