How to Reset Network Settings on Windows 11
Man, this was a headache. If your internet just refuses to cooperate—slow speeds, disconnects, weird network errors—it might be time to do a full network reset. Honestly, it’s kind of a nuclear option, because it wipes everything network-related from your system. That includes your saved Wi-Fi passwords, VPN configs, Bluetooth pairings, and some firewall rules. So if you’re not okay losing all that for a bit, think about backing stuff up first. But if nothing else worked, this can sometimes be the fix that finally sticks.
Getting Ready to Reset
First off, have a clear understanding: this process clears almost everything network-related. If you’ve got important Wi-Fi passwords saved or customized firewall rules—or any special network configs—you’ll have to set them up again afterward. It’s worth noting that this reset helps with stubborn internet connection issues, slow Wi-Fi, or if your network interfaces just aren’t acting right. I’ve seen it fix Ethernet dropping out or VPNs just flatlining, so it’s worth a shot.
Using Windows Settings to Reset
The easiest way is through Windows Settings, but be warned—it’s a bit of a climb. Hit the Windows key, which opens the Start menu. From there, pressing I pops open Settings pretty quick. Navigating from there can be weird sometimes, but here’s where I finally got to the good part.
Click on Network & Internet. Sometimes you gotta click around a bit because menu labels differ or are hidden, but eventually you’ll find it. Then scroll down to Advanced network settings—click that. That’s where the magic lives. Sometimes, especially on older or OEM systems, this might be buried in something like Network and Sharing Center or inside a Troubleshoot menu. Also, in Windows 11, there’s often a quick link called Network reset directly, but if not, no worries.
Look for the Network reset link. Clicking that will reveal a Reset now button. Hit it, then a prompt pops up asking for confirmation—click Yes. Honestly, it feels like a leap of faith, especially if you’ve got a lot of custom settings, but it’s the fastest way to wipe out all the weird network bugs. If it’s not immediately visible, you can quickly bring it up by typing ms-settings:network-reset into the Run dialog (Win + R) or your address bar, and it takes you straight there.
Once you hit reset, your PC will shut down and restart on its own. It’s kinda jarring—be ready for a few minutes of downtime. Trust me, this often clears up the nastiest network nonsense that just won’t go away. Also, if you want to skip the menu hunting next time, that command ms-settings:network-reset is your shortcut.
Doing It With Command Line (PowerShell or Terminal)
If clicking around doesn’t appeal or you prefer live scripting, a command-line method works too. Just be aware, you’ll need admin privileges for all of this. So, hit the Start menu, search for Terminal. Then right-click and choose Run as administrator. Same with PowerShell—look for Windows PowerShell (Admin). If you don’t, the commands probably won’t run properly.
In the terminal, type:
netsh int ip resetThis resets your TCP/IP stack, which is often the root of all kinds of network madness. Sometimes it’s worth also running:
netsh winsock reset(clears the Winsock catalog, fixing socket layer corruptions)ipconfig /releaseandipconfig /renew(refresh your IP address)
If your Wi-Fi profiles are corrupted, you might try removing a specific profile with:
netsh wlan delete profile name="ProfileName"Replace “ProfileName” with your actual Wi-Fi network. Once all that’s done, it’s a good idea to reboot. You can type:
shutdown /r /t 0or just restart from the menu. Sometimes these commands leave behind residual weirdness, and rebooting clears it all out.
Some Extra Tips and Warnings
Keep in mind, a network reset is kind of a sledgehammer. If your network adapters aren’t showing up—say, in Device Manager—or if they’re grayed out, check BIOS/UEFI settings. On some systems, the onboard LAN or Wi-Fi gets disabled at the BIOS level, often under labels like Onboard LAN or Network Interface Controller. It’s buried in menus like Advanced or Integrated Peripherals. On my older ASUS, it was nestled somewhere weird and I had to dig deep. Sometimes a BIOS update or reset is necessary if hardware isn’t recognized.
Also, be aware that resetting network settings might temporarily disable things like VPNs or custom firewall rules—you’ll need to reconfigure those. Double-check driver updates, too—running Device Manager > Network adapters > right-click and Update driver can’t hurt.
In the end, this fix is pretty straightforward, but it’s not a cure-all. If your hardware or drivers are failing, or if a BIOS setting is disabled, that’s a different ballgame. Sometimes a simple reboot or toggling the physical Wi-Fi switch fixes the problem faster than anything else. But when all else fails, reset gives you a clean slate to troubleshoot from.
Hope this helped — it took me way too long to figure all this out. Double-check your adapter in Device Manager and BIOS, and you should be good. Good luck, and hopefully this saves someone else a whole weekend of hair-pulling!