How can I change the binding order of network adapters in Windows 7?

Open up your "Network and Sharing Center."

Click "Change Adapter Settings" in right-hand pane.

This should bring you to Control Panel\Network and Internet\Network Connections. You can also get there by running "ncpa.cpl".

Hit "ALT" to make the menu bar visible, and pick "Advanced" (Alt-N will bring you directly to that menu), and pick "Advanced Settings".

That will open the Advance Settings window, and you can adjust your binding order there.


None of the other answers at the time worked for me. I was using Windows 7 64bit, and simply changing the order of these adapters as mentioned by techie007 didn't work.

After some research, I found a method which worked for me:

  • Go to 'Network and Sharing Center' and then select 'Change adapter settings'.

  • Right click one of the network adapters you wish to change, and select 'properties'.

  • In the properties dialog, select 'Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)' and then select 'properties'.

  • Select 'Advanced' on the next dialog.

  • Untick 'Automatic metric', and enter a number as the 'Interface metric', to order the network adapter.

Windows orders network adapters from low to high numbers (a network adapter with an interface metric of 1, would be preferred over one with a metric of 2).