Telling Windows to Use LAN and WLAN Simultaneously to Increase Speed
In today's world, internet connectivity has become a basic necessity for most of us. We use the internet for various purposes such as work, entertainment, communication, and education. A fast and stable internet connection is essential to perform our tasks efficiently. However, many of us face the issue of slow internet speeds due to outdated network cables or slow Wi-Fi adapters.
The Problem: Slow Internet Speeds
If you have a 1 Gbit/s connection from your Internet Service Provider (ISP), but your home network uses an old Ethernet cable that only transfers data at 100 Mbit/s, then you are not utilizing your full internet speed. Similarly, if you have a Wi-Fi adapter with an approximate transfer rate of 200-300 Mbit/s, you may face slow internet speeds, especially if you are far away from the router.
The Solution: Use LAN and WLAN Simultaneously
One solution to this problem is to use both LAN and WLAN simultaneously. This means that you can connect your computer to the router using an Ethernet cable and also connect to the Wi-Fi network. By doing this, you can increase your internet speed and improve your network stability.
How to Configure Windows to Use LAN and WLAN Simultaneously
By default, Windows uses only one network interface at a time. However, you can change this setting and tell Windows to use both LAN and WLAN simultaneously.
Press the Windows key + X and select "Network Connections" from the menu.
Right-click on the Ethernet connection and select "Properties".
Select "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)" and click the "Properties" button.
Click the "Advanced" button and select the "IP Settings" tab.
Check the box that says "Automatic metric" and click "OK".
Repeat steps 2-5 for the Wi-Fi connection.
// example code for netsh command to set metric
netsh interface ipv4 set subinterface "Ethernet" metric=5 store=persistent
netsh interface ipv4 set subinterface "Wi-Fi" metric=10 store=persistent
By setting a lower metric value for the Wi-Fi connection, Windows will prefer it over the Ethernet connection. However, if the Ethernet connection becomes unavailable, Windows will automatically switch to the Wi-Fi connection.
Advantages of Using LAN and WLAN Simultaneously
Increased internet speed: By using both LAN and WLAN simultaneously, you can increase your internet speed and utilize your full bandwidth.
Improved network stability: Using both network interfaces can improve your network stability and reduce the risk of connection drops.
Load balancing: Windows can balance the network load between both interfaces, which can improve your overall network performance.
Disadvantages of Using LAN and WLAN Simultaneously
Increased power consumption: Using both network interfaces can increase your computer's power consumption and reduce battery life.
Potential IP address conflicts: If both interfaces are set to obtain an IP address automatically, they may conflict with each other, causing network issues.
In this article, we have discussed how to configure Windows to use LAN and WLAN simultaneously to increase internet speed. We have explained the steps to change the network settings and set a lower metric value for the Wi-Fi connection. We have also discussed the advantages and disadvantages of using both network interfaces.