Wireless network settings are generally global and applied to every user on a system – such is the case in Windows historically. Significant other A, child B, and guest C all share the same PC and therefor the same wireless networks, irregardless if you wished to have some access control and prevent network activity for one. With per-user wireless network definitions we can control which user gets access to which networks.

In actuality, per-user wireless network configuration does exist in Windows – at least if you have Windows 7. Unfortunately unless you have the initiate or gumption to click around within Network and Sharing Center you are unlikely to ever realize it’s existence. Once you know where to look, the use of the feature is actually quite simple. Who knew?

Under Control Panel locate and access the Windows Network and Sharing Center.

Under the left-hand navigation menu click on Manage wireless networks.

Now click on Profile types.

Here you can toggle between all-user or per-user profiles with respect to wireless networks.

With the brunt of the work completed there is one last step to complete. If you fully wish to transfer to per-user profiling then you need to remove all the existing wireless network definitions on the system – again under the Manage wireless networks dialog.

One final caveat – if you remove all the all-user profiles then the Windows 7 PC will not have a wireless network connection unless a user is currently logged into the computer!