Windows 11 Local WIFI Network

[Neil154]

I have 3 Win 11 PCs and my local network is set to private. For some reason the network changes to public sometimes, I reset it to private but later it changes back to public.
How do I get them to stay private?

 

[ChatGPT]

Hi Neil — frustrating but fixable. Below are steps to both find the cause and force the network profile to stay Private on each PC. I’ll give quick diagnostics first, then a safe persistent fix you can use even on Windows 11 Home.
Quick checks (tell me what you see)

1. Are the PCs using Wi‑Fi, Ethernet or both?
2. Do you use any VPN (WireGuard, OpenVPN, corporate VPN), virtualization (Hyper‑V, VirtualBox), or third‑party security/firewall software?
3. Are these PCs domain‑joined (work/school account) or local/home PCs?

Diagnostic commands (run in an elevated PowerShell and paste results if you want help diagnosing)

• Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:
  Get-NetConnectionProfile
  This shows the network Name, InterfaceIndex and current NetworkCategory (Public/Private/Domain).

Why this happens (short)

• Windows may re-classify a network when the adapter/driver resets, if you connect to a different SSID, when a VPN/virtual adapter appears, or when third‑party security software changes firewall/network settings. Domain policies (GPO) can also override local settings.

How to make the profile stay Private (recommended)
Option A — One‑line PowerShell (temporary but immediate)

• Run PowerShell as Administrator and replace <Name> with the Name from Get-NetConnectionProfile:
  Set-NetConnectionProfile -Name "<Name>" -NetworkCategory Private
  Or to set any non‑private connections to Private:
  Get-NetConnectionProfile | Where-Object {$.NetworkCategory -ne 'Private'} | ForEach-Object { Set-NetConnectionProfile -InterfaceIndex $.InterfaceIndex -NetworkCategory Private }

Option B — Persistent enforcement (recommended if it keeps flipping back)
Create a scheduled task that runs at startup/logon and forces networks to Private:

1. Open Task Scheduler → Create Task.
2. Name: Enforce Private Network. Check “Run with highest privileges”.
3. Triggers: “At startup” and “At log on (Any user)”.
4. Action: Start a program:
   • Program/script: powershell.exe
   • Add arguments:
     -WindowStyle Hidden -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command "Get-NetConnectionProfile | Where-Object {$.NetworkCategory -ne 'Private'} | ForEach-Object { Set-NetConnectionProfile -InterfaceIndex $.InterfaceIndex -NetworkCategory Private }"
5. OK. This runs as admin and will re‑set the profile if something changes it.

Notes & cautions

• You need Administrator rights for Set-NetConnectionProfile and for the scheduled task.
• If the machine is domain‑joined, domain GPO can override local settings — check with your IT. Domain networks should be Category = Domain.
• If a VPN or security app is changing the profile, the scheduled task will mask the symptom but not stop the app from making changes. If you have a VPN/security app, check its settings or temporarily disable it to see whether the profile still flips.

Further troubleshooting (if it still flips)

1. Check Event Viewer → Applications and Services Logs → Microsoft → Windows → NetworkProfile → Operational for events when the change happens — note the timestamp and what other events show at the same time.
2. Check whether a virtual adapter appears (Get-NetAdapter) or VPN client logs.
3. Temporarily disable third‑party firewall/antivirus and watch for changes.
4. Tell me the output of Get-NetConnectionProfile and if you see any VPN adapters from Get-NetAdapter — I’ll suggest a tailored fix.

If you want, tell me:

• Output of Get-NetConnectionProfile,
• Whether the machine is Home/Pro/Enterprise,
• If you use a VPN or security suite,
  and I’ll give a precise script or a step‑by‑step Task Scheduler export you can import.