How to prioritize a network connection in Windows 11: Complete step-by-step guide

Correctly manage the priority of network connections in Windows 11 is a fundamental skill for any user who wants to maximize the speed and stability of their computer. Although Windows attempts to efficiently automate this process, there are many scenarios where it's a good idea to take control and customize which network is preferred, whether it's Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or other available interfaces.

Have you ever found that your PC connects to the least stable network, or simply doesn't choose your preferred connection? It can be frustrating not knowing why Windows favors one adapter over another or how to fix it. Fortunately, there are simple and more advanced methods to manually prioritize connections to suit your needs. In this guide, you'll find step-by-step instructions and examples. All the ways to prioritize networks in Windows 11, from the graphical interface to the console, along with tips, pros and cons and some Tricks additional features to make your internet experience faster and more stable.

Windows' automatic decision-making process for which connection to prioritize is typically geared toward stability and speed, favoring Ethernet cables over Wi-Fi. However, this does not always fit the user's needs. Having the ability to decide which connection your computer should use first It can make a difference if you have multiple networks available or want to save mobile data, improve wireless speed, or even segment traffic for security reasons.

Prioritizing connections also helps avoid unintentional cuts. When switching networks, it reduces congestion issues and allows certain devices or applications to use the interface most appropriate for their purpose. This way, you can prioritize a 5 GHz Wi-Fi network over a traditional 2,4 GHz network, or force the cable to have top priority without having to physically unplug it every time you prefer to use Wi-Fi.

Controlling network priority also allows you to:

• Optimize transfer speed choosing the fastest and most efficient network available.
• Improve security by restricting sensitive traffic to only trusted connections.
• Avoid unnecessary interference and disconnections that can occur when switching networks while using critical applications such as video calls or online games.

How connection prioritization works in Windows 11

When multiple network adapters are active – for example, Wi-Fi and Ethernet – Windows internally manages which interface has the highest priority. By default, priority is based on the “interface metric” value.: the lower the value, the greater the preference that connection will have.

The metric is a kind of internal score that the operating system uses to determine which network to use first for data routing. The lowest value takes priority, although Windows usually sets these automatically based on the connection type. For example, if you connect via cable and Wi-Fi simultaneously, the wired network will typically be prioritized… unless you decide to change it manually.

Windows 11, like Windows 10, allows you to modify the priority:

• The graphical user interface (Control Panel or Network and Internet Settings).
• With advanced commands in PowerShell, which allow for more granular management of metrics and priorities.
• Using the comfort CMD to modify both the priority of the physical adapters and the priority of the saved Wi-Fi networks (SSID).

Prioritize network adapters from the Windows 11 graphical interface

The easiest method for most users is to use Windows Settings, without resorting to commands or apps outside.

Follow these steps to Prioritize a network connection in Windows 11:

1. Click on the Home and select Configuration (gear icon).
2. Accede to Network and Internet.
3. In the left panel, locate and click on Advanced network settings.
4. Here you will see your active network adapters. Click on Change adapter options.
5. This will open the classic window. Network connections from the Control Panel, where all existing adapters (Wi-Fi, Ethernet, etc.) are displayed.
6. In the top menu, select Advanced and then the option Advanced settings.
7. In the new window, you can reorder the connection list using the arrow buttons to move them up or down, thus establishing the desired priority.

If you have a newer version of Windows 11 and can't find these exact options, always look under "Network & Internet" and explore the advanced settings sections, where network adapters are usually listed.

Importantly, Windows still prioritizes wired Ethernet connections over Wi-Fi by default.If you prefer your computer to use Wi-Fi even when the cable is plugged in, you'll need to modify the interface metrics, as explained below.

Modify adapter priority by changing the interface metric

The interface metric is a numerical parameter that determines the importance or preference of each adapter. By default, Windows sets this automatically (usually cable has lower values ​​than Wi-Fi), but we can change it manually:

1. Right-click on your network adapter and select Properties.
2. Choose Internet Protocol version 4 (TCP / IPv4) and click Properties again.
3. In the properties window, click Advanced (Bottom right).
4. In the section Interface metrics, uncheck “Automatic Metric” and enter a manual value: The lower the number, the higher the priority of the interface..
5. You can, for example, set Wi-Fi to 5 and cable to 10 so that Windows preferentially uses the wireless connection, even if both are available.

Remember to restart your computer if the changes do not apply immediately.

How to prioritize networks using Windows PowerShell

If you are looking for an advanced method and want automate or fine-tune the priority of connectionsWindows PowerShell is your ally. It's especially useful in professional environments or if you manage multiple computers.

You can view and change network adapter metrics with the following commands:

1. Open PowerShell as administrator (search for “PowerShell,” right-click, and select “Run as administrator”).
2. View current metrics for all adapters with:
   Get-NetIPInterface
3. To change the priority of a specific adapter enter:
   Set-NetIPInterface -InterfaceIndex -InterfaceMetric
4. For example, if your Wi-Fi adapter's index is 15 and you want to give it the highest priority (low value):
   Set-NetIPInterface -InterfaceIndex 15 -InterfaceMetric 5
5. Check that the changes have been applied correctly by running the first command again.
6. To reset the automatic metric:
   Set-NetIPInterface -InterfaceIndex -AutomaticMetric enabled

This method is quick and very useful for those who are comfortable with the command line.

Manage the priority of saved Wi-Fi networks

In addition to choosing the preferred interface (Wi-Fi, cable, etc.), Windows also prioritizes saved Wi-Fi networks according to the connection order. You can change this order to ensure your device always connects first to the Wi-Fi network you're interested in, even if there are multiple Wi-Fi networks available with the same name or on different bands.

There are two ways to change the priority of saved Wi-Fi networks:

Change Wi-Fi network priority from the CMD console

1. Open the command console (CMD) with administrator permissions.
2. Write netsh wlan show profiles to see the list of all the Wi-Fi networks saved on your computer.
3. To change the priority of a specific network, use the following command:
   netsh wlan set profileorder name=»NETWORK_NAME» interface=»Wi-Fi» priority=1
4. The value priority=1 will give the highest preference to that network. You can assign values ​​of 2, 3, 4, etc., to the others.

This way, your device will always try to connect to your primary network first, even when it detects multiple networks available.

Prioritize Wi-Fi networks from the Windows interface

1. Accede to Configuration from the start menu or by pressing Windows + I.
2. Choose Network and Internet.
3. Click on Wi-Fi and later Manage known networks.
4. You can edit, forget, or change the order of the networks your device automatically connects to.

This is especially useful if you have multiple networks available at home, work, or college, and you want to control the system's automatic connection behavior.