Forcing a Network connection Profile via GPO

You can use Group Policy to force certain settings. For example you can set unidentified networks to get the Private Profile by default.

There are four policies available beneath Computer Configuration->Windows Settings->Security Settings->Network List Manager Policies:

  • <The domain name>
  • Unidentified Networks
  • Identified Networks
  • All Networks

Network Location Awareness (NLA) and how it relates to Windows Firewall Profiles

 

Proxy settings

 

1).  Set the proxy settings:

Config GPO Proxy Settings for IE 11

Now, it is necessary to use a new way to manage IE settings: Group Policy Preferences (GPP) or Internet Explorer Administration Kit 11 (IEAK 11). As claimed by Microsoft, it is more flexible and convenient. To configure IE 11 proxy settings via GPO, perform the following actions:

  1. Open Group Policy Management Console on a computer with Windows 8/10/Server 2012/R2 and create new (or edit existing) GPO. Expand the following section: User Configuration -> Preferences -> Control Panel Settings -> Internet Settings . Right click and select New-> Internet Explorer 10 (this policy will also be applied for the IE 11 and above).
    GPO Proxy Internet Explorer 11
  2. On the windows with the IE settings, go to the Connections tab and press LAN Settings button.
    GPO Proxy Settings IE 11
  3. Tick the checkbox “Use a proxy server for your LAN” and specify the Address and Port of your proxy server (for example 192.168.1.11, port 3128). To enable this option, press F5 button (underline for that setting will change the color from red to green). To disable setting press F7.
    GPO ie11 proxy
  4. If you need to specify the list of address exceptions, click Advanced. In the field Do not use proxy servers for addresses beginning with: specify the list of IP addresses or domains. For example: 192.*;*.theitbros.com
    ie11 gpo proxy settings
  5. Press OK twice to save settings.

Note. This rule only works for Internet Explorer 10 and Internet Explorer 11. For earlier versions you need to create separate rules.

It remains to assign a GPO to desired Active Directory organization unit, update group policy setting on a client computers (gpupdate /force) and check proxy settings in IE.

internet explorer 11 gpo proxy

Tip. To configure new IE policy from Windows Server 2008/R2, you need to download Administrative Templates for Internet Explorer  and copy files Inetres.admx and Inetres.adml to the folder %SYSTEMROOT%\PolicyDefinitions\.

Via Registry:

Configure IE proxy settings using the registry. Expand the GPP section User Configuration -> Preferences -> Registry and create 3 registry key in the following registry path:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings]:

  • ProxyEnable (REG_DWORD) = 00000001
  • ProxyServer(REG_SZ) = 192.168.10.11:8080
  • ProxyOverride (REG_SZ) = 192.*;*.theitbros.com

Make sure the order is :

1. ProxyEnable
2. ProxyServer
3. ProxyOverride

2). Then Prevent changing proxy settings

If you don’t want the user to change the Proxy setting, you can disable from changing the proxy setting.

Path: User configuration > Administrative Templates > windows components > Internet Explorer