How to Secure Wi-Fi on Windows with WPA3 and Forget Untrusted Networks

What Causes This?

Windows will often reconnect to saved Wi-Fi networks automatically, even if those networks use older security like WPA2 or are public networks you no longer trust. If your router or device is not set to prefer WPA3, your connection may fall back to weaker encryption without you noticing. Over time, a long list of saved networks can also increase the chance of connecting to a risky hotspot with a familiar name.

Common Symptoms

• Your PC reconnects to public or old Wi-Fi networks automatically
• You see many saved networks you no longer use
• Your current Wi-Fi connection shows WPA2 instead of WPA3
• You are concerned about connecting to spoofed or untrusted hotspots
• Wireless security settings are hard to review across your device

How to Fix It Manually

1. Check whether your current Wi-Fi is using WPA3

   1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
   2. Go to Network & internet > Wi-Fi.
   3. Select your connected network, then look for Properties or Hardware properties.
   4. Check the Security type field. If it shows WPA3-Personal, you are already using the stronger option. If it shows WPA2 or another older standard, continue below.

2. Make sure your router supports WPA3

   1. Open a web browser and sign in to your router’s admin page. This is often at 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1.
   2. Find the Wireless, Wi-Fi, or Security section.
   3. Look for a security mode such as WPA3-Personal or WPA2/WPA3 Transitional.
   4. If WPA3 is available, enable it. If all your devices support it, use WPA3-Personal only. If not, use transitional mode.
   5. Save the changes and reconnect your PC to the network.

3. Reconnect to the network cleanly

   1. On Windows, go to Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi > Manage known networks.
   2. Select your home network and click Forget.
   3. Return to the Wi-Fi list, choose your network again, and enter the password.
   4. After reconnecting, check the network properties again to confirm the security type.

4. Forget untrusted or unused saved networks

   1. In Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi > Manage known networks, review the list.
   2. Remove public, hotel, café, airport, school, or old apartment networks you no longer need by clicking Forget.
   3. Keep only networks you recognize and trust.

5. Turn off automatic connection for risky networks

   1. Click the Wi-Fi icon in the taskbar and select Manage Wi-Fi connections, or open Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi.
   2. Select a network you do not want Windows to join automatically.
   3. Clear Connect automatically if the option appears.

6. Use Command Prompt to review saved Wi-Fi profiles

   1. Press Windows + S, type cmd, then choose Run as administrator.
   2. Run:

      netsh wlan show profiles

   3. Review the saved profile names.
   4. Remove an unwanted profile with:

      netsh wlan delete profile name="WiFiName"

   5. Repeat for any network you do not trust.

Fix It Automatically with Kudu

Kudu can help you review saved network exposure, spot risky wireless settings, and clean up leftover profiles without digging through every Windows menu yourself. It is a faster way to identify weak or unnecessary network entries and reduce the chance of reconnecting to untrusted Wi-Fi.

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