The WinRM Client Cannot Process the Request

You may see the following error message when you try to connect to a remote PowerShell session:

Enter-PSSession : Connecting to remote server 172.31.24.221 failed with the
  following error message : The WinRM client cannot process the request.
  Default authentication may be used with an IP address under the following
  conditions: the transport is HTTPS or the destination is in the TrustedHosts
  list, and explicit credentials are provided.
  Use winrm.cmd to configure TrustedHosts. Note that computers in the TrustedHosts
  list might not be authenticated. For more information on how to set TrustedHosts
  run the following command: winrm help config.
  For more information, see the about_Remote_Troubleshooting Help topic.

This error message is thrown when you try to connect with an IP address instead of a hostname or FQDN:

Enter-PSSession 172.31.24.221

To use an IP address, you must either use WinRM over HTTPS or add the IP address to the TrustedHosts list on the target system.

These steps are mainly relevant when trying to connect from workgroup-based computers.

Within an Active Directory, WinRM will use Kerberos for authentication, and this requires you either use the hostname or the FQDN of the target system you’re connecting to, e.g.:

Enter-PSSession FILESRV03

By using a hostname or FQDN you’ll no longer receive the error message.

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If you’re specifically using remote PowerShell to trigger Azure AD synchronization, you should consider using Easy365Manager instead.

Easy365Manager is a lightweight snap-in for AD Users & Computers, that allows you to manage Office 365 mailboxes and licenses as part of your AD user management.

With Easy365Manager, you can trigger an Azure AD Connect synchronization directly from user properties:

Easy synchronization of Azure AD Connect is just one of many features available in Easy365Manager.

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