In the realm of Windows systems, establishing and managing network connections is a fundamental task for both system administrators and everyday users. Whether you're setting up a new network, troubleshooting connectivity issues, or configuring advanced network settings, understanding how to manage connections is crucial. This article will guide you through various methods to establish and manage network connections on a Windows environment, using both graphical user interface (GUI) tools and command-line utilities.

Examples:

1. Using the GUI to Connect to a Network:

   • Step 1: Open the "Settings" application by pressing Win + I.
   • Step 2: Navigate to "Network & Internet."
   • Step 3: Select "Wi-Fi" from the left-hand menu.
   • Step 4: Click on "Show available networks" to see a list of available networks.
   • Step 5: Select the network you want to connect to and click "Connect."
   • Step 6: Enter the network password if prompted and click "Next."

2. Using Command Prompt to Connect to a Network:

   • Step 1: Open Command Prompt as an administrator by searching for "cmd" in the Start menu, right-clicking on it, and selecting "Run as administrator."
   • Step 2: Use the netsh command to view available networks:

     netsh wlan show networks

   • Step 3: Connect to a specific network using the following command:

     netsh wlan connect name="YourNetworkName" ssid="YourNetworkSSID"

3. Using PowerShell to Manage Network Connections:

   • Step 1: Open PowerShell as an administrator by searching for "PowerShell" in the Start menu, right-clicking on it, and selecting "Run as administrator."
   • Step 2: List all available network adapters:

     Get-NetAdapter

   • Step 3: Enable a network adapter (replace "Ethernet" with your adapter name):

     Enable-NetAdapter -Name "Ethernet"

   • Step 4: Connect to a Wi-Fi network (replace "YourSSID" and "YourPassword" with your network details):

     netsh wlan connect name="YourSSID" key="YourPassword"

4. Checking Network Connection Status:

   • Using Command Prompt:

     ipconfig /all

   • Using PowerShell:

     Get-NetIPConfiguration