Make Windows Choose Lan Over Wifi : Switch Network Automatically

If your laptop or computer is connected to multiple networks, like Lan (Wired) and WiFi, your computer may choose WiFi as the leading network and hence looks for every network transfer first through WiFi to LAN. This results in various issues. Like you might be connected to the Internet, but the OS is unable to resolve it, and even connecting to the computer over Wired Network is an issue. In summary, you want your computer to switch network from Wired to Wireless when at Home but use Wired Network when in Office, where you are always hooked to a fixed network.

Choose Lan Over WiFi: Switch Windows Network Automatically

You can either use software or manually set the metrics for each adapter.

• Switch Between Network Adapter On Demand
• Manually Change the Metric of Network Adapters

Windows has a feature that lets you prioritize, so when network services want to connect, they do it in the same order. But this should be configured manually, as there is no automated process.

1] How to Switch Between Network Adapter On Demand?

Now the above solution works only in one kind of scenario, and it’s manual, which many users might not be comfortable with, fearing doing something wrong. So here is a solution from NirSoft which allows you to switch to another network with just one click.

It exchanges the Metric Value of the desired network with the default, so Windows uses that network. This is useful when you are connected to two networks with high Internet speed but need another to connect with network devices.

• Download this software from here (scroll a bit to find the link), extract, and double-click to launch.
• By default, it shows many columns you will not understand. It would be best if you had the adapter’s name, precisely what you see on your windows machine.
• Scroll Right to find the column which says Interface Name. Drag to the left and make it the first column.
• Now select the two networks which you want to switch between.
• Right-click and select Switch Metric Value or press F9

2] Manually Change the Metric of Network Adapters

Now, if you are geeky enough, You can also change the priority metrics of the adapters manually, but trust me, nothing is more comfortable than what I have shown above.

• Select any Network adapter, and right-click properties.
• Select Internet Protocol Version 4 or Internet Protocol Version 6 and then Properties.
• Click Advance Button on the next screen.
• Now you will have the option to change the metric value here, which you can set anything between 1 to 9999.

That said, read our detailed guide where we have explained how you can use PowerShell to change the Automatic Metric to manual and automate using a script to force Windows to choose Lan over Wifi.

Conclusion:

Using all these steps and software, you can quickly switch between networks but remember you can use one at a time and not both.