Apparatus, systems, methods, and articles herein interact with an operating system in a network client to simulate an “always connected” network connection model. Upon activation, a network driver implementing embodiments herein indicates to the operating system that a network connection has been established, whether or not an actual connection is established. Some embodiments may also present a pseudo network address (e.g., an IP address) to the operating system in the case of a virtual network connection. Upon sensing an actual physical network connection, embodiments herein may handshake with the operating system to establish a real network connection, including communicating a network-assigned network address to the operating system. The operating system may in turn report (or continue to report) an active connection to application programs so that a user need not repeatedly re-activate the network connection manually. Other embodiments are described and claimed.