Changed Default Route Preference among Connections in Windows 10

Introduction

In Windows 10, a user might encounter a situation where they need to connect to both a Local Area Network (LAN) and Wi-Fi simultaneously. While this is possible, the default route preference may not be set as expected, causing connectivity issues. In this article, we will discuss the reasons for this behavior and how to change the default route preference.

Reasons for Default Route Preference Issues

Windows 10 uses a routing protocol called Routing Information Protocol (RIP) to determine the best route for data transmission. By default, Windows 10 prefers a wired connection (LAN) over a wireless connection (Wi-Fi) due to its stability and reliability. However, in some cases, users might need to connect to both networks at the same time, and the default route preference may cause issues.

Changing Default Route Preference

Using GUI

To change the default route preference using the Graphical User Interface (GUI), follow these steps:

1. Press Win + X and select Control Panel.
2. Click on Network and Internet and then Network and Sharing Center.
3. Click on the active network connection (LAN or Wi-Fi).
4. Click on Properties.
5. Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) or Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) and click on Properties.
6. Select Use the following DNS server addresses: and enter the preferred and alternate DNS server addresses for the desired network connection.
7. Check the Use this connection only for computers in my local subnet option if applicable.
8. Click OK to save the changes.

Using Command Prompt

To change the default route preference using the Command Prompt, follow these steps:

1. Press Win + X and select Command Prompt (Admin) or PowerShell (Admin).
2. Type the following command to display the current default gateway:

ipconfig /all

3. Identify the connection name and its IP address.
4. Type the following command to set the default gateway for the desired connection:

netsh interface ipv4 set interface "Name of the connection" static 192.168.1.1 255.255.255.0 default

Replace "Name of the connection" with the name of the connection and 192.168.1.1 with the default gateway IP address.

In Windows 10, the default route preference may cause connectivity issues when using both a LAN and Wi-Fi connection simultaneously. To change the default route preference, users can use the GUI or the Command Prompt. By following the steps outlined in this article, users can ensure that their Windows 10 machine can connect to both networks without any issues.