Windows 10: Change Wireless Network Connection Priority Order in Windows 10

How to: Change Wireless Network Connection Priority Order in Windows 10

How to Change Wireless Network Connection Priority Order in Windows 10


Windows will usually automatically connect to networks in this priority order:

• Ethernet
• Wi‑Fi (wireless)
• Mobile broadband (cellular)

When you password key, and security information to be able to connect to a wireless network.

Windows will automatically connect to your wireless network profiles based on a priority order when the wireless network is in range, and an Ethernet connection is not available.

If you check "Connect automatically" while connecting to a wireless network, it will be placed at the top of the priority list.

If you have multiple wireless network connections, you can change the priority so the network profile you prefer will be the first one to use instead when in range.

This tutorial will show you how to change the connection priority order of wireless network profiles to your preference in Windows 10.


CONTENTS:

• Option One: To Change Wireless Network Connection Priority while Connecting to Wireless Network
• Option Two: To Change Wireless Network Connection Priority Order in Command Prompt

EXAMPLE: Available network connections









OPTION ONE [/i] To Change Wireless Network Connection Priority while Connecting to Wireless Network
1. While wireless network profile at the top of the priority order list. (see screenshot below)









OPTION TWO [/i] To Change Wireless Network Connection Priority Order in Command Prompt
1. Open a command prompt.

2. Enter the command below into the command prompt, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)

*note The wireless network profiles will be listed in priority order to connect to when in range.

Make note of the wireless network profile name (ex: "Brink-Router2") you want to change the priority order of.

Make note of the interface name (ex: "Wi-Fi 2") this wireless network profile (ex: "Brink-Router2") is on.
*Arrow netsh wlan show profiles




3. Enter the command below into the command prompt, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)
*Arrow netsh wlan set profileorder name="WirelessProfileName" interface="InterfaceName" priority=#

*note Substitute WirelessProfileName in the command above with the actual wireless network profile name (ex: "Brink-Router2") from step 2.

Substitute InterfaceName in the command above with the actual interface name (ex: "Wi-Fi 2") from step 2.

Substitute # in the command above with a number (ex: "1") you want the wireless network profile to be listed as in the priority order list. For example, I have 2 wireless network profiles listed in step 2, so I can set to have the profiles listed in priority order between 1-2.


For example:

To set the "Brink-Router2" profile on the "Wi-Fi 2" interface first (top) in the connection priority order list.

netsh wlan set profileorder name="Brink-Router2" interface="Wi-Fi 2" priority=1

OR

To set the "Brink-Router" profile on the "Wi-Fi 2" interface second (bottom) in the connection priority order.

netsh wlan set profileorder name="Brink-Router" interface="Wi-Fi 2" priority=2




4. Repeat step 3 until you have all your wireless profiles listed in the priority order you want.

5. When finished, repeat step 2 to confirm the priority order. (see screenshot below)



6. When completely finished, you can close the command prompt if you like.

That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

• How to Change Network Adapter Connection Priorities in Windows 10
• How to Add a Wireless Network Profile in Windows 10
• How to Connect To a Wireless Network in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off Connect Automatically to Wireless Network in Windows 10
• How to Disconnect from a Wireless Network in Windows 10
• How to See List of Wireless Network Profiles in Windows 10
• How to Automatically Turn Off Wi-Fi Upon Ethernet Connect in Windows

:)

 

Adapter priority setting unavailable in Windows 10

Hi everyone. I recently upgraded to Windows 10 and I wish to change the order of priority of my network adapters in Windows 10 but I am unable to do so. Please tell me how I can change the order of priority of my network adapters in windows 10. Thank you

 

Change order of preferred networks

I agree with Tom too. We used to be able to change order the wireless connections in the priority we wanted to connect first. I have two networks and my home office, my personal and my work. With this computer I need it to connect to my work network first.

 

Hello Denis, *Smile

The command in step 2 of Option Two should show your wireless networks listed in priority order. Top of the list is higher.

 

Shawn,

"My previous method of showing relative priorities does not show any change so it does not seem to be valid any more - the command netsh wlan show profiles used to list profiles in their priority order but it currently shows the expected sequence even though the wrong network has been chosen."

That's why I hoping to find a direct method of retrieving the priority.

Denis

 

The higher priority connection sounds to be correct then since it's listed above the lower priority one.

Have you already checked to see if the higher priority connection has "connect automatically" turned on for it?

*Arrow Turn On or Off Connect Automatically to Wireless Network in Windows 10 Windows 10 Tutorials

Worse case, you should be able to remove the networks from the computers, and then set them back up again to sort it.

 

Shawn,

Yes, sorry - I had connect automatically set but forgot to mention it.

By the way, the priority order is also shown in Settings, Networks, WiFi, Manage known networks, Sort by - Preference. [Ver 1709, I don't know when this was introduced] It's nice to have an MS confirmation of the relative priorities instead of just concluding it from observations of netsh results.

On one computer, I forgot all my wifi networks [and manually deleted what appeared to be remnant entries in the Registry profile list**] then set them up again.

** When I bought a new phone last Summer, I re-used the WiFi hotspot name ["Fred"] & security key from my old phone. In addition to the expected entry in the Registry profiles I also found an entry [that was actually the one in use] with the profile name Fred 2 & Description Fred yet that profile name was not reported by Netsh / Settings, they only reported Fred. Fred 2 was only shown in the tooltip as I hovered over the network icon in the TaskBar-SystemTray. It is possible that this is the root cause of my problem.

If the problem reoccurs on the other computer but not this one then I will have a decent basis for investigating exactly what is happening.

All the best,
Denis

 

I look forward to hearing your findings if it should happen again.