By default, Windows chooses the best network adapter for a network connection. When numerous network interfaces are at the same speed, Windows' Automatic Metric feature can force the network to switch the default gateways depending on Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) retransmissions. Various criteria, including the speed of the link, the number of hops to a certain destination, and the delay time, influence a network interface's priority. The interface with the highest metric value is prioritized, whereas the interface with the greatest metric value is least prioritized. This means network traffic will be routed through the interface with the lowest metric value unless that interface is unavailable. In this case, it will be routed through the interface with the next-lowest metric value.