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How to Create Wi-Fi Profiles in Configuration Manager

 

Updated: May 14, 2015

Applies To: System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP2, System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager, System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager SP1

Note

The information in this topic applies only to System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager versions only.

Create Wi-Fi profiles in System Center 2012 Configuration Manager to deploy wireless network settings to devices in your organization. By deploying these settings, you minimize the effort that end users require to connect to the wireless network.

Steps to Create a Wi-Fi Profile

Use the following required steps to create a Wi-Fi profile by using the Create Wi-Fi Profile Wizard.

Step

Details

More information

Step 1: Start the Create Wi-Fi Profile Wizard

Start the wizard in the Assets and Compliance workspace in the Compliance Settings node.

See the Step 1: Start the Create Wi-Fi Profile Wizard section in this topic.

Step 2: Provide general information about the Wi-Fi profile

Provide a name and description for the Wi-Fi profile. You can also import an existing Wi-Fi profile from a file.

See the Step 2: Provide General Information about the Wi-Fi Profile section in this topic.

Step 3: Provide information about the wireless network

Configure information about the Wi-Fi network that users will connect to.

See the Step 3: Provide Information about the Wireless Network section in this topic.

Step 4: Configure security for the Wi-Fi profile

Configure the security type and settings for the Wi-Fi connection.

See the Step 4: Configure Security for the Wi-Fi Profile section in this topic.

Step 5: Configure advanced settings for the Wi-Fi profile

Configure advanced settings for the Wi-Fi connection, depending on the security type that you selected.

See the Step 5: Configure Advanced Settings for the Wi-Fi Profile section in this topic.

Step 6: Configure proxy settings for the Wi-Fi profile

Configure proxy settings if they are required for the Wi-Fi connection.

See the Step 6: Configure Proxy Settings for the Wi-Fi Profile section in this topic.

Step 7: Configure supported platforms for the Wi-Fi profile

Supported platforms are the operating systems where you will install the Wi-Fi profile.

See the Step 7: Configure Supported Platforms for the Wi-Fi Profile section in this topic.

Step 8: Complete the wizard

Complete the wizard to create the new Wi-Fi profile.

See the Step 8: Complete the Wizard section in this topic.

Supplemental Procedures to Create a New Wi-Fi Profile

Use the following information when the steps in the preceding table require supplemental procedures.

Step 1: Start the Create Wi-Fi Profile Wizard

Use this procedure to start the Create Wi-Fi Profile Wizard.

To start the Create Wi-Fi Profile Wizard

  1. In the Configuration Manager console, click Assets and Compliance.

  2. In the Assets and Compliance workspace, expand Compliance Settings, expand Company Resource Access, and then click Wi-Fi Profiles.

  3. On the Home tab, in the Create group, click Create Wi-Fi Profile.

Step 2: Provide General Information about the Wi-Fi Profile

Use this procedure to provide general information about the Wi-Fi profile.

To provide general information about the Wi-Fi profile

  • On the General page of the Create Wi-Fi Profile Wizard, specify the following information:

    • Name: Enter a unique name for the Wi-Fi profile. You can use a maximum of 256 characters.

    • Description: Provide a description that gives an overview of the Wi-Fi profile and other relevant information that helps to identify it in the Configuration Manager console. You can use a maximum of 256 characters.

    • Import an existing Wi-Fi profile item from a file: When you select this option, the Import Wi-Fi Profile page appears. On this page, you can import Wi-Fi profile information that was previously exported to a file (Windows 8.1–based devices only).

      Important

      Ensure that the Wi-Fi profile you import contains valid XML for a Wi-Fi profile. Configuration Manager does not validate the profile when you import the file.

    • Noncompliance severity for reports: Specify the severity level that is reported if the Wi-Fi profile is found to be noncompliant on client devices (for example, if the installation of the profile fails). The available severity levels are as follows:

      • None: Computers that fail this compliance rule do not report a failure severity for Configuration Manager reports.

      • Information: Computers that fail this compliance rule report a failure severity of Information for Configuration Manager reports.

      • Warning: Computers that fail this compliance rule report a failure severity of Warning for Configuration Manager reports.

      • Critical: Computers that fail this compliance rule report a failure severity of Critical for Configuration Manager reports.

      • Critical with event: Computers that fail this compliance rule report a failure severity of Critical for Configuration Manager reports. This severity level is also logged as a Windows event in the application event log.

Step 3: Provide Information about the Wireless Network

Use this procedure to provide general information about the Wi-Fi network that you want devices to connect to.

To provide information about the wireless network

  • On the Wi-Fi Profile page of the Create Wi-Fi Profile Wizard, specify the following information:

    • Network Name: Specify a descriptive name for the wireless Internet connection by using a maximum of 32 characters. This is the name that devices will display as the network name.

      Important

      Configuration Manager does not support using the apostrophe (‘) or comma (,) characters in the network name.

    • SSID: Specify the name (SSID), of the wireless network that you want devices to be able to connect to. You can use a maximum of 32 characters. The SSID name is case-sensitive, so be sure to enter it exactly as it is configured.

    • Connect automatically when this network is in range: Select this option to allow devices to automatically reconnect to the wireless network when it is in range.

    • Look for other wireless networks while connected to this network: Select this option to allow devices to continue to scan for other wireless networks when they are connected to this network.

    • Connect when the network is not broadcasting its name (SSID): Select this option to allow devices to connect to the network when it is not visible in the list of networks (because it is hidden and not broadcasting its name).

Step 4: Configure Security for the Wi-Fi Profile

Use this procedure to configure security settings for the Wi-Fi profile.

To configure security for the Wi-Fi profile

  1. On the Security Configuration page of the Create Wi-Fi Profile Wizard, specify the following information:

    Note

    Depending on the security, encryption, and Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) settings that you select, some items on this page of the wizard might not be available.

    - **Security type**: Select the security protocol that the wireless network uses, or select **No authentication (Open)** if the network is unsecured.

  <div class="alert">


  > [!IMPORTANT]
  > <P>Wi-Fi profiles that use a security type of <STRONG>WPA – Personal</STRONG>, <STRONG>WPA2 – Personal</STRONG> and <STRONG>WEP</STRONG> are not supported by Android devices.</P>


  </div>

- **Encryption**: Select the encryption method that the wireless network uses.

- **EAP type**: Select the EAP type that is used to authenticate with the wireless network.

  <div class="alert">


  > [!IMPORTANT]
  > <P>The EAP types <STRONG>LEAP</STRONG> and <STRONG>EAP-FAST</STRONG> are not supported by devices that run Windows Phone.</P>


  </div>

- **Configure**: Click to configure further properties for the selected EAP type. This option might not be available for some selected EAP types.

  <div class="alert">


  > [!IMPORTANT]
  > <P>When you click <STRONG>Configure</STRONG>, the dialog box that opens is a Windows dialog box. Because of this, you must ensure that the operating system of the computer that runs the Configuration Manager console supports configuring the selected EAP type.</P>
  > <P>For iOS devices, if you chose a non-EAP method for authentication, regardless of the method you choose, MS-CHAP v2 will be used for the connection.</P>


  </div>

- **Remember the user credentials at each logon**: Select this option to ensure that the user credentials are stored so that the user does not have to enter credentials at each logon.

  2. For iOS devices only: Configure information for any certificates that are required for the Wi-Fi connection. You must configure the client certificate and either the trusted server certificate name or the root certificate, as follows:

    - **Trusted server certificate names**: If the server that the device connects to uses a server authentication certificate to identify the server and help secure the communication channel, enter the name or names in that certificate’s subject name or subject alternative name. The name or names are typically the fully qualified domain name of the server. For example, if the server certificate has a common name of srv1.contoso.com in the certificate subject, enter **srv1.contoso.com**. If the server certificate has multiple names that are specified in the subject alternative name, enter each name, separated by a semicolon.

- **Select root certificates for server validation**: If the server that the device connects to uses a server authentication certificate that the device does not trust, select the certificate profile that contains the root certificate for the server certificate, to create a certificate chain of trust on the device.

- **Select a client certificate for client authentication**: If the server or network device requires a client certificate to authenticate the connecting device, select the certificate profile that contains the client authentication certificate.

    Note

    Before you can select the root certificate and client certificate, you must first configure and deploy them as a certificate profile. For more information about certificate profiles, see Certificate Profiles in Configuration Manager.

Tip

If the client certificate that you select for EAP or client authentication for an iOS device will be used to authenticate to a Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS) server, such as a server that is running Network Policy Server, you must set the Subject Alternative Name to the User Principal Name.

Step 5: Configure Advanced Settings for the Wi-Fi Profile

Use this procedure to provide advanced settings for the Wi-Fi profile.

To configure advanced settings for the Wi-Fi profile

  • On the Advanced Settings page of the Create Wi-Fi Profile Wizard, specify advanced settings for the Wi-Fi profile such as the authentication mode, single sign-on options, and Federal Information Processing Standards compliance. For more information about these options, see your Windows documentation.

    Note

    Advanced settings might not be available, or might vary, depending on the options that you selected on the Security Configuration page of the wizard.

Step 6: Configure Proxy Settings for the Wi-Fi Profile

Use this procedure to provide optional proxy settings for the Wi-Fi profile.

To configure proxy settings for the Wi-Fi profile

  1. On the Proxy Settings page of the Create Wi-Fi Profile Wizard, select the Configure proxy settings for this Wi-Fi profile check box if your wireless network uses a proxy server.

  2. Specify details about your proxy server and its settings. For more information, see your Windows Server documentation.

Step 7: Configure Supported Platforms for the Wi-Fi Profile

Use the following procedure to specify the operating systems where you will install the Wi-Fi profile.

To specify supported platforms for the Wi-Fi profile

  • On the Supported Platforms page of the Create Wi-Fi Profile Wizard, select the operating systems where you want to install the Wi-Fi profile. Alternatively, click Select all to install the Wi-Fi profile to all available operating systems.

Step 8: Complete the Wizard

On the Summary page of the Wizard, review the actions that the wizard will take, and then complete the wizard. The new Wi-Fi profile appears in the Wi-Fi Profiles node in the Assets and Compliance workspace.

For information about how to deploy the Wi-Fi profile, see How to Deploy Wi-Fi Profiles in Configuration Manager.