askvity

How to Change Network Adapter Settings in Windows 10?

Published in Network Adapter Settings 3 mins read

To change network adapter settings in Windows 10, you need to access the Network Connections window, which contains all your installed network adapters.

Accessing Network Adapter Settings

The standard path to manage your network adapters involves navigating through the Windows settings and Control Panel. This allows you to view, configure, enable, or disable specific network interfaces like Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Bluetooth adapters, and more.

Here are the steps to reach the network adapter settings:

  1. Click the Start button in the lower-left corner of your screen.
  2. Click on Settings (the gear icon).
  3. In the Windows Settings window, click on Control Panel.
  4. Within the Control Panel, select Network and Internet.
  5. Click on Network and Sharing Center.
  6. In the Network and Sharing Center window, look at the left-hand pane and click on Change adapter settings.

Following these steps, as referenced from information updated March 10, 2022, will open the Network Connections window, where you can see all your network adapters.

What You Can Do Here

Once you are in the Network Connections window, you can perform various actions related to changing your network adapter configuration. Common tasks include:

  • Disabling/Enabling: Right-click an adapter (e.g., your Wi-Fi adapter) and select Disable or Enable to turn it off or on.
  • Changing Properties: Right-click an adapter and select Properties to configure settings like TCP/IP (IPv4/IPv6) addresses, DNS servers, network protocols, and client/service bindings.
  • Status: Right-click and select Status to see connection speed, activity, and connection duration.
  • Diagnose: Right-click and select Diagnose to troubleshoot connection issues.
  • Renaming: Right-click and select Rename to give the adapter a more recognizable name.

For example, if you wanted to manually set an IP address for your Ethernet connection:

  1. Open the Network Connections window using the steps above.
  2. Right-click on your Ethernet adapter.
  3. Select Properties.
  4. In the Properties window, select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) or Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) and click Properties.
  5. Choose "Use the following IP address" or "Use the following DNS server addresses" and enter the required information.

Understanding how to access this window is fundamental for managing network connectivity on your Windows 10 computer.

Related Articles