Disable Automatic Wireless Connections on Windows

Stay secure by preventing automatic connections to some networks

The Wireless Connection
The Wireless Connection
Introduction
Wi-Fi auto-connect settings options on Windows 10
by Mary Landesman
A technology writer who was named as one of the women to watch in IT security.
Updated January 03, 2019

By default, your Windows computer automatically connects to any known, existing wireless connection. After you provide credentials and connect to a network one time, Windows automatically connects you to that network the next time it detects it. The connection information is stored in a network profile.

Reasons to Prevent Automatic Connections

Usually, this practice makes sense—you wouldn't want to log on continually to your home network. However, for some networks, you may want to turn off this capability. For example, networks in coffee shops and public places are frequently unsecured. Unless you have a strong firewall and are careful, you may want to avoid connecting to these networks because they are frequent targets of hackers. 

Another reason to avoid automatic network connections is that your computer might connect you to a weak connection when a stronger one is available.

You can explicitly turn off automatic connection for individual network profiles using the procedures listed here for Windows 7, 8, and 10.

Another option is to disconnect manually from the network. When Windows detects that you have manually disconnected from a network, it prompts you for authentication the next time you try to connect.

Disabling Automatic Connections in Windows 10

  1. Tap the Action Center icon and choose All Settings.

  2. Select Network & Internet.

    Network & INternet link in Windows 10 settings

  3. Choose Wi-Fi.

  4. Select Change Adapter Options on the right panel under Related Settings to open the Network Connections dialog. 

    Change adapter options button in Wi-Fi Related settings

  5. Double-click on the relevant Wi-Fi connection to open the Wi-Fi Status dialog.

    Wi-Fi device connection link in Network Connections panel for Windows 10

  6. Click the Wireless Properties button below the General tab to open the Wireless Network Properties dialog.

    Wireless Properties button in Wi-Fi Status window

  7. Uncheck the entry Connect Automatically When This Network is in Range under the Connection tab.

    Connect automatically when this network is in range checkbox in Wireless Network Properties window

Disabling Automatic Connections in Windows 8

  1. Click the Wireless Networking icon in the system tray on your desktop. This icon consists of five bars of increasing size from small to large. You can also activate the Charms utility, tap Settings and then tap the Network icon.

  2. Identify the network name in the list. Right-click and choose Forget This Network. This deletes the network profile entirely.

Disabling Automatic Connections in Windows 7

  1. Click the Start button and then click Control Panel.

  2. Select Network and Sharing Center if you are using the icon view. For the Category view, choose Network and Internet, and then Network and Sharing Center in the right pane.

  3. Choose Change Adapter Settings in the left pane.

  4. Right-click the relevant network and choose Properties to open Connection Properties dialog.

  5. Choose the Authentication tab and uncheck Remember my Credentials for this Connection Each Time I'm Logged On.