In this article, we will explore how to add a Wi-Fi profile using the netsh wlan add profile command in Windows. This command is part of the Netsh (Network Shell) utility, which allows you to configure and manage network settings from the command line. Adding a Wi-Fi profile can be particularly useful for IT administrators who need to deploy network settings across multiple machines or for users who prefer command-line operations over graphical interfaces.

The netsh wlan add profile command enables you to add a wireless network profile to your system. This profile contains all the necessary settings, such as the SSID, security type, and password, to connect to a Wi-Fi network. This method is efficient and can be automated through scripts, making it a powerful tool for network management.

Examples:

1. Creating a Wi-Fi Profile XML File:

   Before you can add a Wi-Fi profile using netsh, you need to create an XML file that contains the network settings. Here is an example of what the XML file might look like:

   <?xml version="1.0"?>
   <WLANProfile xmlns="http://www.microsoft.com/networking/WLAN/profile/v1">
      <name>MyWiFiNetwork</name>
      <SSIDConfig>
          <SSID>
              <name>MyWiFiNetwork</name>
          </SSID>
      </SSIDConfig>
      <connectionType>ESS</connectionType>
      <connectionMode>auto</connectionMode>
      <MSM>
          <security>
              <authEncryption>
                  <authentication>WPA2PSK</authentication>
                  <encryption>AES</encryption>
                  <useOneX>false</useOneX>
              </authEncryption>
              <sharedKey>
                  <keyType>passPhrase</keyType>
                  <protected>false</protected>
                  <keyMaterial>MyWiFiPassword</keyMaterial>
              </sharedKey>
          </security>
      </MSM>
   </WLANProfile>

   Save this XML configuration to a file, for example, MyWiFiProfile.xml.

2. Adding the Wi-Fi Profile Using netsh:

   Open Command Prompt with administrative privileges and run the following command to add the Wi-Fi profile:

   netsh wlan add profile filename="C:\path\to\MyWiFiProfile.xml"

   Replace C:\path\to\MyWiFiProfile.xml with the actual path to your XML file.

3. Verifying the Added Profile:

   To ensure that the profile has been added successfully, you can list all the Wi-Fi profiles on your system using the following command:

   netsh wlan show profiles

   You should see MyWiFiNetwork listed among the profiles.

4. Connecting to the Wi-Fi Network:

   Once the profile is added, you can connect to the Wi-Fi network using the following command:

   netsh wlan connect name="MyWiFiNetwork"

   This command will use the profile settings to establish a connection to the specified Wi-Fi network.