If you live or work in an area with multiple wireless connections, you may want to connect to the strongest Wi-Fi network at all times. However, manually switching between networks as you move around can be tedious. Fortunately, there's a better way. Using it, you can configure your Windows PC to automatically scan and switch to the strongest available Wi-Fi network. Here's how to switch to the strongest Wi-Fi network automatically in Windows 10 and Windows 11.
To achieve this, you'll need to make some changes to your network adapter and adjust the aggressive roaming value. This will essentially force Windows to connect to a stronger Wi-Fi network. This, of course, can be useful if you're using a Windows laptop and tend to move around a lot.
In this post, we'll walk you through the steps necessary to set up automatic network switching on Windows. So, without further ado, let's get started.
We used a Windows 11 computer to capture the screenshots for this article. However, you can follow the same steps on a Windows 10 computer to enable automatic network switching.
Configure Windows to automatically switch to the strongest Wi-Fi network
By default, Windows does not search for Wi-Fi networks Other if it is already connected to a network. However, you can always change this behavior by modifying the network adapter properties.
Allow Windows to search for other wireless networks
To enable automatic network switching, you first need to allow Windows to search for other wireless networks even when connected to one. Here's what you need to do.
Step 1: Click Search code In the taskbar or click Windows key + S on the keyboard to open Windows Search Menu. Write Control Panel In the box and select the first result that appears.
Step 2: in Control Panel window Access the drop-down menu in the upper right corner to change the display type to small or large symbols.
Step 3: Click Network and Sharing Center.
Step 4: Click Change adapter settings On the left sidebar. This will open Network Connections Window.
Step 5: Right click on Wi-Fi adapter and select Status from the list.
Step 6: Next, tap Wireless Properties button.
Step 7: within Contact tab Check the box that reads “Scan for other wireless networks while connected to this network.” Then click "OK" out.
Once you complete the above steps, Windows will actively search for nearby Wi-Fi networks.
Modify roaming aggression
Roaming aggressiveness is the rate at which your device scans for nearby access points (APs) or network hotspots. To automatically switch to a stronger wireless network, you need to increase the aggressiveness of your Wi-Fi adapter. This means your computer will constantly search for a better network, and this can have a marginal impact on laptop battery life.
The default roaming severity value is medium. Setting it to the highest level forces network adapter You have to look for other stronger connections even if the current network strength is sufficient.
To change the Strict Roaming value on Windows, follow the steps below.
Step 1: Right click on start button or press Windows key + X To open the quick links menu. Then select Device Manager from the list.
Step 2: Double click network adapters to expand it.
Step 3: Right click on network adapter and select Properties.
Step 4: in Properties window , switch to Advanced tab.
Step 5: Under Property, select Roaming power. Then use the drop-down list under Value to select the highest value from the list.
Finally, tap "OK" to save the changes.
close Device Manager window وRestart your computer For the changes to take effect, Windows will then actively search for nearby network connections and switch to a stronger one when available.
One important thing to note is that Windows only takes signal strength into account when switching networks. If you want to ensure that Windows only connects to your preferred wireless networks, you may want to consider changing the priority of saved Wi-Fi networks in Windows.
Smooth switching
There are also third-party apps and programs available for Windows that can help you automatically switch to the strongest Wi-Fi network. Aside from automatically switching networks, these apps also allow you to easily add, manage, and remove your wireless connections. However, it's a good idea to use the native options for as long as possible.
Enabling automatic network switching can help you avoid any internet issues caused by weak signal strength or random disconnections. However, if you're experiencing slow internet speeds on Windows despite a strong signal, you may want to fix the problem immediately.
