To disable IPv6 in Windows 10, open Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center > Change adapter settings. Right-click your Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter, select Properties, clear Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6), and select OK.

Applies to: Windows 10. Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025, and only PCs enrolled in Extended Security Updates still get security fixes, through October 12, 2027.

Contents hide

1 Before you start

2 Turn off IPv6 for one adapter

3 Turn off IPv6 with PowerShell

4 Turn off IPv6 on every adapter at once

5 Prefer IPv4 instead of turning IPv6 off

6 Turn IPv6 back on

7 If something breaks after turning IPv6 off

8 Frequently asked questions

Before you start

Microsoft doesn’t recommend turning IPv6 off, because some parts of Windows use it. It’s best to turn it off only to test a network problem, and to turn it back on if nothing changes. If you just want Windows to use IPv4 first, the Prefer IPv4 section below covers it.

Turn off IPv6 for one adapter

Press Windows key + R, type ncpa.cpl, and press Enter. This opens Network Connections.
Right-click the adapter you use, such as Wi-Fi or Ethernet, and select Properties.
In the list, clear the check box for Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6).
Select OK.

Windows 10 Wi-Fi Properties dialog with the Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) check box cleared — Clear Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) (1) and select OK (2).

The change works right away. If you use both Wi-Fi and Ethernet, do it for each one.

Turn off IPv6 with PowerShell

Right-click Start and select Windows PowerShell (Admin).
Run this, using your adapter’s name:

Disable-NetAdapterBinding -Name "Wi-Fi" -ComponentID ms_tcpip6

To check it, run:

Get-NetAdapterBinding -Name "Wi-Fi" -ComponentID ms_tcpip6

Enabled shows False when IPv6 is off.

Windows PowerShell showing Disable-NetAdapterBinding and Get-NetAdapterBinding with IPv6 Enabled set to False — Run the command (1), then check that Enabled is False (2).

To see your adapter names, run Get-NetAdapter.

Turn off IPv6 on every adapter at once

In PowerShell (Admin), run Disable-NetAdapterBinding -Name “*” -ComponentID ms_tcpip6. The asterisk means all adapters, including VPN adapters. Run the same command with Enable-NetAdapterBinding to undo it.

Prefer IPv4 instead of turning IPv6 off

A safer middle ground is to keep IPv6 on but tell Windows to try IPv4 first. This uses a registry setting, so back up the registry before you change it.

Press Windows logo key + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip6\Parameters.
Create or edit a DWORD (32-bit) value named DisabledComponents and set it to 20 in Hexadecimal.
Restart the PC.

To undo it, delete the DisabledComponents value, or set it back to 0, and restart again.

Turn IPv6 back on

In Network Connections, open the adapter’s Properties, check Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) again, and select OK.
Or run Enable-NetAdapterBinding -Name "Wi-Fi" -ComponentID ms_tcpip6 in PowerShell.

If something breaks after turning IPv6 off

An app or game can’t connect. Some apps, VPNs, and online games use IPv6. Turn it back on and see if the problem goes away.
IPv6 came back on. A network reset or a new network driver reinstalls the adapter with default settings. Turn it off again if you still need to.
Nothing changed. IPv6 probably wasn’t the cause. Turn it back on, and try resetting the network instead.

Frequently asked questions

Will turning off IPv6 make my internet faster?

Usually not. Most home networks work fine with both. If your internet is slow or drops, the fixes for Wi-Fi and network problems in Windows 10 are a better place to start.

How do I see my IPv6 address?

It’s listed with your other addresses when you find your IP address in Windows 10.

I changed network settings and now nothing works. How do I undo it?

Turn IPv6 back on first. If that doesn’t help, reset the network settings. You can also try changing your DNS server.

Does my internet connection even use IPv6?

Run ipconfig in Command Prompt. An IPv6 Address that starts with 2 or 3 means your provider gives you IPv6 internet. If you only see a Link-local IPv6 Address starting with fe80, IPv6 is only used on your home network.

Is IPv6 a security risk?

No. Windows Firewall protects IPv6 traffic the same way it protects IPv4. Turning IPv6 off isn’t needed for security.

Should I turn off IPv6 on my router too?

Usually not. Leave the router alone unless your internet provider or IT team tells you to change it, because other devices on your network may rely on IPv6.

Does this work the same on Windows 11?

Yes. The adapter setting, the PowerShell commands, and the registry value all work the same way on Windows 11.

Microsoft’s references are Guidance for configuring IPv6 in Windows for advanced users and Disable-NetAdapterBinding.

Matt Jacobs

Matt Jacobs writes and maintains the guides on Support Your Tech, which he started in 2017. He spent most of his career keeping small-business PCs running and still takes the occasional consulting job, so the steps here come from fixing the same problems on other people’s computers. Every guide is checked on his own Windows 11, Windows 10, Mac, iPhone and iPad before it goes up.