Accessing Network Settings on Windows – The Real Deal
One common headache I kept running into was navigating Windows’ network menus, especially if you’re on Windows 11 or a newer version. It can feel like wandering through a maze. To get into your network settings, start by clicking the Windows icon (or Start menu, whatever you call it), then typing “Control Panel“. When it appears, hit Enter. Seems simple enough, right? But depending on your PC’s speed or if you’re using an older spinning HDD (been there), the window might lag or not open immediately. So, don’t get frustrated if it feels sluggish.
Once in the Control Panel, look for the “Network and Internet” section. That’s where most of the magic happens. Click on it, then go to “Network and Sharing Center”. On older setups, it might be tucked under “Status” or in the sidebar. Here, you’ll see your active network connections—Wi-Fi, Ethernet, VPNs, virtual adapters, and more. Once you find it, it’s mostly straightforward, but in some Windows versions or heavily customised systems, it can be a bit of a puzzle. Oh, and some OEM manufacturers (like Dell or ASUS) overlay their own UI on Windows settings, so you might need to dig around there first, which can be a jot confusing.
Digging into Your Network Adapters
Next, click on “Change adapter settings” in the left sidebar of the Network and Sharing Center. That opens a list of all network interfaces—wired, wireless, virtual adapters, even some VPN ones. The key here is to right-click your Ethernet connection and select “Properties”. Yes, right-clicking those icons kicks off a little adventure. Sometimes, it gets tricky because you see multiple adapters — Intel, Realtek, Killer NIC, whatever. It can be hard to tell which is which, especially if they have odd names or driver info.
In the Ethernet properties window, click on “Configure” — it’s a button on the same window. That opens another window with tabs like “Driver”, “Details”, and “Advanced”. The one to focus on is “Advanced”. Here, you’ll see a list of properties—some familiar, some a bit obscure—like “Speed & Duplex”, “Flow Control”, or “Priority & VLAN”. Driver-specific options can vary quite a bit depending on the manufacturer and driver version. On some systems, you might see “Interface Metric” or “Network Priority”.
Getting Ethernet to Outrank Wi-Fi — How to Set Priorities
This is where it gets interesting. In the “Advanced” tab, look for options like “Interface Metric” or “Priority & VLAN”. These control which connection Windows prefers—lower numbers mean higher priority. If you want Ethernet to be your preferred connection, assign it a low value, like 1 or 10. For Wi-Fi, set a higher number so it only kicks in if Ethernet isn’t available. By default, Windows tends to give Wi-Fi a higher metric, so Ethernet often takes a backseat. Adjust these values carefully—sometimes you’ll need to select from a dropdown or manually type a number.
After setting your preferred priorities, click “OK” and close out the windows. You might need to restart your PC for the changes to take full effect. Windows sometimes doesn’t apply new priorities until after a reboot. To verify, open Command Prompt or PowerShell and run netsh interface ipv4 show interfaces. This command lists all network interfaces along with their current metrics. The lower the number, the higher the priority.
If Wi-Fi still stubbornly refuses to take a back seat, you might need to disable it temporarily and then re-enable it, or revisit those “Advanced” settings. Occasionally, driver or Windows updates reset these preferences or hide the options altogether. Don’t get discouraged if it’s not a straightforward process.
Putting It All Together
A handy tip — after adjusting the metrics, try disabling and re-enabling your adapters via “Network Connections” or with netsh interface set interface "Ethernet" disable and then enable in PowerShell. Sometimes Windows gets a bit stubborn and doesn’t apply the changes until the adapters cycle. Usually, a reboot helps, but cycling them manually can give Windows that extra nudge. To double-check the priorities, run the same netsh command again to see if your settings stick.
Keep in mind, driver quirks and manufacturer customisations can complicate matters — updating your drivers directly from the manufacturer’s website or performing a clean install sometimes does the trick. Also, some options might be greyed out or missing altogether if your OEM has locked down certain settings for stability.
After some trial and error, I found that manually setting the Interface Metric is the most reliable way to tell Windows to prefer Ethernet over Wi-Fi when both are connected. It’s a subtle tweak but can save a lot of hassles during streaming or gaming when a stable connection matters.
Hope this helps — it took me ages to figure out the best way to do this smoothly. Quick checklist: double-check adapter priorities, use netsh commands to verify, restart network interfaces if needed, and keep your drivers up to date. Good luck, and hopefully this saves someone else from the hours I spent fiddling late at night!