How to Choose Which Ethernet Adapter Windows Uses

If your PC has more than one network adapter — for example, a built-in Ethernet port and a USB‑to‑Ethernet dongle, or a Wi‑Fi card alongside a wired port — Windows sometimes picks the wrong one. This guide shows you how to control which adapter Windows uses for internet traffic, both by changing the connection priority and by disabling or reordering adapters in the Network Connections panel. You’ll need administrator access to your Windows PC.

What You’ll Need

• A Windows PC (Windows 10 or Windows 11)
• Administrator account (to change adapter settings)
• At least two network adapters (Ethernet, Wi‑Fi, USB‑to‑Ethernet, etc.)

Step-by-Step

1. Open Network Connections. Press Win + R, type ncpa.cpl, and press Enter. This opens the classic Control Panel view of all your network adapters.
2. Identify your adapters. Look for adapters named “Ethernet�, “Wi‑Fi�, “USB Ethernet�, or similar. If you’re not sure which is which, right‑click an adapter and select Status → Details to see its MAC address or IP address. You can also check the physical connection: unplug the Ethernet cable and see which adapter shows “Network cable unplugged�.
3. Set the priority (metric) of an adapter. Right‑click the adapter you want to prioritize (e.g., your main Ethernet connection) and select Properties. In the list, select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) (or IPv6 if you use it) and click Properties. In the bottom‑right corner, click Advanced. Uncheck “Automatic metric� and enter a lower number in the “Interface metric� field. For example, set your preferred adapter to 5 and the other to 10. Lower numbers are preferred. Click OK on all open dialogs.
4. Alternatively, disable the unwanted adapter. If you never want Windows to use a particular adapter (like a built‑in Wi‑Fi when you always use Ethernet), right‑click it in the Network Connections window and select Disable. To re‑enable it later, right‑click and select Enable.
5. Change the binding order (advanced). Press Win + R, type ncpa.cpl, then press Alt to show the menu bar. Click Advanced → Advanced Settings. In the “Adapters and Bindings� tab, use the arrows on the right to move your preferred adapter to the top of the list. This affects the order in which Windows tries to use adapters for general traffic.
6. Test your changes. Open a web browser or run ping google.com in Command Prompt. If you want to verify which adapter is being used, run route print and look at the interface with the lowest metric for the default route (0.0.0.0).

Common Mistakes

• Setting a metric that is too low or too high. A metric of 1 is fine, but a metric of 0 can be treated as “automatic� by some Windows versions. Keep your preferred adapter at 5–10 and the other at 20–100.
• Disabling the wrong adapter. If you disable your only working adapter, you’ll lose network access. Double‑check the adapter name and the physical connection before disabling.
• Changing IPv4 but not IPv6. If your network uses IPv6, you need to set the metric for both IPv4 and IPv6 on the same adapter, otherwise Windows may still prefer the other adapter for IPv6 traffic.
• Forgetting to restart the adapter. After changing metrics, some settings don’t apply until you disable and re‑enable the adapter or restart Windows.

Tips

• Use the metric method instead of disabling adapters if you occasionally need the second adapter (e.g., for a separate network). Disabling is more drastic but simpler.
• If you have a USB‑to‑Ethernet adapter that you only plug in occasionally, you can leave it enabled but give it a high metric (like 100) so it’s only used when the primary adapter is unavailable.
• For laptops, you might want to set Wi‑Fi as the primary when on battery and Ethernet when plugged in. Windows doesn’t do this automatically; you’ll need to manually switch metrics or use a third‑party tool.
• Check your router’s documentation if you’re trying to prioritize a specific adapter for gaming or streaming. Some routers allow per‑device priority, which can complement your Windows settings.

Troubleshooting

• Changes don’t seem to take effect. Run ipconfig /flushdns and ipconfig /renew in Command Prompt as administrator. Then restart your computer. If the problem persists, check that you changed the metric on the correct adapter and that the other adapter’s metric is higher.
• You lose internet entirely after disabling an adapter. Re‑enable the adapter immediately by right‑clicking it in Network Connections and selecting Enable. If you can’t access Network Connections, you may need to use Safe Mode with Networking.
• Windows keeps reverting to the other adapter after a reboot. This can happen if the adapter driver resets the metric. Reapply your metric settings and then disable the other adapter if you don’t need it. Also check for driver updates.
• You see a “Network cable unplugged� error on your preferred adapter. That means the cable is not connected or the port is faulty. Check the cable, try a different port on your router, or use the other adapter.
• Both adapters show the same metric. Windows will then use the one with the lowest “interface index� (usually the one that was installed first). To force a preference, set distinct metrics.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the “interface metric� and why does it matter?

The interface metric is a number that tells Windows how “cheap� it is to use that adapter. Lower numbers are preferred. When multiple adapters have routes to the same destination, Windows picks the one with the lowest metric.

Can I choose which adapter is used for a specific program?

Not directly. Windows routes traffic based on the destination IP and the metric. To force a program to use a specific adapter, you can use third‑party software that binds the program to a particular network interface, but Windows itself doesn’t offer that option.

Will changing the metric affect my VPN or virtual adapters?

Yes. VPN adapters often have their own metrics. If you want your VPN to be used for all traffic, you typically want it to have a lower metric than your physical adapters. However, VPN software usually handles this automatically.

What is the difference between “Disable� and “Uninstall� for an adapter?

Disabling turns off the adapter but keeps the driver installed. Uninstalling removes the driver and the adapter disappears from the list. Uninstalling is rarely needed and can cause issues if the driver isn’t reinstalled automatically.

Does the adapter order in “Advanced Settings� matter if I set metrics?

Yes, but the metric takes precedence. The binding order is used when metrics are equal or when Windows can’t determine a metric. Setting explicit metrics is more reliable.

Why does Windows sometimes use Wi‑Fi even when Ethernet is plugged in?

This usually happens because the Ethernet adapter has a higher metric (less preferred) or because the Ethernet connection is not fully established (e.g., no internet on that network). Check your metrics and make sure the Ethernet connection has internet access.

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