sshnet / sshnet/SSH.NET

[Feature Request] Add IsConnected() method to check session status

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Dominant language
C#
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Description

The existing IsConnected property does not always reliably reflect the actual state of the SSH session. For example, it may still return true even if the connection has silently dropped due to network issues or server-side timeouts.

It would be helpful to have a method like IsConnected() that actively attempts to communicate with the server (e.g., by sending a keep-alive packet or executing a lightweight command) to verify whether the session is still alive. This would improve robustness in long-running applications and allow developers to handle disconnections more gracefully.

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start by tracing the existing IsConnected property and the SSH session's keep-alive or lightweight-command mechanisms. Compare the proposed ways to actively verify a dropped connection and define the method's observable success and failure behavior. Done means a documented IsConnected() method reliably reports whether the session is still usable.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
csharp
Domain
networking
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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