How to change the priority order of network connections

It is very common to have several network adapters, especially if a laptop is used, since we can connect through an Ethernet cable, a Wi-Fi connection or use the mobile device as a means of connection, having all these connections together, the PC alone it connects to the first signal it gets .

But we can change the order of priority of a network connection only by changing the interface metric, which is a value with which the system identifies a network connection, if you have checked the speed of a network card you have the option and use the adapter that offers the best internet speed, even if it connects last.

How to Change the Priority Order of Network Connections – Windows 10

Index( )

1. How to configure through the menu the options of the adapter?
2. How to change priorities on my Windows computer?
   1. Using PowerShell
   2. Using the CMD
   3. With the key combination
   4. Network dropdown menu

How to configure through the menu the options of the adapter?

In Windows 10 you can access your adapter options through the options menu or by entering from the network icon located on the taskbar, in the same way you can access Windows settings and enter the adapter options. Learn how to do it from the menu as follows:

1. Right-click on the start button to display the options.
2. Click on ‘Network Connections’ to enter the internet configuration section.
3. Click on change adapter options to see all available ones.
4. To configure the adapter you want, just right-click on it and enter the properties.

You can also change the name of the adapter in order to identify it easily, or you can create shortcuts and send them to the desktop, in the same way when prioritizing one, the connection is made automatically. This means that you do not need to be configuring the adapter every time you turn on the PC .

How to change priorities on my Windows computer?

There are several ways to prioritize a network connection on your computer, the direct method is to enter the ‘network connections’, and from this choose an adapter and change its metrics . It is important to know that the lower the value, the higher the priority. Learn how to do it as follows:

Using PowerShell

With PowerShell you must know how metrics work in order to get the commands to work . You can also do it by following these steps:

1. Open PowerShell on your Windows 10 PC with administrator privileges.
2. Execute the ‘Get-NetIPInterface’ command to show the connection data, that is, the interface identifier (ifIndex) and the metric used (InterfaceMetric).
3. Execute the command ‘Set-NetIPInterface -InterfaceIndex (ifIndex number to select a network) -InterfaceMetric (new metric number), here you must identify the interface and change the metricto give it priority, remember that the lower the value, the higher the priority.
4. Hit Enter and you’re done.

One tip you should know is that you can run the ‘Get-NetIPInterface’ command again in order to check if the new metric has been assigned correctly.

Using the CMD

The CMD is a command console that works the same as PowerShell , so you can execute the same commands, in the same way it does not matter which console you use, in the end the objective is the same. Of course you must execute the commands in the Windows CMD with Administrator permissions, otherwise it will not be possible.

With the key combination

You can use only the keyboard to enter the network connections , in order to configure or give priority to some adapter, since it is possible to execute commands without the need to use the mouse. To do it you just have to:

1. Press the ‘Windows + R’ keys to open the run tool.
2. Type the command ‘ncpa.cpl’.
3. Hit the Enter key and the network connections open.
4. Click with the right mouse click on any adapter to enter the properties.
5. Select the ipv4 protocol and enter its properties.
6. Click on ‘advanced options’ and uncheck the box for automatic metrics.
7. Write a value to give priority to the connection, the lower the number, the more priority you will have, for example number 2.
8. Click accept and you’re done.

Network dropdown menu

In the network drop-down menu you can choose the adapter you want to give priority to , you can access it through the network icon on your PC or by running the ncpa.cpl command. There are also several suggestions to improve the performance of your PC , so that the network with the highest priority can use the Internet speed to the maximum.