How to change the network name in Windows 11

To change a network name in Windows 11, edit the network profile: open Registry Editor, go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\NetworkList\Profiles, find the profile whose ProfileName reads "Network 2" (or similar) and type a new name. Pro, Enterprise and Education users can do the same in Local Security Policy. To rename the Ethernet or Wi-Fi adapter instead, use Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Rename.

Windows 11 uses two different names, and most confusion comes from mixing them up. This guide explains both, shows where to find each one, and walks through every built-in method to change them. No third-party software is needed, but all methods require an administrator account.

Network name vs adapter name in Windows 11

Windows 11 shows a network profile name and a network adapter name, and each is changed in a different place. The network profile name is what Windows calls the network you are connected to: wireless networks get their SSID, while wired Ethernet networks get generic labels such as Network, Network 2 or Network 4. Windows typically creates a new numbered profile when it detects a network it has not seen before, for example after a router swap or when you plug into a different dock.

The adapter name (also called the connection name or interface alias) is the label of the hardware interface itself, such as Ethernet, Ethernet 2 or Wi-Fi. It appears in Settings under Advanced network settings and in the classic Network Connections window.

If you want "Network 2" in the taskbar flyout or Network and Sharing Center to read "Home LAN", you need the profile name. If you want "Ethernet 2" to read "Onboard 2.5G", you need the adapter name.

How to find the current network name

Windows 11 displays the current network profile name in Settings and in the classic Control Panel, and you need it to pick the right entry later.

1. Open Start > Settings.
2. Select Network & internet.
3. Open Ethernet or Wi-Fi, depending on the connection. The network name appears at the top of the page.

In Control Panel, go to Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center. The "View your active networks" section lists each network name with the adapter it uses underneath. In PowerShell, the command Get-NetConnectionProfile lists the profile name (Name) next to the adapter name (InterfaceAlias), which is the quickest way to match the two.

Change the network name in Registry Editor

Registry Editor changes the network profile name on every Windows 11 edition, including Home. The name is stored in the ProfileName value of each profile key.

1. Open Start, type regedit and open Registry Editor (confirm the UAC prompt).
2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\NetworkList\Profiles.
3. Click each subkey (a long GUID) and check its ProfileName value in the right pane until you find the network you want to rename.
4. Double-click ProfileName, type the new name and click OK.
5. Sign out and back in, or restart, so the new name shows everywhere.

Network names cannot contain the characters \ / , : * ? < > | or quotation marks, and cannot consist of spaces only. The Profiles key also holds entries for networks you no longer use, which is often why the numbering climbs to Network 4 or higher. Back up the key (File > Export) before editing if you are unsure.

Change the network name in Local Security Policy

Local Security Policy offers a policy-based way to rename a network on Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise and Education. It is not available on Home.

1. Open Start, type secpol.msc and open Local Security Policy. Our overview of Windows msc files lists other consoles you can launch this way.
2. Select Network List Manager Policies in the left pane.
3. Double-click the network you want to rename in the right pane.
4. On the Network Name tab, under Name, select Name and type the new name.
5. Click OK, then sign out and back in, or restart.

The policy overrides the registry ProfileName. To undo it, open the same dialog and select Not configured; Windows then shows the profile name again. Because it is a policy, this method also suits managed PCs where admins want consistent network names.

Rename the Ethernet or Wi-Fi adapter in Settings

Windows 11 Settings renames the network adapter, which changes labels such as Ethernet 2 or Wi-Fi, not the network profile name.

1. Open Settings and select Network & internet.
2. Select Advanced network settings.
3. Under Network adapters, expand the Ethernet or Wi-Fi adapter.
4. Select Rename, type the new name and save.

The classic route still works too: in Control Panel, open Network and Sharing Center > Change adapter settings, right-click the adapter and select Rename. Descriptive adapter names help on PCs with several ports, USB adapters, VPN interfaces or virtual switches.

Rename a network connection with PowerShell or netsh

PowerShell renames a Windows 11 network adapter with a single Rename-NetAdapter command, which makes it the best choice for scripts and remote management.

1. Right-click Start and open Terminal (Admin) or an elevated Windows PowerShell window.
2. Run Get-NetAdapter and note the Name of the adapter you want to change.
3. Run Rename-NetAdapter -Name "Ethernet 2" -NewName "Dock LAN", replacing both names with your own.

According to Microsoft's Rename-NetAdapter documentation, only the name (interface alias) changes; the interface description stays the same. In Command Prompt, the netsh equivalent is netsh interface show interface to list names, then netsh interface set interface name="Ethernet 2" newname="Dock LAN".

PowerShell has no cmdlet to rename a network profile. Set-NetConnectionProfile only changes the network category (Public or Private), so use the Registry or Local Security Policy methods above for profile names.

FAQ

Related: change network names on Windows 10, turn Wi-Fi on or off in Windows 11, view cached DNS entries on Windows