How to Create Network Connections Shortcut in Windows 10


A network connection is a set of information that enables your computer to connect to the Internet, a network, or another computer. When you install a network adapter in your computer, Windows creates a connection for it in the Network Connections folder. A local area connection is created for an Ethernet network adapter. A wireless network connection is created for a wireless network adapter.

In the Network Connections folder, you can select a connection and view status information, such as connection duration, speed, and amounts of data transmitted and received; and you can use any diagnostic tools available for a particular connection. Depending on the status of the connection, the icon changes appearance in the Network Connections folder.

This tutorial will show you how to create or download a Network Connections shortcut that opens in the Control Panel or Settings for your account in Windows 10.

 CONTENTS:

• Option One: To Download a Network Connections Shortcut
• Option Two: To Manually Create a Network Connections Shortcut

EXAMPLE: Network Connections in Control Panel and Settings

OPTION ONE

To Download a Network Connections Shortcut

1. Click/tap on the Download button below to download the .zip file of the shortcut you want.

Network_Connections_CP_shortcut.zip

Download

OR

Network_Connections_in_Settings_shortcut.zip

Download

2. Save the .zip file to your desktop.

3. Unblock the .zip file.

4. Open the .zip file, and extract (drag and drop) the shortcut to your desktop.

5. If you like, you can Pin to Taskbar, Pin to Start, add to All apps, add to Quick Launch, assign a keyboard shortcut to, or move this shortcut to where you like for easy use.

6. When finished, you can delete the downloaded .zip file if you like.

OPTION TWO

To Manually Create a Network Connections Shortcut

1. Right click or press and hold on an empty area on your desktop, and click/tap on New and Shortcut.

2. Copy and paste the location below you want to use into the location area, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshots below)

(Network Connections in Control Panel)
ncpa.cpl

OR

explorer.exe shell:::{992CFFA0-F557-101A-88EC-00DD010CCC48}

OR

(Network Connections in Settings)
explorer.exe ms-settings:network

3. Type Network Connections for the name, and click/tap on the Finish button. (see screenshot below)

You could name this shortcut anything you would like though.

4. Right click or press and hold on the new Network Connections shortcut, and click/tap on Properties.

5. Click/tap on the Shortcut tab, then click/tap on the Change Icon button. (see screenshot below)

6. In the line under "Look for icons in this file", copy and paste the location below you want to use, and press Enter. (see screenshots below)

(Network Connections in Control Panel)
%SystemRoot%\system32\netshell.dll

OR

(Network Connections in Settings)
%windir%\ImmersiveControlPanel\systemsettings.exe

7. Select the icon highlighted in blue above, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot above)

You can use any icon that you would like instead though.

8. Click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

9. If you like, you can Pin to Taskbar, Pin to Start, add to All apps, add to Quick Launch, assign a keyboard shortcut to, or move this shortcut to where you like for easy use.

That's it,
Shawn

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• How to Cleanup and Reset Network Adapters in Windows 10

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