How you get your Windows 10/11 device connected to Wi-Fi has changed since Windows 8. If you’re managing your devices through Microsoft Intune, make sure that you have your Wi-Fi settings set up correctly so that your users can connect quickly and securely whenever they need to go online. Here’s how to do it right! Get Your Windows 8 Device Connected with the Right Wi-Fi Settings
Step 1: Give users access to their wireless networks
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To access a wireless network, your users must have a profile that has access to it. Use any of these procedures to provide your users access to their wireless networks. You can also use them to give your users access to any networks that they add later: To set up or edit a user profile, create and assign it. To enable direct assignment of profiles and devices, you may want to import profiles from an LDAP directory service (for example, Active Directory) into Intune. For details about how to do so, see Set up LDAP synchronization for Microsoft Intune clients and Prepare for device enrollment.
Step 2: Configure primary connection types
Open Settings and then click Network & Internet. In Network & Internet, click Wi-Fi. On your keyboard, press and hold or right-click Networks > Advanced options > Primary connection type. In Advanced options, select a connection type to use on all networks as your primary connection (recommended), then select Save.
Step 3: Configure additional connection options
In some cases, you’ll need to connect your Windows 10/11 device to your organization’s network. For example, if your work or school network requires a proxy server for Internet access, you’ll need to configure those settings on each device. The easiest way to do that is in Microsoft Intune. In Microsoft Intune, go to Configuration > Platform and update policies > WiFi and Mobile > Additional connection options. Select Choose additional connection options and then select Next.
Step 4: Publish these profiles through group policy
Go to your Azure Active Directory > Select Azure AD under Enterprise Applications > Right click on Configuration and select New and choose Group Policy Object. Name it as you like, I usually name them after where they will apply (domain or OU). Go to Group Policy Management and select your GPO for editing. Once it opens in the MMC Editor, right click on User Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates. Now drill down to Preferences -> Control Panel Settings and double click on Desktop Icon Settings. Set both options to Disabled (or not configured) as shown in image below: Do a gpupdate /force on all devices!
Step 5: Expose SSIDs via NetBIOS broadcast
Since almost every enterprise controls its wireless access points, it’s not a big deal to allow users to roam freely without having to configure their PC. There are two ways to broadcast SSIDs via NetBIOS: ScopeId and Free Busy Information. Both can be configured in Group Policy Preferences under Computer Configuration > Preferences > Control Panel Settings > Network List Manager Policies. Allow SSID broadcasts by enabling Specify client TCP/IP properties. Free Busy Information broadcasts at regular intervals whether or not an IP connection is active on your device, so there’s a small hit on battery life for mobile devices if you enable that option. When enabled, clients will send updates about SSIDs they’re connected to; when disabled, only those currently connected to an SSID will be sent.
Step 6a: Set a profile as default on every WiFi capable computer or device your user has (Windows 7 or later)
1. In Microsoft Intune, select your device settings. 2. Next to Profile assignment, click Edit. 3. Choose one of your existing profiles and click Set as default or Select All and choose a new profile and click Set as default. 4. Click OK in each screen when done then close Intune Center at right side of page if still open
Step 6b. Set up distribution points if needed.
If you are implementing Intune for Windows 10 or mobile device management (MDM) for Android, then you need to do some additional configuration before distributing your organization’s apps. If you don’t distribute Microsoft Store apps, skip these steps. If a user tries to download an app that requires configuration on their PC by using Configuration Manager, they will be prompted to run System Center Configuration Manager Setup. After setting up SCCM and it is ready to deploy packages to users, create a device collection in Intune and add those devices (or groups of devices). In Intune choose Configure > Distribution Points > Add New… In Configure Apps , choose All Users and apply it to your newly created collection.
Step 7. Ensure users are configured correctly for unsupported Windows versions.
It’s a known issue that if a user manually edits their Wi-Fi settings on a Windows 10 device, it can cause connectivity issues to some corporate networks. If you use Microsoft Intune and manage devices running unsupported versions of Windows, be sure to configure your VPN profile on your network settings page. When you connect, users will be prompted to select an appropriate certificate. This provides configuration options for noncompliant clients running old operating systems.
Where can I see what devices are connected to my Wi-Fi?
You can see all of your connected devices by going to Settings > Network & Internet. Then click on Wi-Fi. You will see a screen like below
How do I prioritize my Wi-Fi to a specific device?
You can prioritize your Wi-Fi connection so that you are always connected to your own device. This is useful if you use an app like Remote Desktop, which requires a constant connection from anywhere in your home or office. To do so, open up a command prompt and type: netsh interface set service type=Personal priority=4 Start interface=Wi-Fi 3′′ Where Wi-Fi 3 is replaced by whatever network you want to prioritize.
How do I connect my Windows 8 computer to Wi-Fi?
The quickest way to connect your computer to a wireless network is by using an active (broadcasting) SSID. If you don’t know how to find or create an SSID, see Create a Wireless Network in Set up networks and devices on your PC in Windows 10 . If you’re having trouble connecting or want more help, read I can’t connect to my wireless network. Also, see Troubleshoot problems when connecting to a public or private Wi-Fi network.
Why does my computer not connect to Wi-Fi but other devices will?
If you’re using a device running on Microsoft Windows 8 and it connects to your office network, but not to your home network, you’re probably using EAP-TLS. This is a new authentication method used by a few companies to get extra security for their data. When EAP-TLS was being designed, no one thought of how it would be used at home! Microsoft is working on better support for EAP-TLS at home so that you can use Wi-Fi everywhere.
How do I identify an unknown device on my network?
Use Network and Sharing Center (on your desktop) to identify computers by name, IP address, or MAC address. This is a quick way to see what machines are on your network, especially if you have multiple computers at home. From there, you can launch other tools that give you more in-depth information about devices connected to your network. If you only have one computer at home, use Windows Explorer (File Explorer in Windows 10) or another file browser of your choice.
How do you find out if someone is piggybacking on your WiFi?
By far, one of the most common issues I hear from employees is that there’s someone on my network. Maybe you have a roomate or a family member who is piggybacking (using your internet connection without your permission), but it could also be a business associate, a neighbor, or even an employee stealing your internet.