How to change network settings from public to private?

healee 31

I have a crossover cable connecting a Windows 10 and a Windows 7 system. They are connected but can't see each other. Both show public network. I would like to be able to copy files across using the connection. I don't have other network or router to use.

I don't seem to be able to find Open Start > Settings > Network & Internet, under Change your network settings, click Sharing options. As far as I know the system is up to date.

Windows 10 Version 2004 (OSBuild 19041.450)

Gloria Gu 3,891 Reputation points

2020-08-25T06:12:37.62+00:00

Hi,
Just checking in to see if the information provided was helpful. Please let us know if you would like further assistance.
nima barzegarhosseini 25 Reputation points

2023-03-06T18:26:06.1133333+00:00

From Taskbar

You can change the network setting of your Wi-Fi connection right from the Windows taskbar. Choosing the network, you’re planning to use when you switch network types is essential. If you use multiple networks, you might want to go through these steps more than once to ensure each is set as you prefer.

1.     Click the Wi-Fi symbol on the right side of your taskbar. A list of networks should appear, including the network to which you’re currently connected.

2.     Click Properties. It will appear in the faint text under the network connection status.

3.     Choose Public or Private by clicking the appropriate option on the new windows.

Windows displays a basic explanation of private and public network types in this area, explaining that your computer is hidden from other devices on the network if you select public. You can’t use it to share printers or files.

Though it’s easy to change the network connection this way, it must be a network you’re actively connected to. If you need to change it on multiple Wi-Fi networks, connect to each and repeat the steps.

Using Settings

You can also change the network connection type in Settings. Many people choose this option if they’re using an Ethernet cable to connect to the Internet.

1.     Press Windows key + X.

2.     Choose Settings.

3.     Click Network and Internet.

4.     On the left-side pane, Choose Ethernet.

5.     Click on the name of your connection. You may have multiple connections listed, so choose the one you’re actively using.

6.     Choose Private.

7.     Close the window.

Now you should find other computers on your network and use networked printers. You can always return to the page and change the network back to the public setting in the same way later if you prefer.

From PowerShell

If you prefer to use commands to change the network type, you can do it in PowerShell. It’s crucial to run PowerShell as an administrator because making these kinds of changes requires that level of access.

1.     Press Windows key + X.

2.     Click Windows PowerShell (Admin).

3.     Click Yes to confirm that the program can run as an administrator.

4.     Type “get-netconnectionprofile” without quotes and then press Enter. You’ll see detailed information about your current network connection, including the interface, category, and which IP protocol it’s using.

5.     Make a note of the network name you’re trying to adjust, because you have to use the exact name in the following command.

6.     Type “set-netconnectionprofile -name “network name” -network category private” without external quotes. Replace the word network name with the exact name of your network.

o    It should end up looking like this: –set-netconnectionprofile -name “My Wi-Fi Network” -network category private.

7.     Press Enter.

8.     Type “get-netconnectionprofile” without quotes and press Enter. You can confirm that the type of network connection has changed this way.

You don’t have to copy the exact capitalization of your network name. Just make sure you do include the spaces, and the name must be in quotes.

Using Local Group Policy Editor

The group policy editor is a Windows utility that lets users adjust their PC settings. With this program, you can switch the type of network from public to private.

1.     Press Windows key + R.

2.     Type “gpedit.msc” without quotes and then press Enter.

3.     Expand the following categories:
Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings

4.     Highlight Network List Manager Policies. A list of options will appear in the pane to the right of the categories.

5.     Double-click the name of your network. If you don’t see it, then double-click Unidentified Networks.

6.     Click the Network Location tab. Some types of networks may not have multiple tabs available.

7.     Click Private.

8.     Click Apply.

9.     Click OK and then close the Local Policy Group Editor.

10.    Restart your computer.

Unless you’re the admin on a network or configuring a computer for multiple users, there are more straightforward ways to change the network type. However, this can be useful to people setting up computers for specific purposes.

Making Registry Changes

You can also change the network type by editing the registry. However, this is probably overkill and unnecessary for most users.

If you have difficulty changing network types of the other way, try this as a last resort. Remember to always back up your PC before making changes to the registry since doing so can create problems for your system.

1.     Press Windows key + R.

2.     Type “regedit” without quotes. Press Enter.

3.     Click Yes.

4.     Expand the following categories:
Computer > HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > Software > Microsoft > Windows NT > CurrentVersion > Network List > Profiles

5.     Under profiles, you’ll see a list of folders that display information in the right-side pane when highlighted. Each of these represents a connection your computer has made to the Internet. The numbers and letters are called a globally unique identifier, and each one will be different.

6.     Highlight a GUID and look at the Profile Name listing. Continue highlighting them until you find one with a network name that matches the network you want to adjust.

7.     Double-click the Category entry in the same pane.

8.     Change the Value Data entry to 1 to set the network to private.

9.     Click OK.

10.    Close the registry.

11.     Restart your computer.

One of the benefits of changing the network type through the registry is that you can quickly change the network type for multiple networks.

If you need to use the Domain setting instead of public or private, you can do that through the registry as well. The Value Data should be set to 0 for public and 1 for private.

Changing Network Settings

Your network settings aren’t set in stone. You can change what each network type actually means in your Windows settings.

1.     Press Windows key + X.

2.     Choose Settings.

3.     Click Network and Internet.

4.     Click Network and Sharing Center.

5.     Click Change Advanced Sharing Settings.

6.     Expand the network type you want to change. You can choose between three.

o    Private

o    Guest or Public

o    All Networks

7.     Decide what you want to share and how you want to share it.

8.     Close the window.

You can opt-in or out of network discovery or printer sharing on both private and public options.

In the All-Networks option, you can adjust what kind of encryption you use and choose whether sharing should be password protected.

Stick with 128-bit encryption as long as your system supports it. There shouldn’t be much need to change this particular setting.

There are only specific circumstances where this will be necessary, and most users are unlikely to encounter them unless they already have the specialized knowledge to know they need to switch.

You can choose to use password-protected sharing or not, as you prefer. Remember that using a password is always more secure than not doing so.

If you require a password, remember that you’ll have to share it with other people on your network if you want to connect with other users’ computers and not just network your own devices.
Simon Raybould 6 Reputation points

2023-10-31T08:54:35.0766667+00:00

For the PowerShell approach, you need to remove the space from the option or it will just fail with the error: "Cannot convert value "category" to type"
So “set-netconnectionprofile -name “network name” -networkcategory private”
rather than
“set-netconnectionprofile -name “network name” -network category private”

12 answers

HughF 21 Reputation points

2021-09-23T01:15:24.327+00:00

@Gloria Gu That has helped, thanks. There is no guarantee that the NLA service won't change it back again!
I still have a problem that it won't let me turn network discovery on - I turn it on in Advanced sharing settings, Save changes, then go back in and it's off again. More searching needed.
Please sign in to rate this answer.

0 comments No comments
Sign in to comment
Amy Baldwin 1 Reputation point

2021-12-05T19:46:50.597+00:00

I ran into this same problem today when using an Ethernet crossover cable to connect two Windows 10 PCs. After assigning a static IP address to the interface via the Control Panel, Windows assigned the interface to the "Unidentified network" profile, which is treated as a public network by default. There was no option to change the public/private value in the Settings Panel for the interface.

I tried the PowerShell Set-NetConnectionProfile option (can also be done using secpol.msc on 10 Pro) to set the network profile to private, but there were two problems: one, it did not persist after a reboot and two, it creates a security issue if you ever connect to an unidentified public network.

What I really wanted to do was create a new network profile, but I never found a way to do so using the Settings Panel, netsh, secpol.msc, or the like. Normally, Windows kicks off a wizard to set that up when it discovers a new network, but it wasn't doing that for me.

While digging around, I noticed that the Settings Panel status page for the interface was showing "IP assignment" as DHCP and not Manual, even though I had it set manually in the IPv4 properties page in the Control Panel adapter settings. I used the old Control Panel method to set things because the Settings Panel method will reject a static assignment with the error "Can't save IP settings. Check one or more settings and try again" if you leave the default gateway blank.

Just for kicks I put the static IP address of the other PC in that field so it would accept it. Upon hitting save, Windows created a new network profile called "Network 2" and assigned the interface to it. That allowed me to set the profile to private in the Settings Panel. Problem solved.

Except I also have a second interface, a WiFi adapter, that is my connection to the Internet. It had a lower binding order than the Ethernet interface, so I also had to manually set a higher metric on the Ethernet interface to keep Windows from using the dummy gateway as its preferred route for 0.0.0.0.

So there seem to be a couple of Windows bugs here. One is the gateway requirement for the Settings Panel manual IP entry. Another is that the Settings Panel doesn't like a manual static assignment configured elsewhere, like via Control Panel or netsh, without a gateway defined. And last is that you can be stuck with an "Unidentified network" association unless you make the Settings Panel happy (or maybe find a registry hack).
Please sign in to rate this answer.
techguy73 1 Reputation point

2022-03-11T17:39:46+00:00

GloriaGu-MSFT's powershell method is the best way to change it. Microsoft's OS and NICs are designed to only recognize the network if a Windows DHCP server is available and dishing out IPs, DNS and configs. If a Windows DHCP server or Domain Controller is not available, it goes automatically into a Public Network.
Sign in to comment
Abanob Anwar 1 Reputation point

2022-09-25T13:53:38.783+00:00

u can see this article will help you

how to change network connection from public to private (network profile)
Please sign in to rate this answer.

0 comments No comments
Sign in to comment
PROZAR 11 Reputation points

2022-12-02T11:13:16.577+00:00

I am using DomainAuthenticate - NetworkCategory, still I am getting this error. And not able to RDP into the VM.
But able to login with IP. Please help.
Please sign in to rate this answer.

0 comments No comments
Sign in to comment
Dunnie 0 Reputation points

2023-09-20T13:09:33.6366667+00:00

Easy in PowerShell (as an administrator) to change the network adapter from public to private:

Set-NetConnectionProfile -Name "Wired" -NetworkCategory Private

(replace the name, Wired, with whatever the network name is)
Please sign in to rate this answer.

0 comments No comments
Sign in to comment

Share via

How to change network settings from public to private?

12 answers