: Most security software, including Windows Defender and CrowdStrike , will block or quarantine Netcat because it can be used for malicious remote execution.
For simple port checking on Windows, you do not need external software at all. You can use native PowerShell commands like Test-NetConnection : powershell Test-NetConnection -ComputerName example.com -Port 80 Use code with caution. netcat gui v13exe verified