Windows 10: “Ethernet 2” broken and won’t let my computer connect to Wi-Fi!

I have been using my computer for almost 2 years and never used an Ethernet cable, but I stopped using my computer for about a week or so, and while I was enjoying my time playing video games, I got disconnected from the Wi-Fi. I reconnected and continued, but it disconnected almost instantly. I restarted my computer to try and fix, it ended up with my computer not showing any networks to connect to, the only options are “network settings” and “Airplane Mode” I tried to troubleshoot and it said my Ethernet cable was unplugged or broken, but the truth is, I never had an Ethernet cable. It’s the

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How to indicate wi-fi connection on taskbar/desktop with ethernet on

Below you can find my original post from 2 days ago. Since I got 0 responses, I don't think it's possible to set WIndows 10 the way I wanted. I've decided to change my question:

Is there a way to see if the computer is connected to a wi-fi network while the ethernet cable is also plugged in, without having to click on the cable network icon on the taskbar? I first wanted to switch the cable icon to the wi-fi one, but as it doesn't seem possible, maybe there is a way to create some indicating icon on the desktop? Running some external program that would display an additional wi-fi icon on the taskbar? Or any other solution?



original post:

Hello everybody, this is my first post here.

I've had a Windows 10 desktop computer for several days now. I have two different internet connections (one is through an ethernet cable, and the other one is wireless) and I usually use both of them simultaneously. I play an online game and I need these two connections to be active at the same time. The ethernet connection is my primary one and the wireless one is kind of an "emergency" connection. The ethernet adapter has a priority over the wi-fi adapter (seems to be a default system setting and I want it this way). The ethernet connection sometimes disconnects at random times, so if it happens I just unplug the cable and reconnect through the wireless connection until I see that the first one has reconnected. I can't find any way to achieve the following:

While both connections (ethernet and wi-fi) are active, I want to see the wi-fi network icon on my taskbar, instead of the ethernet icon.

This was perfectly possible on my old laptop with Windows 7, which I was using until I bought the new desktop computer. The ethernet adapter had a priority over the wi-fi, just like now. The ethernet cable was always plugged in and by default, the cable network icon was shown on the taskbar. But when I connected to my wi-fi network at the same time, the icon changed to the wi-fi symbol. Both connections were working properly and the transfer was through the ethernet connection, although the wi-fi icon was shown as long as the wireless connection was active. It was much more comfortable for me that way, because I didn't have to make sure that the computer was properly connected via wi-fi, just one look at the icon was enough. But on the new computer, the ethernet icon is displayed even with a wi-fi connection active. It only switches to the wi-fi icon when I unplug the ethernet cable, but ethernet is my primary connection, so I don't wanna do that.

I would really appreciate if anybody could help me set my new computer up in a similar way. Here is some additional information:

I know that in Windows 7, by default, wireless connections had priority over ethernet, so I had to manually change the metrics (I hope it's called that way in English) of my network adapters in my old laptop to give priority to the wired connection. In Windows 10, as it seems, wired connections are prioritized, so I didn't have to change the metrics of the adapters.

The WIN7 laptop I used before had a built-in wi-fi adapter, but my new desktop doesn't have one. I bought a TP Link USB wi-fi adapter which was installed automatically and the connection is working properly. But maybe the fact that it's not a built-in adapter matters? Or perhaps it could be a question of the adapter's drivers? I'm not an expert, but I think it's more likely caused by the system itself than by the drivers or the hardware.

Is anybody able to get what I want to get (a wi-fi icon displayed on the taskbar with both ethernet and wi-fi connections active) with a built-in wi-fi adapter?

 

Windows 10 stop automatically connecting to random new wi-fi networks

Hi,

I have searched a lot, but all the tutorials I found only explained how to not connect automatically to a known wi-fi network or how to disable wi-fi sense... but this is not what I am looking for...

PROBLEM:

• When my laptop (Windows 10 Pro X64) is not connected to a network and the wireless adapter is on, it will automatically connect to any random new unsecured wi-fi network... The only way I have now to avoid this is to disable my wi-fi adapter.

UNUSEFUL TUTORIALS I FOUND ON THE INTERNET:

• How to manually uncheck the option for a particular wi-fi network not to connect automatically in Network Properties. This is not what I am looking for. This would suggest that everytime I power my computer. I would have to manually go through all the available wi-fi networks and unclick them all...
• How to disable Wi-Fi Sense. This is not useful, because I don't even have a Wi-Fi sense option in my computer where the tutorials say it should be.

EXPECTED BEHAVIOR:

• I am looking for an option to tell my computer to stop connecting randomly to unknown wi-fi networks like an hyperactive, reckless idiot.

PERSONAL COMMENT:

• Honestly, why would any respectable company think that it could be somewhat wise or secure to do this... Anyone's computer could just randomly connect to any hacker's wi-fi network without the user even knowing it...

Any solutions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

How to indicate wi-fi connection on taskbar/desktop with ethernet on

Using 'Select which icons appear...' I'm only able to toggle this one network icon. And it switches from wired to wireless, depending on whether the ethernet cable is plugged in.

Of course, the info is there, I just got used to not having to click on the icon. I always just looked at the corner of the screen every few minutes to make sure the wi-fi was still connected and ready in case my wired connection failed.

It's just strange for me that in the same scenario (ethernet connection + wi-fi active), Windows 7 would show the wireless icon (and it wasn't possible to change it either AFAIK), and Windows 10 shows the other one *sarc

Oh well, it's not the end of the world if it's impossible to change it, but any other suggestions on how to display the wi-fi state on the taskbar (or desktop) are still welcome.