View list of wifi networks Windows 10
To view available wireless networks in Windows, click the network icon located on the right side of your Taskbar. Depending on your network connection, the network icon will either appear as a computer monitor and network cable, or as five ascending bars. The network icon may also appear as a globe and no symbol if your wireless network adapter is turned off. Show
You'll see a switch for turning Wi-Fi on and off. If it's on, you'll see a list of the wireless networks in your area. This is document augg in the Knowledge Base. Windows 10 manage Wi-Fi with netsh command (Image credit: Windows Central) Although you can manage many aspects of wireless networks using the Settings app (and Control Panel), sometimes, you may still need to perform more advanced tasks. For instance, recover the wireless password for a particular profile, view detailed information about saved profiles, or create a report to troubleshoot issues, which are not common tasks available with other graphical tools. Whatever the reason it might be, if you have to complete more advanced networking tasks, Windows 10 includes the netsh (network shell) command-line tool that you can use to view, troubleshoot, and configure virtually every network adapter on the device. In this Windows 10 guide, we will walk you through the steps to manage wireless networks with the netsh command-line tool.
How to view Wi-Fi network profiles stored on Windows 10To view the wireless network profiles, use these steps:
Once you complete the steps, the command will output the profiles from all the wireless networks you connected in the past on every adapter installed on the computer. How to view Wi-Fi network driver info on Windows 10To view the wireless adapter driver information, use these steps:
After you complete the steps, the command will provide relevant information about the driver, including vendor, version, radio type (for example, 802.11ax, 802.11a, 802.11n, etc.) and wireless authentication support, and more. If you use the command to view the capabilities, you will see a list of all the wireless features available and those supported for the adapter. How to view Wi-Fi network adapter settings on Windows 10To check the wireless adapter settings, use these steps:
Once you complete the steps, the netsh tool will display the current wireless settings for one or all the adapters, including name, description, physical address, SSID, radio type (for example, 802.11ac), security authentication method, and the current receive and transmit rates, and signal strength. How to view Wi-Fi network security key on Windows 10To find out the wireless security key (also known as the Wi-Fi password), use these steps:
After you complete the steps, you will know the network security key for the profile you specified. Although you can view the current network password through the wireless adapter properties in Control Panel, you can use this command to recover any network security key of any profile stored on the device. How to stop Wi-Fi network automatic connection on Windows 10Sometimes, you may have a device configured to connect to different wireless networks automatically, but then, you realize that it always connects to the access point even when it offers poor connectivity or the network is out of range. For those cases, you can run a command to stop connecting to known networks automatically. To prevent a device from connecting to a Wi-Fi network automatically, use these steps:
Once you complete the steps, Windows 10 will no longer try to connect to wireless networks automatically. How to delete Wi-Fi network profile on Windows 10When you no longer need to connect to a particular wireless network, the access point is no longer available, or you need to reset the network profile settings, you can use the netsh command-line tool to delete any profile stored on your computer. To delete a Wi-Fi profile on Windows 10, use these steps:
After you complete the steps, the wireless profiled will be deleted from the device. If you need to reconnect, you will need to go through the connection process again, and you will have to provide the network password as necessary. How to export and import Wi-Fi network profiles on Windows 10There was an option in Control Panel in previous versions of Windows to export and import wireless network profiles. However, the feature was then removed on Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 in favor of the new feature to sync these settings using a Microsoft account. But it is still possible to export and import the Wi-Fi settings using the netsh command-line tool. Export wireless settingsTo export the wireless settings, use these steps:
Once you complete the steps, all the profiles will be exported to the location you specified. The output will also show the name and path for each XML file backup. The export command will create an XML file for each wireless network profile stored on the device. Also, we are using the
option, which will request to store the network security key for each network in the XML file. As a result, make sure to keep these records in a secure place, as they can easily be viewed or edited using any text editor. Import wireless settingsTo import the wireless settings on Windows 10 with command lines, use these steps:
After you complete the steps, the profile will be imported, allowing the device to connect to the wireless network without additional configuration. How to create Wi-Fi network adapter report on Windows 10If you need to troubleshoot the wireless connectivity to an access point, netsh also includes a command to create a detailed report with many important details. To create a wireless report, use these steps:
Once you complete the steps, the report will open with the default web browser. The wlan reports contain a graph with details of the connectivity status, including information, such as when the connection started, when it got disconnected, errors, and more. The report also summarizes the network adapters' information configured on your system, success and failed session, disconnect reasons, and more. It is a very detailed report that can help you ping point many Wi-Fi connectivity issues. While you can manage many wireless settings through the Settings app, the netsh command-line tool gives you more advanced tools to view, configure, and troubleshoot Wi-Fi and Ethernet connections. We only focus on the most common commands, but you can always use the
command to view all the available options. More Windows 10 resourcesFor more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:
Mauro Huculak is technical writer for WindowsCentral.com. His primary focus is to write comprehensive how-tos to help users get the most out of Windows 10 and its many related technologies. He has an IT background with professional certifications from Microsoft, Cisco, and CompTIA, and he's a recognized member of the Microsoft MVP community. How do I view all networks in Windows 10?Start by going to Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi, where you can find and click the Manage Known Networks link to see your list of saved wireless networks.
How do I see previous WiTo find all your Wi-Fi network passwords on Windows:. Right-click on the Windows icon in the taskbar on your desktop.. Click Windows Terminal (Admin).. Type in netsh wlan show profile and hit Enter on your keyboard to view every Wi-Fi network you've connected to.. How do I manage wireless networks in Windows 10?Windows 10. Right-click the Network icon on the lower right corner of the screen (or click the Wi-Fi icon, select the network, and select disconnect). ... . Click Network & Internet settings.. Click Wi-Fi and then click Manage known networks.. |