PowerShell Win32_NetworkAdapterConfiguration

PowerShell Win32_NetworkAdapterConfiguration

Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) provides a way of accessing details of your operating system that are normally hidden from the Control Panel, Device manager or IpConfig.  While there are 7 WMI classes dealing with network properties, the most versatile is: WMI Class Win32_NetworkAdapterConfiguration.

Topics for PowerShell Win32_NetworkAdapterConfiguration

• PowerShell Command to Display Network Adapter Values
• How to Research Properties for YOUR Computer Configuration
• More Example Scripts for Win32_NetworkAdapterConfiguration
• How to List More WMI Network Classes
• How to List NICs in PowerShell 3.0 with Get-NetAdapter

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PowerShell Command to Display Network Adapter Values

While you could employ VBScript to interrogate Win32_NetworkAdapterConfiguration, PowerShell is much easier and quicker to learn.  A reminder that the master cmdlet is Get-WmiObject, indeed it’s worth researching parameters and examples with Get-Help Get-WmiObject.

Sample Result

Note 1: As usual, you can view all a PowerShell cmdlets parameters with Get-Help, for example:
Get-Help Get-WmiObject.

Note 2: Many script writers use PowerShell's alias gwmi instead of Get-WmiObject.

See also PowerShell 3.0 Get-NetIPConfiguration »

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How to Research Properties for YOUR Computer Configuration

I could tell you which properties to script, but it’s much better if you learn how to view the master list yourself, then make selections to suit your particular needs or project.

Note 3: Above is a one-line command.  Below is a refinement to filter the properties that you are likely to be interested in.

Note 4: A reminder that even this command accepts Get-Help, thus you could try:
Get-Help Get-Member -full.  My point is that help will reveal other options, for example -MemberType Method.

Note 5: See my review of Solarwinds Wake-On-Lan utility.

Note 6: Below is an edited example of the output.

Note 7: Instead of that 'Where-Object' clause you simplify to:
Get-Member -MemberType Property [a-z]*

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More Example Scripts for Win32_NetworkAdapterConfiguration

Example to test if you are using DHCP

Note 8: PowerShell has no word-wrap, thus the backtick ` means continue on the next line.  Beware, there should be no space after the `.

Note 9: Observe PowerShell’s trademark the (|) pipe symbol, this means that the output of the main command is pumped into Format-Table.  Now we can decide which or the dozens of possible properties to display.

Example which filters for ‘real’ IP addresses.  It also displays the default gateway and the MAC address.

Note 10: You could replace Where-Object {$_.IPEnabled -eq ‘True’} with a -filter parameter.  Check the syntax with Get-Help Get-WmiObject -full.  See also PowerShell and Ipconfig.

Note 11: You could also employ a 'Where' clause to display only network adapters with IP Addresses: Where-Object {$_.IpAddress -ne $Null} |

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How to List More WMI Network Classes

The additional feature of this script is that refines the search from the broad ‘Win32’, to the narrower ‘Win32_Network’.  The result is a list of network WMI classes.

Learning Points

Note 12:  In practical terms, most of the 7 network classes are disappointing.  However, the class win32_networkadapter has the useful property of NetConnectionStatus, and also the handy methods: ‘Enable’ and Disable’.

Summary of WMI Class Win32_NetworkAdapterConfiguration

The key information that PowerShell's Get-WmiObject needs is a WMI class.  The Win32_NetworkAdapterConfiguration examples on this page will help you to research the best properties for your task.  For pure PowerShell research remember Get-Help and Get-Member.

See More Microsoft PowerShell WMI Examples:

• Home   • PowerShell Get-WmiObject   • Windows PowerShell   • PowerShell 3.0 Network

• Win32_pingstatus   • WMI Win32_NetworkAdapter   • Win32_NetworkAdapterConfig

• Disable NIC   • PowerShell -Filter  • PowerShell -Query   • PowerShell Select   • Free WMI Monitor

Please email me if you have any example scripts. Also please report any factual mistakes, grammatical errors or broken links, I will be happy to correct the fault.