WPAD : Automatic Internet Settings

Looks to deploy WPAD using DNS and NOT require TMG, that's simple lets get the prerequisites out the way first:

  1. To use WPAD using DNS method a DNS entry is needed for a host named WPAD. This name should be resolvable from the clients machine
  2. Web server must be configured to serve the WPAD file with a MIME type of “application/x-ns-proxy-autoconfig”
  3. A file named wpad.dat must be located in the WPAD Web server’s root directory.
  4. The host at the WPAD address must be able to serve a Web page.
Lets be clear that step 2 and 3 are REQUIRED

This means that if you server is called "webproxy" in the domain "unicorn.local" then you will need to be able to access the WPAD file using this link:

http://webproxy.unicorn.local/wpad.dat

You cannot get WPAD working like this, this is not the root directory of the web server:

http://webproxy.unicorn.local/proxy/wpad.dat

1) DNS Record

You require a DNS record called "wpad" now when you add this to Windows DNS you will notice that nothing happens and the record does not replicate.....so if you are using Windows DNS this is the run down you need to follow:

Check the status of the blocklist:


dnscmd /info /enableglobalqueryblocklist 

dnscmd /info /globalqueryblocklist 



Disable "global query block"

dnscmd /config /enableglobalqueryblocklist 0 
dnscmd /config /enableglobalqueryblocklist 0 

Allow WPAD to be replicated

dnscmd /config /globalqueryblocklist wpad



2) Add MIME Type is IIS (which I am using)

Now you need to load up IIS Manager, and at thre server level, double click MIME Types and then add this mapping:

Extension : .dat
Mime Type: application/x-ns-proxy-autoconfig

3) File location

Ensure this is at the root level on your IIS hosted directory, you cannot add folders to the path.

4) IE Settings

This is the simple one, all you need to do is set this:


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