Trying to connect to your favorite search engine without success? Okay, maybe you can't check if your "Internet wire" (connection) is broken or not by using a bulb and a couple of batteries. But, you can get a good idea how close you can get to the site you're trying to reach.
Go to the "DOS Prompt" (or the "Command Prompt")
Type "tracert <destination>" and press ENTER
For example, if you're trying to reach www.xxxx.com, type:
tracert www.xxxx.com
and press ENTER