Windows 11 26H2 provides several ways to view detailed information about your Wi-Fi adapter, from the modern Settings app to Device Manager and the classic Network Connections window.

Depending on your hardware and driver, you can check information such as the connection status, link speed, IP address, DNS servers, MAC address, network band, channel, driver version, and security type.

These details can be useful when troubleshooting slow Wi-Fi, connection drops, DNS problems, incorrect IP configuration, or driver issues.

View Wi-Fi Adapter Status in Windows 11 26H2

The quickest way to check your Wi-Fi adapter’s current status is through the Settings app.

1. Open Settings

Press Win + I to open the Windows Settings app.

2. Open Network & internet

Select Network & internet from the left sidebar.

3. Open Advanced network settings

Click Advanced network settings.

This page lists the network adapters installed on your PC, including physical Wi-Fi and Ethernet adapters as well as virtual network adapters.

4. Select your Wi-Fi adapter

Under Network adapters, locate your wireless adapter and select it.

The exact adapter name depends on your hardware and driver. It may contain terms such as Wi-Fi, Wireless, Intel, Realtek, MediaTek, or Qualcomm.

5. Check the connection status

The adapter page can show information about the adapter and its current connection, including its status and negotiated link speed.

If the adapter is disabled, Windows provides an option to enable it from this area.

6. Check network activity

Depending on the Windows build and driver, the adapter details can also display traffic information such as bytes sent and bytes received.

These counters indicate how much data has passed through the adapter since the connection or interface statistics were initialized.

View Your Wi-Fi IP Address, DNS, MAC Address, and Other Details

Windows 11 also provides detailed information about the network connection.

1. Open the connected Wi-Fi network

Go to:

Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi

Then select the Wi-Fi network you are currently connected to.

Microsoft documents this page as the place to find the IP address and other properties of the active Wi-Fi connection.

2. Check the IP address

Look for IPv4 address and, when available, IPv6 address.

The IPv4 address is particularly useful when troubleshooting DHCP or local-network problems.

For example, an address such as:

192.168.1.25

usually indicates that the PC has received a private address from the router.

3. Check the default gateway

The Default gateway identifies the router that Windows uses to communicate with other networks, including the internet.

For many home networks, it looks similar to:

192.168.1.1

You can use this address when testing whether your PC can communicate with the router.

4. Check the DNS servers

The network properties also show the DNS servers used by the connection.

DNS servers translate domain names such as example.com into IP addresses.

If you can connect to Wi-Fi but websites fail to load, checking DNS configuration can help identify the problem.

5. Find the physical address

Look for the Physical address (MAC) entry.

The MAC address uniquely identifies the network interface at the hardware/network level and can be useful when configuring router access controls or identifying a device on a local network.

Check Your Wi-Fi Network Profile

Windows 11 lets you choose whether a Wi-Fi connection is treated as a Public or Private network.

1. Open Wi-Fi settings

Go to:

Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi

2. Select your connected network

Click the Wi-Fi network that currently shows that you are connected.

click the line that shows the current Wi‑Fi network name and the word Connected. This opens the network’s properties.

3. Find Network profile type

Under Network profile type, choose between:

• Public network — recommended when you do not trust the other devices on the network.
• Private network — intended for networks you trust, such as your home network.

A Private network makes the PC discoverable to other devices and allows features such as file and printer sharing. Microsoft recommends using the Public profile when appropriate for security.

4. Check the Metered connection setting

Windows also lets you mark a Wi-Fi connection as Metered.

This can help reduce background data usage when you are connected through a limited data plan.

View Wi-Fi Hardware Properties

Windows 11 provides a dedicated Hardware properties page for viewing technical information about the current network connection.

1. Open Wi-Fi settings

Go to:

Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi

2. Open Hardware properties

Select Hardware properties.

3. Check the link speed

Look for Link speed (Receive/Transmit).

This shows the negotiated connection speed between the Wi-Fi adapter and wireless access point.

Remember that the negotiated link speed is not the same as your actual internet download speed. Internet performance can be affected by the router, ISP connection, signal quality, interference, and other network conditions.

4. Check the network band

Depending on your adapter and driver, Windows can show the Wi-Fi network band.

Common bands include:

• 2.4 GHz
• 5 GHz
• 6 GHz

A 5 GHz or 6 GHz connection can provide higher throughput than 2.4 GHz in suitable conditions, although range and compatibility vary.

5. Check the Wi-Fi channel

Windows may also display the wireless channel being used.

This can be useful when diagnosing interference or determining why a wireless connection is performing poorly.

6. Check DNS encryption

If supported by the current configuration, Windows can indicate whether the configured DNS servers use encryption such as DNS over HTTPS (DoH).

The exact information displayed can vary depending on the Windows configuration and network adapter.

View All Network Adapter Properties

If you want to compare Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and virtual network adapters, Windows 11 provides a consolidated hardware and connection properties page.

1. Open Advanced network settings

Go to:

Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings

2. Open Hardware and connection properties

Under the additional network settings, select Hardware and connection properties.

3. Find your Wi-Fi adapter

Scroll through the list and locate your wireless adapter.

Depending on the adapter and driver, the list can contain information such as:

• Adapter name
• Description
• MAC address
• IPv4 address
• IPv6 address
• DNS servers
• Driver information
• Connection details

This view is particularly useful when a PC has several network interfaces installed.

View Wi-Fi Adapter Settings with Control Panel

Although Microsoft continues moving network configuration into Settings, Windows 11 still includes the classic Network Connections interface.

This interface is useful when you need access to traditional adapter properties.

Open Network Connections with a command

The fastest method is:

1. Press Win + R.
2. Type:

ncpa.cpl

3. Press Enter.

Windows opens the Network Connections window.

View Wi-Fi adapter status

Right-click your Wi-Fi adapter and select Status.

Depending on the connection, this window can provide information such as:

• Connection status
• Duration
• Link speed
• Network activity

Open Wi-Fi adapter properties

Right-click the adapter and select Properties.

This gives you access to traditional networking components such as:

• Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)
• Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6)
• Client for Microsoft Networks
• File and Printer Sharing
• Network discovery-related components

Check Whether the Wi-Fi Adapter Is Enabled

If Wi-Fi does not appear in Windows 11, one of the first things to check is whether the wireless adapter is enabled.

Check the adapter in Settings

1- Press Win + I.

2- Go to Network & internet.

3- Select Advanced network settings.

4- Find the Wi-Fi adapter under Network adapters.

5- If it is disabled, select it and choose Enable.

Check the Adapter with Network Connections

You can also use ncpa.cpl.

1. Press Win + R.
2. Enter:

ncpa.cpl

3. Press Enter.
4. Find the Wi-Fi adapter.
5. If it is disabled, right-click it and select Enable.

A disabled adapter typically appears greyed out in the Network Connections window.

Check the Wi-Fi Adapter in Device Manager

Device Manager is especially useful when Windows does not detect your wireless adapter correctly.

1. Open Device Manager

Open Start and search for:

Device Manager

Then open it.

You can also press Win + X and select Device Manager.

2. Expand Network adapters

Find and expand Network adapters.

Look for an entry corresponding to your wireless hardware.

Microsoft recommends checking this section when troubleshooting missing or malfunctioning wireless adapters.

3. Check whether the adapter is disabled

Right-click the Wi-Fi adapter.

If the menu shows Enable device, the adapter is currently disabled.

Select Enable device to turn it back on.

If the menu shows Disable device, the adapter is already enabled.

4. Check the driver

Right-click the adapter and select Properties, then open the Driver tab.

Here you can check information such as:

• Driver provider
• Driver date
• Driver version
• Driver details

Microsoft recommends checking the driver version and date when diagnosing Wi-Fi adapter problems.

5. Check the Device status

On the General tab, look at Device status.

If Windows detects a problem with the adapter or driver, an error message or error code may appear here.

Check Advanced Wi-Fi Adapter Options

Some Wi-Fi configuration options are available through the adapter’s driver rather than the Windows Settings interface.

To access them:

1. Open Device Manager.
2. Expand Network adapters.
3. Right-click your Wi-Fi adapter.
4. Select Properties.
5. Open the Advanced tab.

The available options depend entirely on the manufacturer and driver.

You may see settings such as:

• Wireless mode
• Preferred band
• Channel width
• Transmit power
• Roaming aggressiveness
• 802.11 mode

Do not change these settings unless you understand their purpose. Microsoft specifically recommends checking wireless mode or band settings when an adapter supports a Wi-Fi frequency but the driver is filtering it out.

Use Windows Terminal to Get Detailed Wi-Fi Information

Windows 11 also includes command-line tools for diagnosing wireless connections.

Open Windows Terminal or Command Prompt, then run:

netsh wlan show interfaces

This displays information about the active Wi-Fi connection.

You can also run:

netsh wlan show drivers

This command can reveal the capabilities supported by your wireless adapter and driver, including supported radio types.

Microsoft documents netsh wlan as a supported Windows networking command for configuring and troubleshooting wireless networking.

For a more comprehensive diagnostic report, you can also use:

netsh wlan show wlanreport

Windows generates a wireless network report that can help identify connection and adapter problems.

Troubleshoot Wi-Fi Problems Using Adapter Information

The information available in Windows 11 26H2 can help diagnose several common Wi-Fi problems.

No internet connection

Check:

• IPv4 address
• Default gateway
• DNS servers
• Connection status

If the PC has no valid IP address, the problem may involve DHCP, the router, or the network configuration.

Websites do not load

If Wi-Fi shows as connected but websites fail to open, check the configured DNS servers.

You can also test whether you can reach your router using its default gateway address.

Wi-Fi is slower than expected

Check:

• Link speed
• Network band
• Channel
• Signal conditions
• Wi-Fi driver

A low negotiated link speed can indicate a weak signal, interference, distance from the router, or compatibility issues.

Wi-Fi adapter is missing

Open Device Manager > Network adapters.

If Windows does not detect the wireless hardware, check for hidden devices, driver problems, or hardware issues. Microsoft notes that if the adapter does not appear in Device Manager, Windows may not be detecting it correctly.

Wi-Fi keeps disconnecting

Check the adapter driver first and install available Windows or manufacturer driver updates.

If the problem persists, Windows’ built-in network troubleshooting options can help identify connectivity problems.

Reset Network Settings as a Last Resort

If normal troubleshooting does not resolve the problem, Windows 11 includes a Network reset option.

Go to:

Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Network reset

Then select Reset now.

Network reset removes installed network adapters and resets their settings. Windows reinstalls the adapters after restarting the PC. Microsoft recommends using network reset as a last step because VPN software, virtual switches, and other networking software may need to be configured again afterward.

Quick Reference: Wi-Fi Settings in Windows 11 26H2

Final Thoughts

Windows 11 26H2 provides several ways to inspect your Wi-Fi connection, from the simplified Settings interface to Device Manager, the classic Network Connections window, and netsh commands.

For everyday checks, Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi is usually enough. For deeper troubleshooting, Advanced network settings, Device Manager, and netsh wlan provide considerably more technical information.

If your Wi-Fi adapter is missing, disabled, reporting an error, or negotiating an unexpectedly low link speed, checking these details can help determine whether the problem is related to the adapter, driver, router, DNS, or network configuration.