The Web Proxy Auto-Discovery Protocol (WPAD) network protocol is often enabled by Windows. It will enable customers to automatically receive instructions on how to set up a proxy server in a business environment or when to connect to a network. The problem is that if you always have WPAD enabled, connecting to untrusted WiFi networks can put you at risk because you won’t know their exact setup. Thus, you will discover what wpad.homegateway is and how to disable it in this article.
What is wpad.homegateway?
When you connect to an Internet network, your PC might automatically configure a proxy server on your system thanks to the network protocol known as WPAD (Web Proxy Auto-Discovery Protocol). All of this is due to the fact that WPAD allows the computer to download PAC files (Proxy Auto Config), which enable automated proxy configuration. A proxy server, which was initially developed for performance and is now used for security purposes, sits between the user’s computer and the point of connection.
When it’s important to connect to a trusted network, such as one at home, school, or the office, the WPAD function comes in very handy. Nevertheless, using this feature can be risky if you want to access a public WiFi network that has the potential to be infiltrated by someone looking to restrict internet traffic or set up malicious web pages to trick users and steal their personal information, including passwords and emails. So, the fact that WPAD is enabled in this instance poses a very serious security concern. Consequently, it is always preferable to entirely disable WPAD on your Windows 10 computer.
How to Disable wpad.homegateway
Follow the procedures listed below to address this problem if you wish to disable the WPAD feature in Windows 10:
- First, launch Internet Explorer 10 desktop version.
- After that, select Tools > Internet Options.
- Next, click on the Connections tab.
- Then press the LAN Settings button.
- Untick or uncheck the option related to Automatically detect settings .
- Click OK, and then exit the window.
- After that click on OK again to save the settings.
- Then exit the Internet Options window.
- Finally, restart your computer and this will solve the problem related to WPAD.
Or
- Open Microsoft Edge.
- Click on Settings.
- Under Settings, there is a Search bar, type proxy.
- On the right hand side, you will come across an option called Open your computer s proxy settings at the bottom of the screen.
- When you click on Open your computer s proxy settings , a new window will pop up.
- Here you just have to turn off the option of Automatically detect settings to disable WPAD.
The information about wpad.homegateway and how to disable it is complete. See our other articles solely on our website TechNClub.com if you’re looking for comparable guides: What is CTF Loader, How to solve High CPU Use, and How to Correct This File Does Not Have An App Connected With It For Doing This Activity.