Don’t like generic names like network 1, network 2, etc., for the network connections? Here’s how to change the network name in Windows 10.
Every connection in Windows 10 and Windows 11 has its own network name. Generally, Windows assigns generic names like Network 1, Network 2, etc., to all your network connections. If you have a router, then Windows might use the name you assigned in the router. When using multiple networks, the default names can be hard to remember or recognize one network from another. In those situations, changing the network name is quite helpful.
However, you will not find any option in the Settings app or Control Panel to rename a network connection. You have to use the Local Security Policy or Windows Registry to change the network name in Windows 10 or Windows 11. It is pretty easy to do. Let me show you how to rename a network in Windows 10.
Jump to:
- Local Security Policy method (works for pro and enterprise users only)
- Windows Registry method
Know Your Current Network Name
Before proceeding, it is better to know your current network connection name. This helps in finding the target network connection when you want to change its name.
To find your current network name, click on the network icon in the taskbar. You will see the network name in the network connections flyout menu. In my case, the network name is “Network 2”.
Alternatively, you can also find the network name from the control panel. To do that, search for “Control Panel” in the start menu and open it. Now, go to “Networking and Sharing Center.” You will see the network name in bold letters under the “View your active networks” section.
Once you know your current network name, proceed to rename the network name.
1. Change Network Name via Local Security Policies
Note: Local Security Policies is only available for Windows 10 & 11 Pro and Enterprise users. If you are using Home edition, follow the second method. i.e, registry method.
Local Security Policies is a built-in management console that allows you to change many advanced security settings in Windows 10. One of those settings will enable you to change the network name.
1. To open the Local Security Policy, we are going to use the Run command. So, press Win + R, type secpol.msc in the blank field and press Enter to open Local Security Policy.
2. In the Local Security Policy window, select “Network List Manager Policies” on the left panel. Find the network you want to change the name for on the right panel and double-click on it.
3. The above action will open the network properties window. Here, select the radio option “Name” and type your new network name in the blank field. Click on the “Apply” and “Ok” buttons to save changes.
That is it. As soon as you save the changes, the network name will be changed instantly. There is no need to reboot Windows. You can verify the network name change by clicking on the network icon in the taskbar.
You can also see the changed network name in the control panel’s networking and sharing center.
2. Change Network Name in Windows 10 via Registry Editor
Warning: Before making any changes to the registry, please create a quick registry backup so that you can restore the registry as and when needed.
If you are using Windows Home edition, you need to use the Windows Registry to change the network name in Windows 10 or Windows 11. Thankfully, it is pretty easy to change the network name using Windows Registry.
1. To open the Windows Registry, press Win + R, type regedit in the blank field and press Enter on your keyboard.
2. In the registry editor, go to the following location. You can copy and paste the below path in the registry editor’s address bar, and press Enter to go to the target folder.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\NetworkList\Profiles
3. Under the Profiles folder, you will see a few more folders with random alphanumerics. Each folder represents a network connection in your system. When you select a folder under the Profiles folder, you will see the network name next to “ProfileName” on the right panel. In my case, the network name I’m looking for is “Network 2,” represented in the second folder under the Profiles folder.
4. Now, double-click on the “ProfileName” value on the right panel.
5. Type the new name in the Value Data field and click on the “Ok” button.
6. Once that is done, close the registry editor by clicking on the “X” icon appearing on the top-right corner.
Generally, the changes are instant. If not, reboot Windows 10. After restarting, you will see the new network name when you click on the network icon in the taskbar and the control panel.
As you can see, it is not that hard to rename a network in Windows 10.
If you like this article, you might also want to learn how to make taskbar fully transparent in Windows 10 and how to change the font size in Windows 10.