How to Set WiFi Preference Order?

ish4d0w · 09 Feb 2021

Hello,

Back in the day Windows 7 had a nice option to set a priority order for WiFi networks and I could just rearrange that in GUI.

Windows 10 misses that option. There is still a preference order but it cannot be altered in GUI it seems. Do you know a way?

If not, can you please upvote this suggestion to return this feature?

Thanks

Bree · 09 Feb 2021

ish4d0w said:

There is still a preference order but it cannot be altered in GUI it seems. Do you know a way?

You can set the priority order by the order in which you click connect on each available network. See Option One in this tutorial.

Change Wireless Network Connection Priority Order in Windows 10

dalchina · 09 Feb 2021

Have you considered this freeware program? (2nd part)
Change Wi-Fi Network Connection Priority in Windows 10 - Winhelponline

Purely for interest- and you've probably seen these or similar which discuss the issue (no GUI solution of course):

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...a22b039?page=1
and
How to change network connection priority in Windows 10?
and
How to change Wi-Fi network connections priority order on Windows 10 | Windows Central

Bree · 09 Feb 2021

ish4d0w said:

Windows 10 misses that option. There is still a preference order but it cannot be altered in GUI it seems. Do you know a way?
(edit: I accidentally posted in the wrong section. Reposting here.)

Too late, I replied over there. I repeat:

You can set the priority order by the order in which you click connect on each available network. See Option One in this tutorial.

Change Wireless Network Connection Priority Order in Windows 10

Try3 · 09 Feb 2021

I agree with Bree. The tutorial shows you how to set priorities.

I agree with you that there is no GUI for setting priorities. You can see what they are [but not set them] in

Settings,
Network,
WiFi,
Manage known networks,
Sort by - Preferred order.

"Preferred order" means priority.

The command prompt can also be used to control auto-switching between networks [as well as setting priorities - explained in the tutorial].

- Auto-switching constrains network changes not initial selections.
- Windows will initially choose a network based on priority order but will then only switch to a higher priority one if auto-switching is allowed for the currently-connected network.
- Just by way of example, this is the [elevated] batch file I run to set my priorities & auto-switching decisions and I would continue to use this even if a GUI method were to be introduced

SetWLANPriorities-AutoSwitch.bat

Code:

:: Set priorities
netsh wlan set profileorder name="LocalLibrary" interface="Wi-Fi" priority=1
netsh wlan set profileorder name="NormalNet" interface="Wi-Fi" priority=2
netsh wlan set profileorder name="StandbyNet" interface="Wi-Fi" priority=3
netsh wlan set profileorder name="NormalDirect" interface="Wi-Fi" priority=4
netsh wlan set profileorder name="StandbyDirect" interface="Wi-Fi" priority=5
:: Set AutoSwitching
:: Allow switching to higher priority networks
netsh wlan set profileparameter name="LocalLibrary" autoswitch=No
netsh wlan set profileparameter name="NormalNet" autoswitch=No
netsh wlan set profileparameter name="StandbyNet" autoswitch=Yes
netsh wlan set profileparameter name="NormalDirect" autoswitch=Yes
netsh wlan set profileparameter name="StandbyDirect" autoswitch=Yes

"LocalLibrary" etc are the names of the WiFi networks I use
"Wi-Fi" is the name of the WiFi adapter - shown in several places including

Control panel,
Network & sharing centre,

Change adapter settings.

- So if I am in my local library, I connect to its network and I stay on it even if I turn on my own networks [NormalDirect, StandbyDirect are portable - they are phone hotspots].
- But if I am at home on my phone hotspot, NormalDirect, and I turn on my router, NormalNet, I will get switched across to that automatically.
- And, again at home, if I am using NormalNet and turn on my phone hotspot, NormalDirect, no change of network takes place.

@Brink - It had not occurred to me to suggest this before but showing people how to set auto-switching would be a useful addition to the tutorial.

Denis

ish4d0w · 09 Feb 2021

Thank you, both of you! It's great to have a workaround but this is not trivial to my clients. A gui would be much needed. I miss it! Kindly Please consider upvoting the idea so maybe they will see it.

ish4d0w · 09 Feb 2021

Thank you, both of you! Yes I have seen those; and now tried this freeware too, itworks great. Also Bree's commandline workaround works great too but you know how it is... When I have to help a friend who is not a geek like us,it's a nightmare to do anything with the command line - for them.
I really want a GUI option to be retrofitted. If you agree please upvote!

And thanks again for the workarounds, they are great ! I just set up the order with them.

Brink · 10 Feb 2021

Try3 said:

@Brink - It had not occurred to me to suggest this before but showing people how to set auto-switching would be a useful addition to the tutorial.

Denis

Hello Denis,

Good idea. Done.

Turn On or Off AutoSwitch for Wireless Network Connection in Windows

ish4d0w · 10 Feb 2021

Thanks Brink!

AllenChicago · 03 May 2021

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread. I was getting frustrated trying to figure out how to drag my home SSID up to the top of the list of SSID's I've connected to while traveling.

I now understand that this feature is not available in Windows-10. But since Windows connection manager is so fast, the fact that my home SSID is 9th down on the list doesn't seem to matter. Maybe that's why Microsoft got rid of the ability to re-arrange the list of memorized SSIDs.