How to Enable or Disable Network Adapters in Windows 10

Introduction

A network adapter is a hardware component in the system that is used to provide connectivity over a computer with a computer network. A network adapter is also known as a NIC (network interface controller), interface card, or LAN adapter. By using either Ethernet or Wi-Fi, it allows computers to communicate over a computer network.

Users can enable or disable the network adapter as per their requirements. For example, if the Wi-Fi network interface is disabled in your system, the user can enable the network interface.

This tutorial will show you various ways how to enable or disable the Network Adapters in Windows 10.

Method 1. Using Command Prompt (Admin)

By using the Command Prompt (Admin), the user can easily enable or disable the network adapters. Follow the below instructions to proceed.

Step 1. From the Search, type the Command Prompt right-click on it, and select "Run as Administrator".

Step 2. To check the available network adapters or to identify the name of the network adapter that you want to disable in your system, type the following command in the command prompt

netsh interface show interface

A) To disable the Network Adapter, type the command below in the command prompt

netsh interface set interface <Interface Name> disable

B) To enable the Network Adapter, type the following command in the command prompt

netsh interface set interface <Interface Name> enable

Note. As per Wikipedia, "In computing, network shell generally known as netsh, is a command-line utility included in Microsoft's Windows NT line of operating systems beginning with Windows 2000. It allows local or remote configuration of network devices such as the interface".

Method 2. Using Windows PowerShell

By using Windows PowerShell, the user can easily enable or disable the network adapters. Follow the below instructions to proceed.

Step 1. Open Windows PowerShell (Admin). (Alternatively, you can press the "Windows + X" key and click on "Windows PowerShell (Admin)" to open it.)

Step 2. To check the available network adapters in your system, type the following command in Windows PowerShell (Admin).

Get-NetAdapter | Format-List

A) To disable the Network Adapter, type the command below in the Windows PowerShell (Admin).

Disable-NetAdapter -Name <Network Adapter Name> -Confirm:$false

B) To enable the Network Adapter, type the following command in the Windows PowerShell (Admin).

Enable-NetAdapter -Name <Network Adapter Name> -Confirm:$false

Method 3. Via Device Manager

The user can easily enable or disable network adapters through the Device Manager. Follow the below instructions to proceed.

Step 1. You can click Start and type Device Manager, then click Device Manager to open it. (Alternatively, the user can press the "Windows + X" key, and click on Device Manager to open it).

Step 2. Click on the "Network adapters" and you will see the various devices in it.

Step 3

A) Right-click on Realtek (or any mentioned adapter in your PC) and click on "Disable device" to disable the Network Adapter in your system.

B) Right-click on Realtek (or any mentioned adapter in your PC) and click on "Enable device", to enable the Network Adapter in your system.

Method 4. Using Windows Settings

With the help of the Windows Settings, the user can easily enable or disable the network adapters. Follow the below instructions to proceed.

Step 1. From the Start Menu, click on the Settings button. (Alternatively, the user can press the "Windows + I" key to directly open the "Windows Settings").

Step 2. "Windows Settings" will appear on the screen, then click on the "Network & Internet" option.

Step 3. Now, click on the "Status" option. And, under the "Change your network settings" section, click on the "Change adapter options".

Step 4. The "Network Connections" window will appear on the screen.

A)To disable the network adapter that you want, right-click on it and click on the "Disable" option.

B)To enable the network adapter that you want, right-click on it and click on the "Enable" option.

Conclusion

By following any of the above methods, you can enable or disable the Network Adapters in Windows 10.

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Thanks for reading!