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Rename a Network Adapter with Rename-NetAdapter

Give network adapters human-readable names (Office-LAN, VPN-Dongle) from PowerShell instead of clicking through ncpa.cpl.

WindowsnetworkadapterpowershellLow risk
Run Rename-NetAdapter -Name "Ethernet 2" -NewName "Office-LAN" in an admin PowerShell; list current names first with Get-NetAdapter.

01Command

Command
$ Rename-NetAdapter -Name "Ethernet 2" -NewName "Office-LAN"

02What it does

Windows auto-names adapters "Ethernet", "Ethernet 2", "Wi-Fi 3" and so on, which gets unmanageable with USB dongles and virtual adapters. Rename-NetAdapter changes the friendly name shown in Network Connections, and that name is also what other cmdlets use with -InterfaceAlias (Set-DnsClientServerAddress, Set-NetConnectionProfile...), so clean names make every later command easier. Run Get-NetAdapter first to see the exact current names, including hidden ones.

03Risk

RiskLow risk
RequirementsRun PowerShell as administrator to modify adapter names.
!Warning: Scripts, firewall rules, or port forwarding that reference the old adapter name by -InterfaceAlias will break until updated. Renaming needs an elevated PowerShell.

04Undo

Undo
$ Rename-NetAdapter -Name "Office-LAN" -NewName "Ethernet 2"

05Sources

  • Rename-NetAdapter
    Microsoft Learn · vendor-doc · 2026-09-17
    Evidence: Rename-NetAdapter renames a network adapter identified by -Name using -NewName; renaming requires elevation.

Last verified: 2026-09-18 · Category: System & Settings

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