Although a network adapter is an essential component of your computer (since it connects it to the local network and the Internet), you may need to disable it for various reasons. For example, to preserve battery life, keep your device off the network, etc.
The only problem is that while you can use the Settings app in Windows 10 to manage your network settings , it does not have an option to enable or disable network adapters.
This guide will walk you through the steps of disabling and enabling a network adapter using a graphical interface and commands.
How to enable or disable network adapters using Control Panel
In Windows 10, you can use Control Panel to disable and enable your network adapters as needed.
Disable adapter
To disable a network adapter using Control Panel, follow these steps:
- Open Settings .
- Click Network
- Type the following command to identify the name of the adapter you want to enable and press Enter: netsh interface show interface
- Type the following command to disable the Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter and press Enter: netsh interface set interface “YOUR-ADAPTER-NAME” enable
In the command, specify the name of the adapter that you want to enable. The quotes are only needed if there are spaces within the name.
How to enable or disable network adapters using PowerShell
Alternatively, you can even use the PowerShell command line shell to disable or enable any network adapters you don’t use on your PC.
Disable adapter
To disable a Wi-Fi or Ethernet network adapter in Windows 10 Using PowerShell, follow these steps:
- Open Start.
- Search for PowerShell, right-click right at the top of the result and select the Run as administrator option.
- Type the following command to identify the name of the adapter you want to disable and press Enter >: Get-NetAdapter | format-table
- Type the following command to disable the Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter and press Enter: Disable-NetAdapter -Name “YOUR-ADAPTER -NAME” -Confirm:$false
In the command, specify the name of the adapter you want to disable. The quotes are only required if there are spaces within the name.
Enable adapter
To enable a network adapter in Windows 10 with PowerShell, use these steps :
- Open Start.
- Search for PowerShell, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
- Type the following command to identify the name of the adapter you want to enable and press Enter: Get- adapter network | format-table
- Type the following command to disable the Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter and press Enter: Enable-NetAdapter -Name “YOUR-ADAPTER -NAME” -Confirm:$false
In the command, specify the name of the adapter you want to enable. The quotes are only required if there are spaces within the name.
Although the Windows 10 modern experience doesn’t offer a complete set of network settings, there are still plenty of ways to enable or disable networking. adapters when needed.
Remember that using the network flyout to turn wireless connections on or off does not turn off your Wi-Fi adapter. It just disconnects the device from the network.
We’re focusing this guide on wired and wireless adapters, but remember that Bluetooth is also a network device, which means you can use the same instructions to enable or disable the adapter.
More Resources
For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10 and Windows 11, visit the following resources:
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