Inventory network adapters
Documentation: Microsoft Learn
Inventory network interfaces with Get-NetAdapter. Report status, link speed, MAC address, and driver description beside each interface name.
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Get-NetAdapter | Select-Object Name,Status,LinkSpeed,MacAddress,InterfaceDescription- Stage 1Get-NetAdapter
Positional values or no named parameters - Stage 2Select-Object
Positional values or no named parameters
How it works
Get-NetAdapter enumerates the visible network interfaces and Select-Object reports the friendly name next to Status, LinkSpeed, MacAddress, and the InterfaceDescription that identifies the underlying driver.
Adapting it
Adding -IncludeHidden surfaces the tunnel and loopback pseudo-adapters that the default view suppresses, which becomes relevant when chasing a routing oddity that no visible interface explains.
If the result is unexpected
A NIC the network team can see on the switch does not appear, or sorting by LinkSpeed places a 10 Gbps adapter below a 1 Gbps one.
The default view hides adapters flagged as hidden, which covers tunnels, loopback, and some teaming members. LinkSpeed is a display string rather than a number, so any comparison against it is lexical. An adapter with no driver bound reports as Not Present and is easy to skip over in a long list.
- Rerun with -IncludeHidden and compare the row count against the first result.
- Check Get-NetLbfoTeam or Get-NetAdapterBinding if the missing adapter belongs to a team.
- Sort on the numeric Speed property rather than on the formatted LinkSpeed string.
- Look at Get-PnpDevice for network class devices when an adapter is physically present and missing here.
- Confirm the adapter is enabled, since a disabled interface still appears but with a status that is easy to overlook.
Validate the result
The adapter in question appears with a Status of Up, and sorting on Speed puts the fastest interface at the top.
Keep the check reliable
Sort and compare on the numeric Speed property in any report, and include hidden adapters whenever the goal is a complete inventory.
