Web Browsers unable to detect wpad.dat

[Prometheus_3]

I recently updated our internet filter software at our college. We use Diladele Web Safety to filter our internet traffic. This is run on our proxy server running Ubuntu 14.04 LTS, Apache2, Squid and Django. During the installation I made the mistake of reinstalling Apache2 and Django.

 

Since then none of our workstations or laptops download wpad.dat when they open their web browsers.

 

If I type http://wpad/wpad.dat in the web browser, it can download the wpad file. When the browser is set to automatically detect settings it doesnt work. If I manually enter the proxy settings into the browser it works fine. Unfortunately I cant do this with our laptops since the teachers and students take them home.

 

wpad.dat and proxy.pac are stored in /var/www/html on the proxy server.

 

Any help would be very appreciated.

 

Kind Regards,

 

Luke

[grant_girdwood]

I recently updated our internet filter software at our college. We use Diladele Web Safety to filter our internet traffic. This is run on our proxy server running Ubuntu 14.04 LTS, Apache2, Squid and Django. During the installation I made the mistake of reinstalling Apache2 and Django.

 

Since then none of our workstations or laptops download wpad.dat when they open their web browsers.

 

If I type http://wpad/wpad.dat in the web browser, it can download the wpad file. When the browser is set to automatically detect settings it doesnt work. If I manually enter the proxy settings into the browser it works fine. Unfortunately I cant do this with our laptops since the teachers and students take them home.

 

wpad.dat and proxy.pac are stored in /var/www/html on the proxy server.

 

Any help would be very appreciated.

 

Kind Regards,

 

Luke

 

Hey Luke,

 

If you can download the wpad.dat file from the server then it is unlikely the server is the issue, how are you automatically deploying the wpad file? DNS or DHCP?

 

If DNS have you ensured that wpad is removed from the microsoft DNS blacklist?

If DHCP are you aware that not all browsers support this?

 

You should also try setting the auto-configuration URL on a machine that has the problem to be http://wpad/wpad.dat, uncheck the automatically detect settings and give it a test so you can make sure that by manually setting the WPAD file in the browser that it will work.

 

Cheers,

Grant

[Prometheus_3]

Hello,

 

I use option 252 in DHCP. It is currently set to http://wpad.domain.com/wpad.dat (I substituted .domain.com with the FQDN of the proxy server for the forum)

 

DNS is configured as well. wpad was removed from the blacklist on the dns servers when they were first configured. If I ping wpad, it responds with proxy servers IP Address.

 

When I configure the web browser settings and specify the proxy server manually it works fine.

 

Kind Regards,

 

Luke

[grant_girdwood]

Hello,

 

I use option 252 in DHCP. It is currently set to http://wpad.domain.com/wpad.dat (I substituted .domain.com with the FQDN of the proxy server for the forum)

 

DNS is configured as well. wpad was removed from the blacklist on the dns servers when they were first configured. If I ping wpad, it responds with proxy servers IP Address.

 

When I configure the web browser settings and specify the proxy server manually it works fine.

 

Kind Regards,

 

Luke

 

What happens if you have your proxy settings configured like this (as a test)?

 

http://i.imgur.com/v24rM3Z.png

[DMcCoy]

After reinstalling apache did you add the mime type back for wpad.dat?

[Prometheus_3]

When I add http://wpad/wpad.dat in the proxy settings in IE it doesnt work.

 

I believe I added the MIME type in Apache after the reinstallation. Would you mind posting the instructions for me to make sure I did it correctly?

[DMcCoy]

Setting up Automatic Proxy Configuration (PAC) file | Open Source Open Standard got the apache bits in here.

 

If mime type is ok, but it doesn't work even when specified directly as the config file, there is probably an error in the wpad file. browsers won't complain if it's broken, they just won't use it.

[Prometheus_3]

Thank you for all of your help. I found that the issue was caused by hidden characters in the wpad.dat and proxy.pac files on two lines.

 

Once I removed the hidden characters in Dreamweaver it all started working again.