Windows – Automatically prefer Ethernet over WLAN

ethernetwindows 7windows xpwireless-networking

Is is possible to force IP connections over the wired ethernet if it is connected and over wireless LAN if the wired ethernet is unavailabe (e.g. cable disconnected). Both network connections would be part of the same subnet.

Best Answer

You can set your laptop to "prefer" the Ethernet connection over the wireless. TechNet has a quick overview:

The short answer is that Windows (Vista, 7, 2008, and I’m pretty sure XP and 2003 does as well) [or should do] this by default. The key here is the network interface metric. When you have more than one default gateway defined [...] then the internet bound packets go out the interface with the lowest metric.

[...] You can, of course, permanently alter your metrics by editing your TCP/IP settings on your network adapter’s advanced settings.

[...] You should know that Vista made a change to how we handle existing sockets – after plugging in, connections will not be switched over, you must re-establish the connection in order to make use of a wired connection. For example, if you’re downloading something from a website and realize that it would go faster by plugging in, you’d have to cancel and start over after plugging in. This is a change from XP and 2003.

For how to change these settings, have a look at this Microsoft KB article.

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