A common use of netsh is to reset the TCP/IP stack to default, known-good parameters, a task that in Windows 98 required reinstallation of the TCP/IP adapter.
netsh, among many other things, also allows the user to change the IP address on their machine.
Starting from Windows Vista, one can also edit wireless settings (for example, SSID) using netsh.
netsh can also be used to read information from the IPv6 stack.
The command netsh winsock reset can be used to reset TCP/IP problems when communicating with a networked device.