{ "id": "cef7c782-616b-4827-903a-0f75f637ac31", "created_at": "2026-04-06T00:18:08.406258Z", "updated_at": "2026-04-10T13:12:12.13348Z", "deleted_at": null, "sha1_hash": "2fce638c3020b1222f3508cc2101152104f14956", "title": "Configuring Wireless settings via Group Policy - TechRepublic", "llm_title": "", "authors": "", "file_creation_date": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "file_modification_date": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "file_size": 431110, "plain_text": "Configuring Wireless settings via Group Policy - TechRepublic\r\nBy derek schauland\r\nPublished: 2009-02-24 · Archived: 2026-04-05 17:14:36 UTC\r\nPublished February 24, 2009\r\nWe may earn from vendors via affiliate links or sponsorships. This might affect product placement on our site, but\r\nnot the content of our reviews. See our Terms of Use for details.\r\nWireless networks can be very convenient for businesses as they eliminate reliance on Ethernet cabling. Using\r\nActive Directory and Group Policy to configure and support Wireless in the enterprise can simplify the process\r\neven further.\r\nWireless networking in an office environment can supplement the Ethernet network in case of an outage or, in\r\nsome cases, replace it altogether. Using Wireless Access Points (WAPs) to connect remote users or desktop PCs\r\ncan be a very simple way to get everything up and running quickly. And leveraging the power and centralization\r\nof Active Directory when setting up your wireless infrastructure can save time for all parties involved.\r\nGetting started\r\nTo get the ball rolling, I suggest creating a new Group Policy Object (GPO) to configure for Wireless settings.\r\nThis will keep all the wireless settings contained so they can be enabled and disabled easily. Note: when\r\nperforming the steps needed to configure these settings, I will be using the Group Policy Management Console\r\n(GPMC) — available at Microsoft downloads.\r\nFollow these steps:\r\n1. Open the GPMC from the Administrative Tools menu.\r\n2. Expand the Forest node on the left pane of the console.\r\n3. Expand Domains and expand your domain.\r\n4. Locate the Organizational Unit (OU) where you wish to link the GPO.\r\n5. Right-click the OU and select Create and Link a GPO Here.\r\nNote: Once the GPO is added here, any objects that exist in this OU will have the policies defined by the linked\r\nGPOs applied to them.\r\nEnter a name for the GPO you are creating and click OK. Doing this will create the object and link to the OU. Be\r\nsure to use a descriptive name for the GPO to make future management a bit easier. Once the object is created,\r\nthere will be no settings defined within the object. Right-click the GPO and select edit to configure the settings\r\nyou need.\r\nMany, many settings for a GPO\r\nhttps://www.techrepublic.com/blog/data-center/configuring-wireless-settings-via-group-policy/\r\nPage 1 of 5\n\nWhen opening the GPO for editing, there will be many options available for configuration. To find the Wireless\r\nsettings, expand the computer configuration node, then expand Windows Settings and from there, Security\r\nSettings.\r\nListed under Security Settings you will see Wireless Network (IEEE 802.11) Policies. Click on this node to\r\ndisplay any existing configuration items.\r\nCreating a new Wireless Network Policy\r\nRight-click in the details pane on the right of the console with the Wireless Network Policies node highlighted and\r\nselect Create Wireless Network Policy, as shown in Figure A.\r\nFigure A\r\nThis will open the Wireless Network Policy Wizard. Click Next to bypass the welcome screen. On the next screen,\r\nenter a name for the Wireless Network Policy and a description, as in Figure B.\r\nFigure B\r\nhttps://www.techrepublic.com/blog/data-center/configuring-wireless-settings-via-group-policy/\r\nPage 2 of 5\n\nNote: Using a description can help you in the event that modifications are needed later.\r\nClicking Next in the dialog box will complete the wizard and display the Completing the Wireless Network Policy\r\nWizard dialog box. Leave the Edit properties box checked so that you can move right into creating the settings for\r\nthe policy, as shown in Figure C.\r\nFigure C\r\nhttps://www.techrepublic.com/blog/data-center/configuring-wireless-settings-via-group-policy/\r\nPage 3 of 5\n\nOn the properties sheet for the Wireless network policy, the general page displays the settings created by the\r\nwizard, the name and description, but also allows you to configure the following:\r\nCheck for Policy Changes Every x Minutes allows you to set the interval for checking for updates.\r\nNetworks to Access options:\r\nAny available network (access point preferred)\r\nAccess point (infrastructure) networks only\r\nComputer to computer (ad hoc) networks only\r\nUse Windows to Configure Wireless Network Settings for Clients allows Windows to manage the wireless\r\nsettings on client computers.\r\nAutomatically Connect to Non-Preferred Networks allows you to connect to networks that are not listed on\r\nthe preferred tab of the properties dialog box.\r\nThe Preferred Networks tab of the Wireless Network Policy Properties dialog (Figure D) allows configuration of\r\nthe preferred networks that clients should connect to.\r\nTo add a preferred network, complete the following steps:\r\n1. Click the Add button on the Preferred Networks tab.\r\n2. Enter the Network Name (SSID) for the preferred network.\r\n3. Enter a description of the network.\r\n4. Select the Network Authentication type for the network.\r\nYou can choose from the following network types:\r\nOpen: no authentication needed\r\nShared: authentication key shared automatically\r\nhttps://www.techrepublic.com/blog/data-center/configuring-wireless-settings-via-group-policy/\r\nPage 4 of 5\n\nWPA: Wi-fi Protected Access\r\nWPA-PSK: Wi-Fi Protected Access – Pre Shared Key\r\nSelect the data encryption type associated with the authentication method chosen that meets the needs of your\r\norganization. For Open and Shared authentication types, you can choose not to provide the key automatically.\r\nWith either WPA setting, this option is grayed out.\r\nSelect if this network is a computer-to-computer (ad hoc) network that does not use access points. If you do not\r\nneed to configure other settings, click OK to close the properties dialog box. After clicking OK and allowing\r\nGroup Policy to refresh in your Domain, any objects moved into the OU with this GPO linked and enabled will be\r\nconfigured to allow Wireless Network Policies to be used.\r\nShare Article\r\nderek schauland\r\nDerek is a seasoned cloud engineer with expertise in Azure and Google Cloud. He has held roles ranging from IT\r\nmanager in manufacturing to consultant, bringing a broad perspective to his work. Derek is the author of three\r\nbooks on Windows, PowerShell, and Azure certification and has contributed to publications like TechRepublic. A\r\nformer Microsoft MVP (2008–2018) in File System Storage and Cloud and Datacenter Management, he is\r\npassionate about sharing knowledge and advancing technology expertise.\r\nSource: https://www.techrepublic.com/blog/data-center/configuring-wireless-settings-via-group-policy/\r\nhttps://www.techrepublic.com/blog/data-center/configuring-wireless-settings-via-group-policy/\r\nPage 5 of 5", "extraction_quality": 1, "language": "EN", "sources": [ "MITRE" ], "origins": [ "web" ], "references": [ "https://www.techrepublic.com/blog/data-center/configuring-wireless-settings-via-group-policy/" ], "report_names": [ "configuring-wireless-settings-via-group-policy" ], "threat_actors": [], "ts_created_at": 1775434688, "ts_updated_at": 1775826732, "ts_creation_date": 0, "ts_modification_date": 0, "files": { "pdf": "https://archive.orkl.eu/2fce638c3020b1222f3508cc2101152104f14956.pdf", "text": "https://archive.orkl.eu/2fce638c3020b1222f3508cc2101152104f14956.txt", "img": "https://archive.orkl.eu/2fce638c3020b1222f3508cc2101152104f14956.jpg" } }