Windows – How to set the metric of a manually added route on Windows

static-routeswindows

I am using the following command to add a route, but the metric isn't working the way I want it to. I want the route I am adding to have a lower cost.

    C:\Users\cboyle>route ADD 0.0.0.0 MASK 0.0.0.0  192.168.76.2 METRIC 3 IF 11
 OK!

C:\Users\cboyle>

Here is my routing table before the above command.

    Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7600]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.

C:\Users\cboyle>route print
===========================================================================
Interface List
 11...00 1a 4d 84 48 22 ......Marvell Yukon 88E8056 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet Controller
 15...08 00 27 00 40 a3 ......VirtualBox Host-Only Ethernet Adapter
  1...........................Software Loopback Interface 1
 12...00 00 00 00 00 00 00 e0 Microsoft ISATAP Adapter
 13...00 00 00 00 00 00 00 e0 Microsoft ISATAP Adapter #2
===========================================================================

IPv4 Route Table
===========================================================================
Active Routes:
Network Destination        Netmask          Gateway       Interface  Metric
          0.0.0.0          0.0.0.0     192.168.76.1    192.168.76.40     20
        127.0.0.0        255.0.0.0         On-link         127.0.0.1    306
        127.0.0.1  255.255.255.255         On-link         127.0.0.1    306
  127.255.255.255  255.255.255.255         On-link         127.0.0.1    306
     192.168.56.0    255.255.255.0         On-link      192.168.56.1    276
     192.168.56.1  255.255.255.255         On-link      192.168.56.1    276
   192.168.56.255  255.255.255.255         On-link      192.168.56.1    276
     192.168.76.0    255.255.255.0         On-link     192.168.76.40    276
    192.168.76.40  255.255.255.255         On-link     192.168.76.40    276
   192.168.76.255  255.255.255.255         On-link     192.168.76.40    276
        224.0.0.0        240.0.0.0         On-link         127.0.0.1    306
        224.0.0.0        240.0.0.0         On-link      192.168.56.1    276
        224.0.0.0        240.0.0.0         On-link     192.168.76.40    276
  255.255.255.255  255.255.255.255         On-link         127.0.0.1    306
  255.255.255.255  255.255.255.255         On-link      192.168.56.1    276
  255.255.255.255  255.255.255.255         On-link     192.168.76.40    276
===========================================================================
Persistent Routes:
  None

IPv6 Route Table
===========================================================================
Active Routes:
 If Metric Network Destination      Gateway
  1    306 ::1/128                  On-link
 15    276 fe80::/64                On-link
 15    276 fe80::49e3:31a5:5cc7:97ea/128
                                    On-link
  1    306 ff00::/8                 On-link
 15    276 ff00::/8                 On-link
===========================================================================
Persistent Routes:
  None

C:\Users\cboyle>

Here it is after.

C:\Users\cboyle>route print
===========================================================================
Interface List
 11...00 1a 4d 84 48 22 ......Marvell Yukon 88E8056 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet Controller
 15...08 00 27 00 40 a3 ......VirtualBox Host-Only Ethernet Adapter
  1...........................Software Loopback Interface 1
 12...00 00 00 00 00 00 00 e0 Microsoft ISATAP Adapter
 13...00 00 00 00 00 00 00 e0 Microsoft ISATAP Adapter #2
===========================================================================

IPv4 Route Table
===========================================================================
Active Routes:
Network Destination        Netmask          Gateway       Interface  Metric
          0.0.0.0          0.0.0.0     192.168.76.1    192.168.76.40     20
          0.0.0.0          0.0.0.0     192.168.76.2    192.168.76.40     23
        127.0.0.0        255.0.0.0         On-link         127.0.0.1    306
        127.0.0.1  255.255.255.255         On-link         127.0.0.1    306
  127.255.255.255  255.255.255.255         On-link         127.0.0.1    306
     192.168.56.0    255.255.255.0         On-link      192.168.56.1    276
     192.168.56.1  255.255.255.255         On-link      192.168.56.1    276
   192.168.56.255  255.255.255.255         On-link      192.168.56.1    276
     192.168.76.0    255.255.255.0         On-link     192.168.76.40    276
    192.168.76.40  255.255.255.255         On-link     192.168.76.40    276
   192.168.76.255  255.255.255.255         On-link     192.168.76.40    276
        224.0.0.0        240.0.0.0         On-link         127.0.0.1    306
        224.0.0.0        240.0.0.0         On-link      192.168.56.1    276
        224.0.0.0        240.0.0.0         On-link     192.168.76.40    276
  255.255.255.255  255.255.255.255         On-link         127.0.0.1    306
  255.255.255.255  255.255.255.255         On-link      192.168.56.1    276
  255.255.255.255  255.255.255.255         On-link     192.168.76.40    276
===========================================================================
Persistent Routes:
  None

IPv6 Route Table
===========================================================================
Active Routes:
 If Metric Network Destination      Gateway
  1    306 ::1/128                  On-link
 15    276 fe80::/64                On-link
 15    276 fe80::49e3:31a5:5cc7:97ea/128
                                    On-link
  1    306 ff00::/8                 On-link
 15    276 ff00::/8                 On-link
===========================================================================
Persistent Routes:
  None

C:\Users\cboyle>

I want the route that I am adding to have priority over the default one.

Best Answer

This question is ancient, but if you stumbled across it like I did, try the following (confirmed on Win10);

open the adapter properties, IPv4 settings, Advanced, then...

Uncheck the "Automatic Metric" as mentioned previously, AND set an interface metric of some value (I used "10" for this example)

Click OK/Apply until you are back at the network connections. Disable and re-enable the adapter to reset everything and incorporate the new setting.

route print... You will now notice the default metric for the adapter has increased by 10 to 20.

add your new default route with a metric of "5" as mentioned previously

route print... it will be created as "15" vs the "20" of the existing default.

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