Use Multiple Internet Connections at the Same Time in Windows 11 or 10

Having more than one internet connection can be helpful, especially when you work from home, download large files, stream videos, or play online games. For example, you might have a Wi-Fi connection and an Ethernet connection available on your Windows PC. You may also have a second internet connection through a mobile hotspot or USB tethering.

But did you know that you can connect your Windows 11 or Windows 10 computer to multiple internet connections at the same time?

Windows allows you to connect to multiple network adapters simultaneously. However, there is one important thing to understand: connecting to multiple internet connections does not automatically combine their speeds. Windows generally selects one preferred route for regular internet traffic, while other connections can remain available for specific applications or as backup connections.

If you want to improve your internet reliability, use different connections for different tasks, or experiment with combining bandwidth, this guide will walk you through the available methods.

Use Multiple Internet Connections at the Same Time in Windows 11/10

To use multiple internet connections simultaneously in Windows 11/10, connect your PC to different networks using Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or USB tethering. Open Settings > Network & Internet and verify that both connections are active. Windows will select the preferred connection for regular internet traffic based on network routing metrics. To distribute traffic across connections, use a supported load-balancing solution or configure specific network routes.

Let’s look at the different ways to set up and use multiple internet connections on your Windows computer.

1: Connect Your PC to Two Different Internet Connections

The first thing you need to do is connect your Windows computer to at least two different internet sources.

For example, you can use your regular home Wi-Fi connection along with an Ethernet connection from another router. Alternatively, you can connect your computer to Wi-Fi and use your smartphone’s mobile hotspot for the second connection.

Windows supports multiple network adapters, so you don’t necessarily need additional software to establish these connections.

To connect to Wi-Fi in Windows 11, open Settings by pressing Windows + I. Select Network & Internet, then click Wi-Fi. Turn on Wi-Fi and select your preferred wireless network. Enter its password if Windows asks for it.

Next, connect an Ethernet cable from your router or modem to your computer’s Ethernet port.

If your computer doesn’t have an Ethernet port, you can use a compatible USB-to-Ethernet adapter.

For a mobile connection, enable your smartphone’s Personal Hotspot or Mobile Hotspot feature and connect your PC to it.

Once both connections are established, Windows should display them as separate network connections.

2: Verify That Both Internet Connections Are Active

After connecting to two networks, check whether Windows recognizes both connections correctly.

Press Windows + I to open Settings. In Windows 11, select Network & Internet. You should see your active connections, such as Wi-Fi and Ethernet.

In Windows 10, open Settings > Network & Internet > Status to view your network connection information.

You can also check the connections through Control Panel.

Press Windows + R, type ncpa.cpl, and press Enter. This opens the Network Connections window.

Here, you can see the available network adapters. Look for your Wi-Fi and Ethernet connections.

If both adapters display their connected status, Windows has successfully established both network connections.

However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that both connections are sharing internet traffic equally. Windows may still use one connection as its preferred route.

3: Check Which Internet Connection Windows Is Using

Windows automatically chooses a preferred network route when multiple connections are available.

To understand which connection Windows is using, open the Start menu, search for Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator.

Enter the following command:

ipconfig

Press Enter.

Windows will display information about your network adapters, including their IPv4 addresses, default gateways, and connection details.

Now enter:

route print

This command displays the routing table.

Look for the 0.0.0.0 destination under the IPv4 Route Table. This represents the default route used for internet traffic.

You may find multiple default routes if both network connections have gateways.

The Metric value helps Windows determine which route it should prefer. Generally, a lower metric indicates a more preferred route.

This is useful when troubleshooting situations where your computer connects to two networks but uses only one for regular internet access.

4: Configure Network Adapter Metrics

If you want Windows to prefer a particular internet connection, you can adjust the network adapter metrics.

For example, suppose your Ethernet connection is faster and more reliable than Wi-Fi. You can assign Ethernet a lower metric so Windows generally prefers it.

Open Settings > Network & Internet > Advanced network settings in Windows 11.

Select More network adapter options to open the classic Network Connections window.

In Windows 10, open Network & Internet > Status > Change adapter options.

Right-click the network adapter you want to configure and select Properties.

Double-click Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and select Advanced.

Under the IP Settings tab, find Automatic metric and uncheck it.

Enter a suitable number in the Interface metric field. For example, you can use 10 for Ethernet and 50 for Wi-Fi if you want Ethernet to be preferred.

Click OK to save your changes.

Repeat the process for the other adapter if necessary.

Remember that adapter metrics control route preference. They do not combine the bandwidth of your internet connections.

5: Use Different Internet Connections for Different Tasks

Another practical way to use multiple internet connections is to assign different network routes to specific destinations.

For example, you might want your regular browsing traffic to use Ethernet while accessing a particular remote network through Wi-Fi.

Windows supports this through its routing table.

First, open Command Prompt as administrator and enter:

route print

Find the network gateway and interface information for the connection you want to use.

You can then add a specific route using this command:

route -p add 192.168.1.0 mask 255.255.255.0 192.168.1.1

Replace the example network address and gateway with the correct details for your network.

The -p parameter makes the route persistent, meaning Windows keeps it after restarting.

This method is more suitable for advanced users because incorrect routing information can prevent access to certain network destinations.

6: Use a Load-Balancing Solution to Combine Internet Connections

If your main goal is to use the bandwidth of two internet connections together, you need something beyond Windows’ normal network settings.

This is where load balancing comes in.

Load balancing distributes network traffic across multiple internet connections. For example, one connection might handle video streaming while another handles downloads or web browsing.

You can explore a compatible multi-WAN router or a software-based load-balancing solution.

A multi-WAN router sits between your devices and internet connections. It manages multiple WAN connections and distributes traffic according to its configuration.

Some solutions also support failover, which automatically switches traffic to another connection when the primary connection stops working.

Keep in mind that ordinary load balancing does not always combine two connections into one faster connection for a single download. For true bandwidth aggregation, you generally need a bonding solution with support at both ends of the connection.

7: Test Both Internet Connections

Once everything is configured, test whether both connections are working properly.

Open your preferred web browser and visit a reliable internet speed-testing website.

Test the Ethernet connection separately by temporarily disconnecting Wi-Fi.

Next, reconnect Wi-Fi and temporarily disconnect Ethernet. Run the speed test again.

Compare the download speed, upload speed, and latency.

If you’re using a load-balancing router or bonding service, test the combined connection according to its supported configuration.

You should also check whether your secondary connection takes over when the primary connection becomes unavailable.

This helps confirm that your setup is working as expected.

FAQs

1. Can I use Wi-Fi and Ethernet at the same time in Windows 11?

Yes. Windows 11 supports simultaneous Wi-Fi and Ethernet connections. However, Windows generally selects one preferred route for regular internet traffic based on routing metrics.

2. Does connecting two internet connections double my internet speed?

No. Connecting two networks does not automatically double your download or upload speed. You need a suitable load-balancing or bandwidth-bonding solution to distribute or combine traffic.

3. Can I use two Wi-Fi connections simultaneously?

It depends on your hardware. Most computers with a single Wi-Fi adapter can connect to only one regular Wi-Fi network at a time. You can use an additional USB Wi-Fi adapter to connect to another network.

4. Can I use mobile data and Wi-Fi together on Windows?

Yes. You can connect your computer to Wi-Fi while using a smartphone’s mobile hotspot through another network adapter. Windows can recognize both connections, although it won’t automatically combine their speeds.

5. What happens if one internet connection stops working?

Windows may switch to another available route if it has a valid default route. However, automatic failover is not guaranteed in every configuration. A properly configured load-balancing router can provide more reliable failover.

6. Is load balancing better than bandwidth bonding?

They serve slightly different purposes. Load balancing distributes separate network traffic across available connections, while bandwidth bonding can combine multiple connections into one logical connection. Bonding usually requires specialized software or a service that supports aggregation.

Summary

Using multiple internet connections simultaneously in Windows 11/10 is possible through Wi-Fi, Ethernet, mobile hotspots, and additional network adapters.

Windows can maintain multiple active network connections, but it normally chooses a preferred route for regular internet traffic instead of automatically combining their speeds.

If you simply want a backup connection, connecting Wi-Fi and Ethernet together may be enough. If you want to distribute traffic across multiple connections, consider a load-balancing solution. 

For combining bandwidth into a single connection, look into a compatible bonding solution.