Free Windows Tool

Your Wi-Fi,
Adapted to Your Surroundings

Chameleon watches for an external monitor or dock to attach and automatically switches your Wi-Fi to the network you want for that spot — then switches back when you unplug. It lives in your system tray.

Download Chameleon-Tray.exe View on GitHub
FreeOpen SourceWindows 10 / 11PowerShell

The Problem

You want one Wi-Fi network at your desk — plugged into the monitor and the dock — and a different one when you're roaming around the house or the office. Maybe the desk sits next to a 5 GHz access point that's blazing up close, while the roaming network reaches every room. Windows has no setting for "use this network when that monitor is attached." So you switch it by hand, every time, and half the time you forget.

Chameleon does it for you. Dock, and it hops to your desk network within a couple of seconds. Undock, and it drops back. You never touch the Wi-Fi menu again.

Why "Chameleon"?

A chameleon changes color to match its surroundings. This little utility does the same thing with your network — the instant you dock at your desk, it adapts to the Wi-Fi you use there, and it changes right back when you unplug. Same instinct, applied to your laptop. (Yes, the tray icon is a lizard.)

What It Does

Device-Triggered Switching
Pick a monitor or dock as the trigger. When it attaches, Chameleon connects your "docked" network; when it's removed, it switches back — automatically.
Lives in the Tray
A lizard icon shows your state at a glance — green when docked, grey when not — with manual switching and the activity log one right-click away.
In-App Settings
Edit the device to watch for and both Wi-Fi networks right from the tray — no editing scripts. Double-click the icon to open it.
Start With Windows
One toggle adds Chameleon to logon, so it's watching from the moment you sign in. Per-user, no admin required.
Portable USB Build
A version that runs straight off a USB stick with its config beside it. Nothing is written to the host machine — carry it between computers.
Never a Needless Drop
Chameleon checks the current network first and skips the switch if you're already on the right one — so there's no pointless disconnect.
Chameleon system tray right-click menu with a status line showing the attached dock, auto-switch and start-with-Windows toggles, and one-click force switches for the docked and undocked Wi-Fi networks

The tray menu: what's attached, the toggles, and one-click switches for your docked and undocked networks.

How It Works

Windows can already connect to any Wi-Fi profile you've saved — the trick is knowing when. Chameleon subscribes to a Windows device event, so it reacts within a couple of seconds of a device appearing or disappearing instead of polling in a loop. When your target device connects, it switches to the docked profile; when it's gone, it switches back.

It only ever switches between networks you've already joined yourself — it never handles passwords and never adds new networks. Everything runs locally, with no account and no cloud. A bundled helper lists every attached device, indented by type, so you can find exactly what to key off of — and if you dock through a USB-C hub, the dock's own device is usually the most reliable trigger.

Install

Download Chameleon-Tray.exe from the latest release and run it. No installer, no dependencies — a lizard icon appears in your tray. Open Settings from its menu, set the device to watch for and your two networks, and you're done. Prefer the scripts? Clone the repo and run the tray app directly (Windows, PowerShell 5.1+):

git clone https://github.com/VAROIndustries/Chameleon.git cd Chameleon powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\Get-AttachedDevices.ps1 powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\Chameleon-Tray.ps1

Settings live in Chameleon.config.json beside the app — or just use the tray. The repo also includes a background-watcher build for Task Scheduler and a portable build for USB.

FAQ

Why is it called Chameleon?
A chameleon changes color to match its surroundings. This tool changes your Wi-Fi network to match yours — the moment you dock at your desk it adapts to the network you use there, and it changes back when you unplug. Same instinct, applied to your laptop.
Does Chameleon store my Wi-Fi passwords?
No. It only switches between Wi-Fi profiles you've already saved by connecting to them once yourself. It never handles passwords and never adds new networks. Everything runs locally — no account, no cloud.
Should I trigger on my monitor or my dock?
Either works. A monitor on HDMI or DisplayPort shows up as a Monitor device, but if you use a USB-C dock, keying off the dock's USB device is usually more reliable — it cleanly appears and disappears when you connect the cable. The bundled Get-AttachedDevices.ps1 lists everything so you can pick.
Will it disconnect me if I'm already on the right network?
No. Chameleon checks your current network first and skips the switch entirely when you're already on the target profile, so there's no needless disconnect.
How do I install Chameleon?
Download Chameleon-Tray.exe from the latest GitHub release and run it — no installer, no dependencies. A lizard icon appears in your tray with settings, manual switching, and a Start-with-Windows toggle. Or run the PowerShell scripts directly from the repo.

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Want the backstory? Read the Chameleon launch post on the blog.