Do you have to unplug Ethernet to use Wi-Fi?

If, like me, you have a particularly tricky Ethernet cable setup, you’ll probably want to know if you need to physically unplug the cable from your desktop or laptop computer before using Wi-Fi. The answer is no, but you do need to reroute your computer to understand which connection you’re prioritizing, either by manually changing the interface metric values to adjust the priority of each adapter if you’re trying to use both, or by disabling the wired network adapters if you just want to use the Wi-Fi. I’ve tried the second method myself, as I normally have to climb under my desk to reach my home office to unplug the Ethernet cable, and I would prefer to remove this from my routine, if possible. Additionally, my router is in too awkward a situation for me to comfortably unplug it by doing it from the other end.

It turns out that Windows 11 is the reason why it’s not so simple to know if you can use your Wi-Fi over your Ethernet connection. This is because Windows prioritizes the most stable and fastest connection if given the choice. By default, wiring over Ethernet should give you better connectivity than Wi-Fi, at least if you’re using Cat6 or better cable. Fortunately, there is a quick workaround, especially if you don’t want to bother with too many settings, to remotely control the adapters so that they act as if the Ethernet cable isn’t plugged in, even if it is.

Windows 11 tries to optimize your connection based on what’s available. For my part, however, I recently had a scare when my Ethernet cable was severely damaged, to the point where I was surprised it even worked (the wires were exposed and appeared almost frayed, probably a consequence of buying a flat cable when I needed a round one). Since this one runs through my wall for some distance, I couldn’t just buy another 50 foot cable on a whim to replace it. So, as an emergency measure, I wanted to switch to Wi-Fi instead of Ethernet without unplugging it. Turns out I had to make one key change to get this to work properly: disable the Ethernet adapter in my Windows settings.

To disable the adapter, open the Settings app (pressing Windows key + I is the easiest way), then click Network & Internet. Scroll down to find Advanced Network Settings and click to open the adapters page. Under Network Adapters, click the Disable button next to Ethernet. If you need to turn it back on, click Enable next to it and it should restore your wired connection.

You can technically run a quick script instead of going into your settings if you’re comfortable and have admin access. Just note that this method requires the use of PowerShell or Windows Command Prompt. Type “netsh interface set interface ‘Ethernet’ disabled” as the prompt and press Enter. If your adapter is not labeled Ethernet, you will need to replace it with the actual name of the adapter in the field in quotation marks. To enable again, change the command to enable instead of disable.