Sometimes you need to test if a network connection works without actually using the intended client program. Normally you would use a tool like telnet or nc to do this, e.g.

$ telnet www.google.com 80
Trying 172.217.20.68...
Connected to www.google.com.
Escape character is '^]'.

or

$ nc -z -v -w5 www.google.com 80
Connection to www.google.com 80 port [tcp/http] succeeded!

But these tools aren’t always installed on the machine you want to test the connection from. You can then use bash to check the connection.

$ timeout 5 bash -c 'cat < /dev/null > /dev/tcp/www.google.com/80'; echo $?
0

If the result is 0, the connection was successful. If there is an error before the timeout is hit, e.g. the hostname is not known, the result is 1:

$ timeout 5 bash -c 'cat < /dev/null > /dev/tcp/www.google.not_a_tld/80'; echo $?
bash: www.google.not_a_tld: Name or service not known
bash: /dev/tcp/www.google.not_a_tld/80: Invalid argument
1

If there is a timeout, e.g. the network refuses to set up the connection or there is no process listening on the specified host and port, the result is 124:

$ timeout 5 bash -c 'cat < /dev/null > /dev/tcp/www.google.not_a_tld/80'; echo $?
124
Test TCP connection without telnet or nc
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9 thoughts on “Test TCP connection without telnet or nc

  • 2017-11-06 at 09:27
    Permalink

    Very useful tips, I think it’s common situation that we need to check local or remote host/port in minimal Linux environment without authority to install additional components, I’ve checked it on Centos 7 minimal installation and openSUSE Leap 42.1 and it works well. Thanks for the tips…

    Reply
  • 2018-08-29 at 22:12
    Permalink

    Can you explain this command:
    timeout 5 bash -c ‘cat /dev/tcp/www.google.com/80’; echo $?
    I am interested more in understanding what is going on in this part of the command:
    bash -c ‘cat /dev/tcp/www.google.com/80’

    Reply
  • 2018-09-24 at 17:01
    Permalink

    Best. Linux. Tip. Ever.

    Reply
  • 2019-03-28 at 01:24
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    I do not have /dev/tcp on my server. Any other way ?

    Reply
    • 2019-06-27 at 22:34
      Permalink

      cvvr, /dev/tcp isn’t a file that you can find in the filesystem; according to bash(1), bash itself is what recognizes the “/dev/tcp/[ip]/[port]” ‘path’ and decides to make a TCP connection to it.

      Reply
  • 2020-03-06 at 08:16
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    I am using this command remotely by passing bunch of server list in a input file.. For some servers it is responding with “0” and for some servers with “1”.. Invalid argument error……… I am converting hostname to ip and storing it in tempory file from which the ip is taken for the /dev/tcp command…..

    Please suggest anything needed

    Reply
  • 2020-05-13 at 16:30
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    This is fricken awesome. In a production env, we never have telnet or netcat available and its too much of a hassle to get netcat installed. This works beautifully. Much thanks!

    Reply
  • 2022-02-05 at 15:14
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    This works beautifully. big thanks!

    Reply
  • 2022-02-05 at 15:17
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    I think do not have /dev/tcp on my server. Any other way ?

    Reply

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