When you connect to a new Wi-Fi network or plug in an Ethernet cable, Ubuntu’s Network Manager instantly pings a Canonical server (usually connectivity-check.ubuntu.com) to see if it can reach the outside internet. If it receives a response, it displays a solid Wi-Fi icon. If it gets intercepted, it assumes you are on a hotel or airport “Captive Portal” and opens a login window.
However, if your corporate firewall blocks pings to Canonical, or if you are running a completely offline local network, Network Manager will constantly display an annoying question mark (?) over your network icon and repeatedly attempt to open a captive portal window that goes nowhere. You can disable this connectivity check entirely to stop the constant pings.
How to Turn Off Network Connectivity Checking in Ubuntu
You can easily disable this feature from the main Ubuntu Privacy settings.
- Click the network/battery icon cluster in the top-right corner of the Ubuntu top bar and select Settings (the gear icon).
- In the left-hand navigation sidebar, scroll down and click on Privacy (or Privacy & Security depending on your exact version of GNOME).
- In the main window on the right, click on Connectivity.
- A small dialogue box will appear explaining that the system checks for internet access.
- Click the toggle switch labelled Connectivity Checking to turn it Off.
The annoying question mark over your Wi-Fi icon will immediately disappear, replaced by the standard network strength bars. Network Manager will now blindly assume that any connection you make is fully functional, meaning it will no longer harass you with false-positive captive portal login screens on restricted local networks.