Windows 10: Rename Network Adapter in Windows

How to: Rename Network Adapter in Windows

How to Rename a Network Adapter in Windows


A network adapter is a computer hardware component that connects a computer to a computer network known as a network connection.

This tutorial will show you different ways to rename a network adapter (NIC) or network connections in Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.

*Warning You must be signed in as an administrator to rename network adapters.


CONTENTS:

• Option One: Rename Network Adapter in Network Connections
• Option Two: Rename Network Adapter in Command Prompt
• Option Three: Rename Network Adapter in PowerShell
• Option Four: Rename Network Adapter in Registry Editor

OPTION ONE [/i] Rename Network Adapter in Network Connections
1. Do step 2 (Settings) or step 3 (Control Panel) below for how you would like to open Network Connections.


2. Open Settings, and click/tap on the Network & Internet icon.

*note This step is only available in Windows 10.
A) Click/tap on Status on the left side, click/tap on Change adapter options on the right side, and go to step 4. (see screenshot below)




3. Open the Control Panel (icons view), and click/tap on the Network and Sharing Center icon.
A) Click/tap on the Change adapter settings link on the left side, and go to step 4. (see screenshot below)




4. Perform either action below. (see screenshot below)
A) Select the network connection (ex: "Wi-Fi") you want to rename, and click/tap on Rename this connection in the toolbar.

OR

B) Right click or press and hold on the network connection (ex: "Wi-Fi") you want to rename, and click/tap on Rename.




5. Type a new name (ex: "My Wi-Fi") you want for the network connection, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)



6. When finished, you can close Network Connections and Network and Sharing Center if you like.





OPTION TWO [/i] Rename Network Adapter in Command Prompt
1. Open an elevated command prompt.

2. Enter the command below into the elevated command prompt, and press Enter. Make note of the Interface Name (ex: "Wi-Fi") for the network adapter you want to rename. (see screenshot below)
*Arrow netsh interface show interface




3. Enter the command below into the elevated command prompt, and press Enter.
*Arrow netsh interface set interface name="Current Name" newname="New Name"

*note Substitute Current Name in the command above with the actual Interface Name (ex: "Wi-Fi") from step 2 you want to rename.

*note Substitute New Name in the command above with the actual new name (ex: "My Wi-Fi") you want for the network adapter.

For example: netsh interface set interface name="Wi-Fi" newname="My Wi-Fi"




4. When finished, you can close the elevated command prompt if you like.





OPTION THREE [/i] Rename Network Adapter in PowerShell

*note This option is only available in Windows 8.1 and Windows 10.
1. Open an elevated PowerShell.

2. Enter the command below into the elevated Powershell, and press Enter. Make note of the network adapter Name (ex: "Wi-Fi") you want to rename. (see screenshot below)

*note To see more usage options for the Get-NetAdapter command, see: Get-NetAdapter | Microsoft Docs
*Arrow Get-NetAdapter | format-list




3. Enter the command below into the elevated PowerShell, and press Enter.

*note To see more usage options for the Rename-NetAdapter command, see: Rename-NetAdapter | Microsoft Docs
*Arrow Rename-NetAdapter -Name "Current Name" -NewName "New Name"

*note Substitute Current Name in the command above with the actual Interface Name (ex: "Wi-Fi") from step 2 you want to rename.

*note Substitute New Name in the command above with the actual new name (ex: "My Wi-Fi") you want for the network adapter.

For example: Rename-NetAdapter -Name "Wi-Fi" -NewName "My Wi-Fi"




4. When finished, you can close the elevated PowerShell if you like.





OPTION FOUR [/i] Rename Network Adapter in Registry Editor
1. Press the Win+R keys to open Run, type regedit into Run, and press Enter to open Registry Editor.​

2. Navigate to the key below in the left pane of Registry Editor. (see screenshot below)​
*Arrow HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Network​




3. While the Network key selected, press the Ctrl+F keys or click/tap on Edit (menu bar) and click/tap on Find. (see screenshot below)​



4. Enter the name (ex: "Wi-Fi") of the network adapter you want to rename, and click/tap on Find Next. (see screenshot below)​



5. In the right pane of the Connection key, double click/tap on the Name string value (REG_SZ) for the network adapter (ex: "Wi-Fi") to modify it. (see screenshot below)​



6. Type a new name (ex: "My Wi-Fi") you want for the network adapter, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)



7. When finished, you can close Registry Editor if you like.

That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

• How to Change a Network Profile Name in Windows 10
• How to Enable or Disable Network Adapters in Windows
• How to Change Network Adapter Connection Priorities in Windows 10
• How to Cleanup and Reset Network Adapters in Windows 10
• How to See Network Adapter Speed in Windows 10
• How to Create Network Connections Shortcut in Windows 10

:)

 

network adapters

Hi, Michael.



Thank you for posting your query in Microsoft Community.

As per my understanding, you may be facing an issue with your driver updates.

I suggest that you perform the steps mentioned below and check if it helps you resolve your issue.



Method 1: Network troubleshooting

• • • On the search bar type “Troubleshooting”
    • Click on “Network and Internet”
    • Click on “Network Adapter” and run the troubleshooter.

Method 2: Download and install the latest firmware updates for the Network adapter

Follow these steps to un-install the drivers:

• On the search bar type “ Device Manager”
• On the left pane locate “Network Adapter” and expand by clicking on it
• Right on the “ Network driver” option and click “Uninstall’
• Download the latest Wireless network adapter driver setup file from the manufacturer’s website and install it.

Your reply is very important for us to ensure a proper resolution. Please get back to us with the above information in order to assist you accordingly.

For further assistance, you can post your query in Microsoft Community

 

Issues with network adapters

Hi Alfonso,

To resolve this issue, we suggest that you run the Network troubleshooter when you switch from WiFi to Ethernet connection. The Network troubleshooter can help diagnose and fix common connection problems including clearing the network cache to obtain a new
IP from the new network. Kindly follow the steps below:

• In the search box on the taskbar, type Identify and repair network problems, and then select
  Identify and repair network problems from the list of results.
• Follow the steps in the troubleshooter and see if that fixes the problem.

If the issue persists, kindly try the troubleshooting steps on the following link:

Fix network connection issues in Windows 10.

We recommend that you try the steps on the Update the network adapter driver,
Run the Network troubleshooter followed by networking commands, and Use network reset to reinstall network devices sections.

Let us know how it goes for us to assist you further.

 

Network Adapter and Error code 0x800706bb

Hi Vanessa,

One of the possible reasons why you are having an issue with the network adapter is because some components of the program may be corrupted and needs to update. To resolve your concern regarding the network issue, we suggest that you follow the steps below:

Step 1: Run Network Adapter troubleshooter to scan and correct any possible cause of the issue.

To do this, follow these steps:

• Click Start, type Network settings > press Enter
  and click Status.
• Under Network Status, click Network troubleshooter.
• Follow the steps provided on the pop-up windows.
• Once you're done, restart your device.

If the issue still persists, follow the steps below:

Step 2. Uninstall and reinstall the network driver to make sure that you will have the latest driver available for your device.

To do this, follow these steps:

• Press Windows key + X and select Device Manager.
• Expand Network adapters.
• Double-click on the device, and then click the Driver tab.
• Click Uninstall, then OK.

Download and install the latest version of network adapter driver on the manufacturer's website.

On the other hand, the error 0x800706bb occurs when some files on the system are missing. To resolve this concern you may follow the steps provided in this
link.

Let us know if the solutions worked for you.

 

Install a driver for your network adapter

Go to the list of network adapters in the control panel, turn of the lan and turn it on again. See if that helps.

 

Network Adapter Saying Unidentified Network

Hi Gerald,

To assist you better, I would like to ask what are the methods that you have tried to solve the issue.

I suggest you to run the Network troubleshooter by following the steps below and check if it helps.

• Type “troubleshooting” in the search box and press Enter.
• Click on “View all” on the top left corner.
• Click on “Network Adapter” and follow the prompts for troubleshooting.

Hope this helps. Keep us posted on the status for further assistance.