Why Is My Laptop Connecting To Hotspot When Connect Cabke? | Quick Fix

Guide / By

Your laptop sticks to a hotspot because Wi-Fi auto-join or network priority outranks the wired connection.

If you plug in a network cable and the laptop still grabs a phone hotspot, you’re running into connection priority. Operating systems keep a list of known networks and pick the one that seems “best.” When Wi-Fi gets first place, the laptop can jump to a hotspot even with Ethernet available. The good news: you can flip that order, stop auto-join, and keep cable first every time.

What’s Going On Behind The Scenes

Three things usually cause this behavior:

  • Wi-Fi set to auto-join. The laptop remembers the hotspot and reconnects the moment it sees it.
  • Interface priority puts Wi-Fi above Ethernet. The system’s “metric” favors the wireless adapter.
  • Instant hotspot features. Apple and Android features can invite your laptop to connect without extra taps.

Fixing the order and auto-join stops the Wi-Fi tug-of-war so the cable wins.

Quick Wins To Try First

  1. Uncheck auto-join on the hotspot network. That single step stops snap-back to the phone when the SSID appears.
  2. Turn Wi-Fi off when you need wired-only. It’s blunt, but it guarantees the Ethernet path is the one in use.
  3. Forget the hotspot temporarily. Re-add it later when you want it on the road.

Make Cable First On Windows

Windows chooses a path using “interface metrics.” Lower number = higher priority. You can set the wired adapter to a lower metric so it wins.

Method A: PowerShell (preferred)

Run Windows Terminal as Administrator, then:

# Show current metrics
Get-NetIPInterface | Sort-Object InterfaceMetric | Format-Table ifIndex, InterfaceAlias, AddressFamily, InterfaceMetric

# Give Ethernet top priority (use your exact adapter name)
Set-NetIPInterface -InterfaceAlias "Ethernet" -InterfaceMetric 5

# Give Wi-Fi lower priority
Set-NetIPInterface -InterfaceAlias "Wi-Fi" -InterfaceMetric 50

# Verify the change
Get-NetIPInterface -InterfaceAlias "Ethernet","Wi-Fi" | Format-Table InterfaceAlias, InterfaceMetric

This tells Windows to prefer the cable by score. Microsoft documents the approach under “Configure the Order of Network Interfaces.” Link that explains metrics and the Set-NetIPInterface cmdlet: interface metric guidance.

Method B: Per-Adapter Properties (GUI)

  1. Open Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network Connections.
  2. Right-click Ethernet > Properties > Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) > Properties > Advanced….
  3. Clear Automatic metric. Set Interface metric to a low value like 5.
  4. Do the same for Wi-Fi, but give it a higher number like 50.

Stop Auto-Join For The Hotspot (Windows)

  1. Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi > Manage known networks.
  2. Select your hotspot SSID and toggle off Connect automatically, or choose Forget.

Optional: Wired-Only While Docked

If you use a dock or always plug in at your desk, set a quick habit: toggle Wi-Fi off in the system tray once you connect the cable. When you undock, turn it back on. Simple and reliable.

Set Ethernet First On macOS

Macs can reorder network services so Ethernet stays on top.

Change Service Order

  1. Open System Settings > Network.
  2. Click the Action menu, then Set Service Order.
  3. Drag Ethernet above Wi-Fi and click OK.

Stop Auto-Join To Phone Hotspot

Two knobs control this:

  • Wi-Fi Auto-Join for the hotspot SSID. In the Wi-Fi list, click the hotspot’s i button and disable Auto-Join.
  • Ask to join hotspots. In Wi-Fi settings, set Ask to Join Hotspots to Ask or Never so the Mac doesn’t jump to your iPhone. Apple details hotspot auto-join behavior here: Auto-Join Hotspot.

Make A Wired-Only “Location” (macOS)

  1. In System Settings > Network, create a new Location named Desk.
  2. Inside that location, use the Action menu to Make Service Inactive for Wi-Fi.
  3. Switch locations when you sit down or head out. Each location remembers its own service state.

Taming The Phone Side (Android And iPhone)

Your phone can invite laptops to connect without many prompts. A few tweaks keep the hotspot from luring the laptop off Ethernet.

Android

  • Open Settings > Network & Internet > Hotspot & tethering. Turn the hotspot off when you’re wired.
  • Change the SSID or password. The laptop won’t auto-join until you accept the new details.
  • If your phone offers a “turn off hotspot when no devices are connected” option, enable it. That prevents background advertising of the SSID near your desk.

iPhone

  • Go to Settings > Personal Hotspot and switch it off while you’re on cable.
  • In Mac Wi-Fi settings, set Ask to Join Hotspots to Ask. That stops automatic jumps to your iPhone when the SSID pops up.
  • On the Mac, remove Auto-Join for the hotspot entry so it doesn’t reconnect the next time the phone wakes.

Troubleshooting Steps When It Still Prefers The Hotspot

Run through these checks if the laptop keeps favoring Wi-Fi even after priority changes.

1) Confirm The Active Route

Windows:

# Show current routes and metrics
route print

# Quick look at active interfaces
Get-NetIPInterface | Sort-Object InterfaceMetric | Format-Table InterfaceAlias, InterfaceMetric, ConnectionState

macOS:

# Show default route target (should point to Ethernet's gateway)
netstat -rn | grep default

# List services and status
networksetup -listallhardwareports

2) Check For VPN And Virtual Adapters

VPN clients and virtual NICs can insert their own higher-priority routes. If you see a tunnel with a very low metric, disconnect it while you test. Keep Ethernet on top.

3) Disable Metered Wi-Fi Profiles Near Your Desk

Some laptops treat metered Wi-Fi as a special case and hold the link “just in case.” Mark the hotspot profile as non-preferred or remove it in known networks.

4) Turn Off Mobile Hotspot Advertising

When your phone keeps broadcasting the SSID, your laptop sees a strong signal and may jump. Disable the hotspot near your desk and enable it only when traveling.

Taking Control On Shared Or Managed PCs

On corporate machines, your IT team might enforce policies that keep Wi-Fi active. If you see settings snap back after a reboot, you may be under a group policy that limits simultaneous connections or controls Wi-Fi behavior. Save time by asking the admin to enforce “Ethernet first” on your device or to disable auto-join for personal hotspots.

Wired-First Setup Checklist

  • Ethernet metric lower than Wi-Fi on Windows.
  • Ethernet above Wi-Fi in macOS service order.
  • Auto-join off for the hotspot SSID on all devices.
  • Phone hotspot disabled while you’re at the desk.
  • VPNs or virtual NICs reviewed for route priority.

Common Variations Of The Problem And Fixes

Windows Keeps Reconnecting To The Phone After Reboot

Forget the hotspot in Manage known networks. Re-add it later without the Connect automatically toggle. Double-check your Ethernet metric is still lower than Wi-Fi.

Mac Shows Ethernet Active But Traffic Uses Wi-Fi

Open System Settings > Network and confirm Set Service Order. Drag Ethernet to the top. If a VPN is present, disconnect it and test the route again.

Phone Hotspot Reappears After Sleep

Phones can wake the hotspot for nearby devices. Disable the feature when you’re at the desk, or change the SSID so the laptop doesn’t recognize it.

When You Want The Hotspot To Win (On Purpose)

Sometimes you do want the phone link to take over, even while cabled, like during a WAN outage. Make a quick toggle plan:

  • Create two Windows PowerShell scripts: one that gives Wi-Fi a lower metric than Ethernet, and one that restores Ethernet to the lowest number.
  • On Mac, keep a second Location where Wi-Fi is active and sits above Ethernet in service order.

That way you can switch paths in seconds without hunting through settings.

Causes And Fixes At A Glance

Cause How To Fix
Wi-Fi auto-joins the hotspot Turn off Auto-Join or Forget the SSID; keep Wi-Fi off while cabled
Ethernet has a higher metric Set Ethernet metric lower than Wi-Fi on Windows; move Ethernet to top on macOS
Phone advertises hotspot nearby Disable hotspot near your desk or change SSID/password
VPN/virtual adapter steals routes Disconnect the tunnel; review adapter priority; retest default route
Managed policy forces Wi-Fi on Ask IT to enforce wired-first or adjust the policy for your device

Copy-Paste Commands For Quick Testing

Windows: Favor Cable, Then Restore

Set wired first:

powershell -NoLogo -NoProfile -Command ^
"Set-NetIPInterface -InterfaceAlias 'Ethernet' -InterfaceMetric 5; ^
 Set-NetIPInterface -InterfaceAlias 'Wi-Fi' -InterfaceMetric 50; ^
 Get-NetIPInterface -InterfaceAlias 'Ethernet','Wi-Fi' | ft InterfaceAlias,InterfaceMetric"

Restore defaults (let Windows choose):

powershell -NoLogo -NoProfile -Command ^
"Set-NetIPInterface -InterfaceAlias 'Ethernet' -AutomaticMetric Enabled; ^
 Set-NetIPInterface -InterfaceAlias 'Wi-Fi' -AutomaticMetric Enabled; ^
 Get-NetIPInterface -InterfaceAlias 'Ethernet','Wi-Fi' | ft InterfaceAlias,AutomaticMetric,InterfaceMetric"

macOS: Show Default Route And Services

# Show default gateway
netstat -rn | grep default

# List service order (Ethernet should be first)
networksetup -listnetworkserviceorder

Why This Fix Works

Operating systems pick a default route based on adapter priority and link cost. Lower metric wins in Windows. Service order decides on macOS. When the phone hotspot is marked as auto-join and the Wi-Fi interface sits above Ethernet, the laptop follows the wireless path even when the cable is present. Flip those two levers and the default route points to the wired gateway instead.

When To Add A Second Safeguard

If your workflow includes large downloads or video calls, you may want a safety layer so the laptop never touches Wi-Fi while cabled. Two easy options:

  • Windows Task Scheduler. Trigger a script at sign-in that disables Wi-Fi when Ethernet is connected, and re-enables it when the cable is out.
  • macOS Location switcher. Keep a Desk location where Wi-Fi is inactive, and a Mobile location where it’s active.

Linked References For Deeper Detail

The metric method and service order are standard features. If you need the official wording or exact button labels in current builds, these pages help:

Bottom Line Fix That Sticks

Give Ethernet the lowest metric on Windows or move it to the top on macOS. Turn off auto-join for your phone’s hotspot. Keep the hotspot disabled while you’re at the desk. With those three steps, the cable wins every time, and the laptop stops drifting to the hotspot.