Configure Internet Explorer Proxy Settings in Windows 8

In this Ask the Admin, I’ll show you how to configure proxy settings in the desktop and Modern UI versions of Internet Explorer (IE). A proxy server can be used to point a web browser to the address of a server that resides between the browser and the Internet. (Sometimes the proxy server is called an intermediary server.)

Most browsers handle proxy server settings automatically, but editing proxy server settings is something that system administrators may be required to do in order to point user web access to a proxy server.  Sometimes you need to manually set proxy settings so that you can connect to the Internet. In Windows 8, there are two ways to achieve this. In this article, I’ll show you how to achieve this using the Windows 8 Modern UI, and then via the traditional way that relies on use of the desktop Control Panel, and.

Set Windows 8 Proxy Settings using the Modern UI

To set proxy settings using the Modern UI, follow the instructions below. The proxy settings configured here will affect both Modern and desktop IE.

• Log in to Windows 8 and press WINDOWS + C to open the Charms Bar.
• On the Charms Bar, click Settings.
• At the bottom of the Settings panel, click Change PC settings.
• In the PC Settings app, click Network on the left.
• Now click Proxy.
• In the Manual proxy setup section, change Use a proxy server to ON using the slider.
• In the Address and Port boxes, add the address and port details for the proxy server that you want to use.
• If you want to exclude certain domains, add them to the box below the Address field.
• When you’re done, click Save.
• Close the PC Settings app.

Configure Windows 8 proxy settings in the Modern UI. (Image: Russell Smith)

Set Windows 8 Proxy Settings using the Desktop Control Panel

Here is how to modify the proxy settings using the desktop Control Panel.

• Right click the Start button in the bottom left corner of the desktop and select Control Panel from the menu.
• In the Control Panel window, type internet in the Search box in the top-right corner.
• Click Internet Options in the search results.
• In the Internet Properties applet, switch to the Connections tab.
• Under Local Area Network (LAN) settings, click LAN settings.
• In the Local Area Network (LAN) Settings dialog, check Use a proxy server for your LAN.
• Type the address and port of your proxy server in the relevant fields.
• If you want to add exceptions or configure different proxies for HTTPS, FTP or Socks, click Advanced and configure the additional settings as required.
• Click OK in all remaining dialogs to complete the procedure.

Configure Windows 8 proxy settings in the desktop Control Panel. (Image: Russell Smith)

For more information on proxy server settings and management, you can also find some good resources in the Petri IT Knowledgebase Microsoft networking services forum.