How Windows Actually Discovers LAN Settings (Proxies) When Using Automatic Configuration

Question

If the properties of the Windows Internet network → “Connections” - “Local network settings” → “Automatic configuration” are set to “Automatically detect settings”, how does Windows actually detect / detect settings? Is it a network broadcast or some kind of target request to a server configured somewhere in the registry, or something else?

Answer 1

Simple: browsers (Firefox works the same) GET http://wpad/wpad.dat request GET http://wpad/wpad.dat .

If the web server named wpad is resolvable, it should use the wpad.dat, script file, an analogue of netscape PAC files. The MIME type should also be "application / x-ns-proxy-autoconfig".

Answer 2

This info about WPAD (Auto Proxy Auto Discovery) seems to describe the process in detail, although I have confirmed that Tomalak says it is also in fact.

Answer 3

This is a network that usually uses DHCP .

That there the wikipedia page should tell you everything you need to know.

Answer 4

The described IE configuration allows you to implement WPAD. Here Microsoft explains the whole mechanism (maybe too many details for one message).

Answer 5

Its DHCP;)

In modern systems, DHCP does all of this.

Answer 6

• Go to "Tools"> "Options"> "General"> "Connection Settings"> • Set "Manual proxy settings"