TCP Checker

Applications and devices communicate over a network mostly using the TCP communication protocol, which allows the safe exchange of messages in data packets. TCP Checker is a lightweight and portable utility that can help network administrators verify whether such a socket connection can be established between a server and a client, for instance. Such an application can come in handy in diagnosing connection issues as well.

As mentioned above, TCP Checker is a portable tool, meaning it does not require you to go through a setup process. Instead, it is available for use as soon as you double-click on the main executable.

You might be surprised by the tiny interface, but TCP Checker is all about simplicity and functionality. It is far from being a complex network tool, but it does allow you to check whether a TCP connection can be made between the local system and a remote host. As you can imagine, this also enables you to see whether the firewall configuration or IP routing rules are the cause of the failed connection.

The main window includes just a few text fileds that you must fill in to check the TCP connection. The first allows you to provide the name of the host server that you want to connect to, while the second requires the port number to use.

Once you enter this data, you can go on and test the connection. If it succeeds, the result icon turns green. Otherwise, it turns red. Should a connection fail catastrophically, a brown icon is shown, and additional details are revealed within a text box.

TCP Checker can aid in troubleshooting connection issues. It allows you to verify whether the firewall or a routing rule are the cause of the problem, or it might be something else. It is a simple tool, but it can be handy to have around.