Why Windows Prefers Ethernet Over Wi‑Fi and How to Change It

When a computer has both a wired Ethernet adapter and a wireless Wi‑Fi adapter, Windows assigns a default route to each adapter. Running route print typically shows two entries like 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 192.168.1.1 (Wi‑Fi) with a metric of 50 and 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 172.16.35.1 (Ethernet) with a metric of 35. Because the metric (also called Interface Metric) is lower for Ethernet, the OS prefers the wired connection.

The Interface Metric is a cost value used by the routing table to decide which interface to use when multiple routes have the same destination. A smaller number means higher priority. By default, Ethernet adapters usually have a lower metric because they provide a more stable and faster link, while Wi‑Fi adapters receive a higher metric due to potential signal variability.

How to View and Change the Metric in Windows

Open Control Panel → Network and Internet → Network Connections .

Right‑click the adapter you want to prioritize (e.g., "Ethernet" or "Wi‑Fi") and select Properties .

In the Properties window, double‑click Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) , then click Advanced .

In the Advanced TCP/IP Settings dialog, uncheck Automatic metric and manually enter a value in Interface metric . Smaller values give higher priority.

Click OK to save, then close all dialogs.

After setting the Wi‑Fi metric to 20, running route print shows the Wi‑Fi entry with metric 20, and the network icon switches to the wireless symbol, indicating that traffic now uses Wi‑Fi. Changing the Ethernet metric to 10 makes the wired connection win again, and the icon reverts to the Ethernet symbol.

The metric concept is similar to hop count in routing: each hop adds cost, and the path with the lowest total cost is chosen. Hop count is also used for performance evaluation, fault isolation (via tracert), network optimization, and security policies that limit the number of hops.

In many corporate environments, a machine may be connected to an internal wired LAN (no Internet access) and an external Wi‑Fi network (Internet access). By leaving the wired adapter without a default gateway, only the Wi‑Fi adapter provides a default route, ensuring Internet traffic goes through the wireless link.