Two networks, one PC, and traffic leaves through the wrong interface. A persistent route plus the right interface metric sends each subnet where it belongs.
Read **Get-NetRoute**, add the route into the **PersistentStore** with **New-NetRoute**, and adjust **InterfaceMetric**. Verify with **Find-NetRoute** before you test with ping.
Every route has a **metric** and an **interface**. The lowest total metric wins, which is why the second network silently loses traffic to your default gateway.
Get-NetRoute -AddressFamily IPv4 | Sort-Object DestinationPrefix,RouteMetric |
Select-Object DestinationPrefix,NextHop,InterfaceIndex,RouteMetric,InterfaceMetric | Format-Table -AutoSizeRoutes bind to an interface index. Names change with language and driver reinstall, indices change when adapters come and go — read both, then use the index in every command.
Get-NetIPConfiguration | Select-Object InterfaceIndex,InterfaceAlias,@{n='IP';e={$_.IPv4Address.IPAddress}},@{n='GW';e={$_.IPv4DefaultGateway.NextHop}}**PersistentStore** survives reboots; the active store does not. Writing into both at once is what the ActiveStore and PersistentStore parameters are for.
New-NetRoute -DestinationPrefix '10.20.0.0/16' -NextHop 192.168.50.1 -InterfaceIndex 12 -PolicyStore PersistentStore
Get-NetRoute -DestinationPrefix '10.20.0.0/16' -PolicyStore PersistentStoreA route with a worse metric loses to the default gateway even when its prefix is more specific. Setting the interface metric makes the intended path win deterministically.
Set-NetIPInterface -InterfaceIndex 12 -InterfaceMetric 5
Get-NetIPInterface -InterfaceIndex 12 | Select-Object InterfaceAlias,InterfaceMetric,Dhcp**Find-NetRoute** shows which source address and interface Windows chose for a destination. That answers the real question before a single packet leaves.
Find-NetRoute -RemoteIPAddress 10.20.5.5 | Select-Object IPAddress,InterfaceIndex,DestinationPrefix,NextHop
tracert -d -h 5 10.20.5.5Removing from the persistent store is the step people forget, and the route returns at the next boot. Check both stores afterwards.
Remove-NetRoute -DestinationPrefix '10.20.0.0/16' -NextHop 192.168.50.1 -Confirm:$false -PolicyStore PersistentStore
route print -4 | Select-String '10.20.'The metric order or a more specific route wins. Compare Find-NetRoute output with Get-NetRoute for the same destination.
It was written to the active store only. Re-add it with -PolicyStore PersistentStore and confirm with the same parameter.
The gateway must be on the same subnet as the interface you bound the route to. Check the interface address and prefix length.
Many clients rewrite the table on connect. Add the route in the client's own configuration or reapply it with a scheduled task.
A specific route for one subnet. Two default gateways produce a fight over metrics and intermittent behaviour.
A stack reset can clear the active store but the persistent entries usually return. Keep the command in a script so you can reapply it in seconds.
Delete the entry with Remove-NetRoute -PolicyStore PersistentStore or route delete, and set the interface metric back to Automatic with Set-NetIPInterface -InterfaceMetric 0.
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