How to Rename a Network Adapter in Windows 10 and 11

November 12, 2024 Matt Mills Computers, How to 0

Updated 19 October 2026.

Renaming a network adapter makes it easier to tell connections apart. For example, “Ethernet 2” could become “Office Ethernet,” while a USB adapter could become “Travel Wi-Fi.” This changes the adapter’s local label, not your router’s Wi-Fi name or your internet plan.

Windows network settings screen

The simplest method: Network Connections

  1. Press Windows + R.
  2. Enter ncpa.cpl and press Enter.
  3. Find the adapter you want to rename. Check its description and connection status to avoid choosing the wrong one.
  4. Right-click it and choose Rename, or select it and press F2.
  5. Enter a clear, unique name and confirm. Approve an administrator prompt if Windows requests one.

This is useful when the Settings app has moved a control between Windows versions. Do not choose Disable or Delete while looking for Rename: those actions have different effects.

Using Windows 11 Settings

Open Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings. Expand the adapter’s controls and look for Rename if your build provides it. If that option is absent, use Network Connections or the documented PowerShell method below.

Choose names that describe purpose or location. “Dock Ethernet” tells you more than “Fast Connection,” which may become misleading when you move the dock to another network.

Rename an adapter with PowerShell

For a precise command-line method, open Terminal or PowerShell as administrator. First list the adapter names:

Get-NetAdapter

Check the Name, InterfaceDescription and status. Then use the exact current name, for example:

Rename-NetAdapter -Name "Ethernet" -NewName "Office Ethernet"
Get-NetAdapter

Microsoft‘s Rename-NetAdapter documentation confirms that the command changes the interface alias, rather than its hardware description. The Get-NetAdapter reference explains the listing command.

Replace the example’s names with your own. Keep quotation marks around names containing spaces, and avoid wildcards when you only intend to change one adapter.

What changes, and what does not?

Item Effect of renaming the adapter
Local interface name Changes to your chosen label.
Router’s Wi-Fi network name Unchanged.
Adapter’s hardware description Unchanged.
IP address and DNS configuration Not changed by the rename command itself.
Scripts using the old adapter name May need updating to use the new name.

Before renaming an interface used in a script, scheduled task or support procedure, record its old name. If you are diagnosing connectivity, take notes about the fault first; a new label will not fix a weak signal, bad cable or incorrect network configuration.

A virtual adapter may belong to VPN software. Renaming it is different from removing a VPN connection or profile, and the app may recreate its own adapter later.

Undo a name change

Repeat the same method and enter the old name. In PowerShell, reverse the example:

Rename-NetAdapter -Name "Office Ethernet" -NewName "Ethernet"

These controls also exist on Windows 10, but its ordinary support ended on October 14, 2025. Check Microsoft’s current support guidance for your edition and update arrangements.

FAQs

Will this rename my Wi-Fi network?

No. Your Wi-Fi network name, or SSID, is configured separately, usually on the router.

Does renaming make the connection faster?

No. It is an organizational change, not a speed adjustment.

Can I rename a disconnected adapter?

If Windows lists it and you have permission, its disconnected state does not by itself require changing the naming method.

Why does the old name return?

A reinstall or software-managed virtual adapter may create a new interface. Check which adapter exists before applying another rename.