Minimize the number of simultaneous connections to the Internet or a Windows Domain
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Network\Windows Connection Manager Description
This policy setting determines if a computer can have multiple connections to the internet or to a Windows domain. If multiple connections are allowed, it then determines how network traffic will be routed. If this policy setting is set to 0, a computer can have simultaneous connections to the internet, to a Windows domain, or to both. Internet traffic can be routed over any connection - including a cellular connection and any metered network. This was previously the Disabled state for this policy setting. This option was first available in Windows 8. If this policy setting is set to 1, any new automatic internet connection is blocked when the computer has at least one active internet connection to a preferred type of network. Here's the order of preference (from most preferred to least preferred): Ethernet, WLAN, then cellular. Ethernet is always preferred when connected. Users can still manually connect to any network. This was previously the Enabled state for this policy setting. This option was first available in Windows 8. If this policy setting is set to 2, the behavior is similar to 1. However, if a cellular data connection is available, it will always stay connected for services that require a cellular connection. When the user is connected to a WLAN or Ethernet connection, no internet traffic will be routed over the cellular connection. This option was first available in Windows 10 (Version 1703). If this policy setting is set to 3, the behavior is similar to 2. However, if there's an Ethernet connection, Windows won't allow users to connect to a WLAN manually. A WLAN can only be connected (automatically or manually) when there's no Ethernet connection. This policy setting is related to the "Enable Windows to soft-disconnect a computer from a network" policy setting.
Registry
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WcmSvc\GroupPolicy MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_WCM/WCM_MinimizeConnections Microsoft Learn documentation Mapping data: Microsoft Learn (CC BY 4.0)
Export Builder
BETAConfigure the state, scope and options, then generate .reg, PowerShell, Intune and SCCM outputs — or add the setting to a multi-setting collection.
These exports write the registry — this is not a managed GPO. ⓘ
.reg file
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Exported from gporais.com
; Policy: Minimize the number of simultaneous connections to the Internet or a Windows Domain
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WcmSvc\GroupPolicy]
"fMinimizeConnections"=dword:00000002More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Minimize the number of simultaneous connections to the Internet or a Windows Domain
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WcmSvc\GroupPolicy'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'fMinimizeConnections' -Value 2 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_WCM/WCM_MinimizeConnections
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>
<data id="WCM_MinimizeConnections_Options" value="2"/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Minimize the number of simultaneous connections to the Internet or a Windows Domain
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WcmSvc\GroupPolicy' -Name 'fMinimizeConnections' -Expected 2 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Minimize the number of simultaneous connections to the Internet or a Windows Domain
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WcmSvc\GroupPolicy'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'fMinimizeConnections' -Value 2 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Minimize the number of simultaneous connections to the Internet or a Windows Domain
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
# SCCM Configuration Item guidance:
# Create a Configuration Item of type "Setting: Script".
# Discovery script: use the Detection script below.
# Remediation script: use the Remediation script below.
# Compliance rule: the Discovery script output equals 'Compliant'.
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Minimize the number of simultaneous connections to the Internet or a Windows Domain
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WcmSvc\GroupPolicy' -Name 'fMinimizeConnections' -Expected 2 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Minimize the number of simultaneous connections to the Internet or a Windows Domain
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WcmSvc\GroupPolicy'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'fMinimizeConnections' -Value 2 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.