How to enable or disable Wi-Fi in Windows 11

Wi-Fi is next to Ethernet one of the main ways of connecting a device to the Internet. A PC needs a wireless adapter or chip to support Wi-Fi. The majority of mobile devices, for example laptops and tablets, support wireless connectivity.
This guide provides step-by-step instructions on disabling or enabling wireless Internet connectivity on Windows 11 PCs. It also lists examples when this may be useful.
The default: Wi-Fi is enabled by default on Windows 11. This means that the device is actively looking for wireless access points to connect to. Once a connection has been established, Windows will try to connect to the access point automatically.
Reasons for wanting to turn Wi-Fi off
- The device connects to the Internet via an Ethernet cable.
- You want to or have to block Internet connectivity for a time or permanently.
- Simplify network management.
Enable or disable Wi-Fi in the Quick Settings
Step 1: Click on the Wi-Fi icon displayed in the System Tray area on the Windows 11 taskbar. You find it on the right side of the taskbar next to volume.
Tip: you can also press the keys Windows and A together to display the Quick Settings.
Step 2: Click on the Wi-Fi symbol displayed in the Quick Settings interface. This toggles Wi-Fi on the device. A blue background indicates that Wi-Fi is enabled, a white background that it is turned off.
Optional: You may also use the interface to connect to a different wireless access point. For this, it is necessary to click on the right-arrow icon in the Quick Settings next to the wireless icon.
Note that I removed the names of the access points. They are displayed next to the strength indicator in the interface. There is also a Wi-Fi toggle on the page to enable or disable Wi-Fi.
Manage Wi-Fi in the Windows 11 Settings
The second option that you have to control wireless connectivity on Windows 11 devices is via the Settings app.
Step 1: Select Start and then Settings to launch the app. You may also press the keyboard shortcut Windows-I instead to launch it.
Step 2: Navigate to Network & Internet. There you find the toggle to turn Wi-Fi on or off. A click disables or enables the wireless connection.
Optional: Click on the arrow icon next to the Wi-Fi icon for additional management options. Here you get another option to disable or enable Wi-fi connectivity. When you disable Wi-Fi here, you get a new menu that allows you to restore Wi-Fi connectivity automatically after 1 hour, 4 hours, or 1 day.
Other options include:
- Opening the properties of the active wireless connection.
- Showing all available wireless networks, with options to connect to one of them.
- Manage all known networks. This gives you options to remove networks.
- Display the hardware properties of the wireless adapter.
- Enable random hardware address for improved privacy.
Other options to disable or enable Wi-Fi
Windows 11 users have several other options to control wireless connectivity. These may include:
- Using the Device Manager to disable the wireless network adapter (which in turn disables all Wi-Fi functionality).
- Using the classic Control Panel to disable Wi-Fi.
- Disabling Wi-Fi from the command prompt using the netsh command.
- Using a physical switch or key to toggle Wi-Fi.
Now it is your turn. Have another tip or reason for disabling Wi-Fi on your computers? Feel free to share it with everyone else in the comments down below.
C’est vrai qu’on est un peu limités lol
Sérieusement, merci pour l’article !
low quality article … what’s next? how can I pair a bluetooth device? come on!
You can cancel your subscription if you’re offended.
The WIFI can be disabled in the CMOS settings as well. Although it’s not in Windows, it is preferable if a person dual boots from a computer that is wired to the LAN.
You can also do it using netsh — useful if you want to write a macro or have something running in the background that automatically disables it when, say, you plug in an Ethernet cable. To do so, go to Settings > Network & Internet, or use the command “ipconfig” on the command line to find out the name of the wifi adapter (e.g.: “Wi-Fi”). Then type this command to disable wifi:
netsh interface set interface “Wi-Fi” disable
You can also re-enable with:
netsh interface set interface “Wi-Fi” enable
When I was setting up a printer, I discovered it was easier to connect the printer to the network via Wi-Fi rather than using an Ethernet cable to the modem/router. It was also easier to connect the other computers in the home to the printer using Wi-Fi. Meaning–the computers running Windows 11 have both Wi-Fi and Ethernet. Windows 10 is already on Wi-Fi. Linux is using either a USB Wi-Fi dongle or a PowerLIne adapter.
Fantastic. For my next lesson I would like to know how to turn off the computer. I am 173 years old and I always read this blog for solutions to these complicated issues. Also: I always put my sandwiches on the mousey thingy carpet, is that ok?
LOL
Perhaps the hard core sarcasm was a bit much, Bobo, but I’ll admit that my first thought when I read the Martin’s article was that it was certainly on the elementary side for this site. I mean if you had trouble figuring out how to turn on wifi: 1) you probably wouldn’t be reading gHacks; and 2) you might have trouble using the internet at all.
very informative, thank you sir