Network and Internet Enable or Disable Network Adapters in Windows 11


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Network_adapters_banner.png

This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable network adapters in Windows 10 and Windows 11.

A network adapter (aka: Network Interface Controller (NIC) ) is a computer hardware component that connects a computer to the Internet or local area network.

Sometimes you may need to disable a network adapter if you don't use it, troubleshooting, etc...


You must be signed in as an administrator to enable or disable network adapters.



Contents

  • Option One: Enable or Disable Network Adapters in Settings
  • Option Two: Enable or Disable Network Adapters in Network Connections
  • Option Three: Enable or Disable Network Adapters in Device Manager
  • Option Four: Enable or Disable Network Adapters using netsh command
  • Option Five: Enable or Disable Network Adapters in PowerShell




Option One

Enable or Disable Network Adapters in Settings


1 Open Settings (Win+I).

2 Click/tap on Network & internet on the left side, and click/tap on Advanced network settings on the right side. (see screenshot below)


network_adapters_Settings-1.png

3 Click/tap on Enable or Disable for the network adapters you want. (see screenshot below)

network_adapters_Settings-3.png

4 When finished, you can close Settings if you like.




Option Two

Enable or Disable Network Adapters in Network Connections


1 Open the Control Panel (icons view), and click/tap on the Network and Sharing Center icon.

2 Click/tap on the Change adapter settings (ncpa.cpl) link in Network and Sharing Center. (see screenshot below)

network_adapters_Network_Connections-1.png

3 Right click on the network adapter (ex: "Wi-Fi") you want, and click/tap on Enable or Disable. (see screenshots below)

network_adapters_Network_Connections-3.png
network_adapters_Network_Connections-2.png

4 When finished, you can close Network Connections and Control Panel if you like.




Option Three

Enable or Disable Network Adapters in Device Manager


1 Open Device Manager (devmgmt.msc).

2 Expand open Network adapters. (see screenshots below)

3 Right click on the network adapter you want, and click/tap on Enable device or Disable device. (see screenshots below)

network_adapters_Device_Manager-2.png
network_adapters_Device_Manager-1.png

4 If you are disabling the network adapter, click/tap on Yes to confirm when prompted. (see screenshot below)

network_adapters_Device_Manager-3.png

5 When finished, you can close Device Manager if you like.




Option Four

Enable or Disable Network Adapters using netsh command


1 Open Windows Terminal (Admin), and select either Windows PowerShell or Command Prompt.

2 Copy and paste the command below into Windows Terminal (Admin), and press Enter to see a list of all network adapters and their current status on your PC. (see screenshot below step 3)

netsh interface show interface​

3 Make note of the Interface Name (ex: "Wi-Fi") you want to enable or disable. (see screenshot below)

The Admin State column will let you know if the network adapter (Interface Name) is currently Enabled or Disabled.


network_adapters_netsh_command-1.png

4 Type the command below you want to use into Windows Terminal (Admin), and press Enter. (see screenshots below)

(Disable network adapter)​
netsh interface set interface "Interface Name" disable​

OR​

(Enable network adapter)​
netsh interface set interface "Interface Name" enable​

Substitute Interface Name in the commands above with the actual network adapter (ex: "Wi-Fi") you want from step 3.

For example: netsh interface set interface "Wi-Fi" enable


5 When finished, you can close Windows Terminal (Admin) if you like.

network_adapters_netsh_command-2.png

network_adapters_netsh_command-3.png





Option Five

Enable or Disable Network Adapters in PowerShell


1 Open Windows Terminal (Admin), and select Windows PowerShell.

2 Copy and paste the command below into PowerShell, and press Enter to see a list of all network adapters and their current status on your PC. (see screenshot below step 3)

Get-NetAdapter | format-list​

3 Make note of the network adapter Name (ex: "Wi-Fi") you want to enable or disable. (see screenshot below)

AdminStatus will let you know if the network adapter (Name) is currently Up (enabled) or Down (disabled).


network_adapters_PowerShell-1.png

4 Type the command below you want to use into PowerShell, and press Enter. (see screenshots below)

(Disable network adapter)​
Disable-NetAdapter -Name "Network Adapter Name" -Confirm:$false​

OR​

(Enable network adapter)​
Enable-NetAdapter -Name "Network Adapter Name" -Confirm:$false​

Substitute Network Adapter Name in the commands above with the actual network adapter Name (ex: "Wi-Fi") you want from step 3.

For example: Enable-NetAdapter -Name "Wi-Fi" -Confirm:$false


5 When finished, you can close Windows Terminal (Admin) if you like.

network_adapters_PowerShell-2.png

network_adapters_PowerShell-3.png



That's it,
Shawn Brink


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Click to expand...
Option Two, the Network Connections window that is shown under Step 3 can also be opened by entering ncpa.cpl in the Run dialog (Win+R). This is similar to opening Device Manager by entering devmgmt.msc (in Option Three, Step 1).
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus TUF Gaming (2024)
    CPU
    i7 13650HX
    Memory
    16GB DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    512GB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Cooling
    2× Arc Flow Fans, 4× exhaust vents, 5× heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Internet Speed
    20Mbit/s up, 250Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF
  • Operating System
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Medion S15450
    CPU
    i5 1135G7
    Memory
    16GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    2TB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Internet Speed
    20Mbit/s up, 250Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF
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