Wireless Networks - Allow or Block with Filter in Windows

How to Add or Remove Wireless Networks from Allowed or Blocked Filter List in Windows​

   Information

If you have a laptop or a PC with a wireless network adapter, you can see a list of available wireless networks in your area, and then connect to one of those networks. The wireless networks will only appear if your PC has a wireless network adapter installed, the adapter is turned on, and the wireless access point is in range.

If you have a lot of wireless access points within your area, then you could have a lot of SSIDs (network names) in your available wireless networks list.

A wireless filter will allow you to be able to add or remove the SSIDs (network names) you want from showing in your list of available Wi-Fi networks.

This tutorial will show you how to add or remove wireless networks from the wireless allowed or blocked filter list for all users in Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1.

CONTENTS:

• Option One: Display List of Wireless Networks Currently in Allowed and Blocked Filters
• Option Two: To Add or Remove a Wireless Network from Allowed Filter List
• Option Three: To Add or Remove a Wireless Network from Blocked Filter List
• Option Four: To Add All Not Allowed Wireless Networks to Denyall
• Option Five: To Remove All Not Blocked Wireless Networks from Denyall
• Option Six: Hide or Show Blocked Wireless Networks in Visible Available Networks List

EXAMPLE: Wi-Fi (wireless) Networks List of SSIDs
NOTE: This is an example in Windows 8.1.

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OPTION ONE

Display List of Wireless Networks Currently in Allowed and Blocked Filters

   Note

This option will display a list of wireless networks that you added to the allowed (Option One and blocked (Option Two) filter lists.

This can be especially handy to see the list of wireless networks you added to the block list since they are no longer displayed in the visible available networks list anymore by default.

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1. Open a command prompt, and copy and paste the command below you want to use, and press Enter.​

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:ar: (List all allowed and blocked wireless networks)​

netsh wlan show filters​

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:ar: (List only all allowed wireless networks)​

netsh wlan show filters permission=allow​

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:ar: (List only all blocked wireless networks)​

netsh wlan show filters permission=block​

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2. When finished, you can close the command prompt if you like.​

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OPTION TWO

To Add or Remove a Wireless Network from Allowed Filter List

   Note

If you add an available wireless network SSID to the allowed filter list, then the network will always be displayed and available to connect to if you should do Option Four below. Otherwise there's really no point in adding wireless networks to the allow list.

You will not be able to add a wireless network to the allow list if the wireless network as already been added to the block list using Option Three below. You would have to remove the wireless network from the block list before you will be able to add it to the allow list.

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1. Open a command prompt, and do step 2 or step 3 below for what you would like to do.​

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2. To Add Available Wireless Network to Allow List​

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A) In the command prompt, type the command below, and press Enter. Repeat this step for each Wi-Fi network you want to add. When finished, go to step 4 below. (see screenshot below)​

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netsh wlan add filter permission=allow ssid="[B][COLOR=#ff0000]WLAN name[/COLOR][/B]" networktype=infrastructure

   Note

Substitute WLAN name in the command with the actual SSID of the wireless network.

   Note

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For example:​

netsh wlan add filter permission=allow ssid="[COLOR=#ff0000][B]Brink-Router[/B][/COLOR]" networktype=infrastructure[/INDENT]
[INDENT][/INDENT]
[INDENT]netsh wlan add filter permission=allow ssid="[COLOR=#ff0000][B]Brink-Router2[/B][/COLOR]" networktype=infrastructure

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3. To Remove Wireless Network from Allow List​

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A) In the command prompt, type the command below, and press Enter. Repeat this step for each Wi-Fi network you want to remove. When finished, go to step 4 below. (see screenshot below)​

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netsh wlan delete filter permission=allow ssid="[B][COLOR=#ff0000]WLAN name[/COLOR][/B]" networktype=infrastructure

   Note

Substitute WLAN name in the command with the actual SSID of the wireless network.

   Note

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For example:​

netsh wlan delete filter permission=allow ssid="[COLOR=#ff0000][B]Brink-Router2[/B][/COLOR]" networktype=infrastructure

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4. When finished, you can close the command prompt if you like.​

OPTION THREE

To Add or Remove a Wireless Network from Blocked Filter List

   Note

If you add an available wireless network SSID to the blocked filter list, then the network will no longer be displayed in the visible available networks list, and can no longer be connected to.

This can be handy if there are wireless networks that you do not want to see in the visible available networks list anymore.

You will not be able to add a wireless network to the block list if the wireless network as already been added to the allow list using Option Two above. You would have to remove the wireless network from the allow list before you will be able to add it to the block list.

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1. Open a command prompt, and do step 2 or step 3 below for what you would like to do.​

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2. To Add Available Wireless Network to Block List​

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A) In the command prompt, type the command below, and press Enter. Repeat this step for each Wi-Fi network you want to add. When finished, go to step 4 below. (see screenshots below)​

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netsh wlan add filter permission=block ssid="[B][COLOR=#ff0000]WLAN name[/COLOR][/B]" networktype=infrastructure

   Note

Substitute WLAN name in the command with the actual SSID of the wireless network.

   Note

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For example:​

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netsh wlan add filter permission=block ssid="[COLOR=#ff0000][B]NETGEAR26[/B][/COLOR]" networktype=infrastructure

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3. To Remove Wireless Network from Block List​

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A) In the command prompt, type the command below, and press Enter. Repeat this step for each Wi-Fi network you want to remove. When finished, go to step 4 below. (see screenshot below)​

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netsh wlan delete filter permission=block ssid="[B][COLOR=#ff0000]WLAN name[/COLOR][/B]" networktype=infrastructure

   Note

Substitute WLAN name in the command with the actual SSID of the wireless network.

   Note

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For example:​

netsh wlan delete filter permission=block ssid="[COLOR=#ff0000][B]ASUS[/B][/COLOR]" networktype=infrastructure

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4. When finished, you can close the command prompt if you like.​

OPTION FOUR

To Add All Not Allowed Wireless Networks to Denyall

   Note

This option will set all available wireless networks that are not currently added to the allow (Option Two) and block (Option Three) list as denyall all at once. You can use Option Five below to undo this.

This will effectively be the same as the block list. These networks will then no longer be displayed in the visible available networks list, and can no longer be connected to.

This can be handy if you do not want to see any available wireless networks in the visible available networks list except those that you added to the allow list in Option Two.

You will still be able to add a wireless network to the allow list using Option Two above to have it display in the visible available networks list, and be able to connect to it again. Using Option Six to temporarily see all blocked wireless networks can help make this easier to do.

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1. Open a command prompt.​

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2. In the command prompt, copy and paste the command below, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)​

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netsh wlan add filter permission=denyall networktype=infrastructure​

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3. When finished, you can close the command prompt if you like.​

OPTION FIVE

To Remove All Not Blocked Wireless Networks from Denyall

   Note

This option is the default setting and will undo Option Four to allow the wireless networks to display in the visible available networks list, and be able to connect to again.

Wireless networks that are currently added to the block list using Option Three above will not be affected, will still be on the block list.

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1. Open a command prompt.​

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2. In the command prompt, copy and paste the command below, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)​

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netsh wlan delete filter permission=denyall networktype=infrastructure​

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3. When finished, you can close the command prompt if you like.​

OPTION SIX

Hide or Show Blocked Wireless Networks in Visible Available Networks List

   Note

This option will let you set to show or hide all blocked wireless networks (Option Three and Option Four) in the visible available networks list.

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1. Open a command prompt, and do step 2 or step 3 below for what you would like to do.​

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2. To Hide All Blocked Wireless Networks​

NOTE: This is the default setting.​

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A) In the command prompt, copy and paste the command below, press Enter, and go to step 4 below. (see screenshot below)​

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netsh wlan set blockednetworks display=hide​

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3. To Show All Blocked Wireless Networks​

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A) In the command prompt, copy and paste the command below, press Enter, and go to step 4 below. (see screenshots below)​

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netsh wlan set blockednetworks display=show​

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4. When finished, you can close the command prompt if you like.​

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Connect To or Disconnect from a Wireless Network in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Start or Stop Connect Automatically to Wireless Network in Windows 8
• Backup and Restore Wireless Network Profiles in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Delete a Wireless Network Profile in Windows 8 and 8.1
• Wireless Network - Set or Unset as Metered Connection in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Hide or Show Data Usage for Wireless Networks in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Change the Priority of Wireless Networks in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Change the Network Connection Priority in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8
• How to Enable or Disable Networks UI on Sign in Screen in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Find Your Wireless Network Security Key in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Turn On or Off Wi-Fi in Windows 8 and 8.1

 

[nonpasaran]

Hi Shawn,

If you use first option for a wireless network (Ex. Bring) and than if you need to use option 2 for same wireless network (Bring) before you have to clear "Allow" permission. If you not, you will have "This filter already exists in the allow list on the system." error.

For avoid this you have to use "netsh wlan delete filter permission=allow ssid="Your SSID" networktype=infrastructure" code.


EDIT: Also Option Two reverse steps is not work. You have to use "netsh wlan delete filter permission=block ssid="Blocked SSID name" networktype=infrastructure

 

[Brink]

Hello nonpasaran,

Yes, you would need to remove the wireless network from the specific filter first like in step 3 of OPTION TWO.

 

[danyal]

UNDO

HELP. HOW do I undo the allow and block list. How do I allow EVERYTHING??? Please Help!

 

[Brink]

Hello Danyal, and welcome to Eight Forums.

You can use OPTION ONE to see what you added to the "Allow" and "Block" filter.

Afterwards, you can use step 3 in OPTION TWO and OPTION THREE to delete them from the "Allow" and "Block" filter.

This will undo them.

 

[SandieMI]

I have blocked all of the neighbors' networks, except one shown as "hidden network". It does not have a profile. If I try to do "DENY ALL" (except those on the ALLOW list) it takes away my own network, which is ON the ALLOW list. I really don't want to use "DENY ALL", but I can't get the "CONNECT AUTOMATICALLY" checkbox to uncheck and stay that way on the HIDDEN NETWORK. Why is the box not unchecking on that one only? I have only one of my neighbor's networks in ALLOW, and it doesn't go away when I "DENY ALL", but their box isn't checked either, and wasn't before I started. Something is disconnecting me from the internet connection recently. I have a WiFI Analyser app on my Kindle Fire, and can see the neighboring networks there, with MAC addresses. The one(s) with ? instead of a name seem to affect my wireless speed on Kindle, but don't disconnect me. Can I block using a MAC address? Can you tell me why DENY ALL is blocking my own network on the ALLOW list? Thanks for the help! Newbie here!

 

[Brink]

Hello Sandie, and welcome to Eight Forums.

Adding the wireless networks to the deny list will only prevent your PC from being able to connect to them. It won't prevent any interference they may be causing.

Double check using OPTION ONE to make sure that your wireless network isn't listed in the "block" list by mistake.

 

[SandieMI]

Thanks, Brink. I did check Option 1, and everything looks correct. Mine and my neighbor are on ALLOW. Everyone else is on BLOCKED. I tried the DENY ALL when my network was connected, and disconnected to start. I have Comcast internet, and they supposedly just boosted my speed on BLAST, and that's when the disconnects started. I think they moved me to different servers too. I've tried to get them to watch my connection speed jump up and down on my Wi-Fi Analyzer on my Kindle, and they still can't explain it. Disconnects as I change web pages are a whole different story! I suspected DNS problems, but talking to anyone there who actually knows even as much as I do about networks is time-consuming and fruitless. Since it's only my laptop, I figured not allowing it try to connect to any other networks might help. I'm going to try rebooting the laptop now. Any thoughts on why the check box won't uncheck. Some of them were checked, and shouldn't have ever been, when I started. Some did uncheck and some didn't. Any other ideas? Thanks for being there with the tutorials! I learned a lot!

 

[Brink]

I suppose double check to make sure that your wireless network is set to be first in the connection priority order using OPTION TWO below to see if that may help to keep it connected at least.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/20152-wireless-networks-priority-change-windows-8-a.html

 

[SandieMI]

I did it!

Thanks, Brink! Somehow I had two profiles for my network. Only one showed up in Allowed. When I tried to Denyall, it shut mine down. I have now been able to use the Denyall and even stopped the HIDDEN networks from showing up, along with the block list. Just the BLOCK list wouldn't stop a Verizon MiFi network next door, or the HIDDEN ones in the area.

You were also right about doing this not helping with my disconnects. Comcast tech just left, and he saw the bouncing up and down of the connection. I could go from 80 mbps to 3 in a flash! They will be laying new cabling outside. I have 15 wireless networks in my immediate area, and a new one showed up last night that's a 5.5Ghz. The airways are just getting too crowded out there!

 

[Brink]

Thanks, Brink! Somehow I had two profiles for my network. Only one showed up in Allowed. When I tried to Denyall, it shut mine down. I have now been able to use the Denyall and even stopped the HIDDEN networks from showing up, along with the block list. Just the BLOCK list wouldn't stop a Verizon MiFi network next door, or the HIDDEN ones in the area.

You were also right about doing this not helping with my disconnects. Comcast tech just left, and he saw the bouncing up and down of the connection. I could go from 80 mbps to 3 in a flash! They will be laying new cabling outside. I have 15 wireless networks in my immediate area, and a new one showed up last night that's a 5.5Ghz. The airways are just getting too crowded out there!

Great news Sandie. I'm happy to hear that you got it sorted.