Interface metric gets ignored in Windows 10/11
We love browsing the Internet in the best conditions, and this involves making the best use of our available network connections.
We ourselves cannot simply gauge which are the best settings, but your PC can based on a parameter called a metric
Official Microsoft support defines a metric as:
A metric is a value that is assigned to an IP route for a particular network interface that identifies the cost that is associated with using that route. For example, the metric can be valued in terms of link speed, hop count, or time delay.
In simpler terms, it is a type of value given by the PC to a particular IP route, based on how efficient it is overall. As such, you’d want your PC to connect to the IP route with the best metric available.
However, some users have been reporting that their Windows 10 is ignoring the metric altogether:
On a Window 10 system, I have multiple interfaces. I have assigned route metrics for both IPv4, and IPv6 for each interface. My IPv4 metric is used when I look at the route table. For IPv6 my metric is ignored, and the wrong interface is selected for outgoing connections.
How to stop Windows 10 from ignoring Interface Metrics
1. Check your Internet setup
Further research into the matter revealed that this is a common issue found when users have multiple connections to the Internet.
This is also the case when your PC has to choose between an Ethernet connection and a Wi-Fi connection.
This also applies to when you have multiple modems each with their own internet connections.
Apparently, there shouldn’t be any issues with such a setup, as long as they don’t use the same IP Subnet and Gateway values.
2. Disable your PC’s Automatic Metric feature
For whatever reason, your PC may not always make the best choices when it comes to metrics, so you have to make the choice manually.
To do so, follow these steps:
- Press Windows + R
- Type in Control.exe
- In Control Panel, double-click Network & Internet
- Click on Status.
- Click on Change Adapter options
- Right-click the adapter you want to set as a priority
- Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)
- Click Properties
- Switch to the General tab
- Click Advanced
- Go to the IP Settings tab
- Click to clear the Automatic metric checkbox
- Enter the metric that you want in the Interface Metric field
By following these two tips, you should no longer fear that your PC will ignore the connection with the better value.
Got an even better idea on how to solve this issue? Please share it with us in the comments section below.
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