In today's networked environments, configuring HTTP proxy settings is essential for managing and securing web traffic. For systems running on Windows, PowerShell offers a powerful way to automate these configurations using the Set-WinHttpProxy cmdlet. This article will guide you through the process of using Set-WinHttpProxy to set up and manage HTTP proxy settings in a Windows environment. We will provide practical examples to help you understand how to implement these configurations effectively.

Examples:

1. Setting a Simple HTTP Proxy: To configure a basic HTTP proxy, you can use the following PowerShell script:

   # Define the proxy server address and port
   $proxyServer = "proxy.example.com:8080"
   
   # Set the WinHTTP proxy
   Set-WinHttpProxy -ProxyServer $proxyServer

   This script sets the HTTP proxy to proxy.example.com on port 8080.

2. Setting a Proxy with Bypass List: If you need to bypass the proxy for certain addresses, you can specify a bypass list:

   # Define the proxy server address and port
   $proxyServer = "proxy.example.com:8080"
   
   # Define the bypass list (addresses that should not use the proxy)
   $bypassList = "localhost;*.example.com"
   
   # Set the WinHTTP proxy with a bypass list
   Set-WinHttpProxy -ProxyServer $proxyServer -ProxyBypass $bypassList

   This script configures the proxy server and specifies that traffic to localhost and any subdomains of example.com should bypass the proxy.

3. Clearing the Proxy Settings: To remove any previously set proxy configurations, you can clear the proxy settings:

   # Clear the WinHTTP proxy settings
   Set-WinHttpProxy -ProxyServer " "

   This script effectively removes any proxy settings by setting the proxy server to an empty string.

4. Viewing Current Proxy Settings: To check the current proxy settings, you can use the netsh command:

   # Display current WinHTTP proxy settings
   netsh winhttp show proxy

   This command will output the current proxy configuration, allowing you to verify your settings.