Proxy PAC query

[snagrat]

If you specific a PAC file for the proxy and that pac file isn’t reachable, what happens?

 

Does the internet just not work or does it just send data direct.

 

We are looking at PAC files and are hoping to set them on teacher laptops but wondered what would happen when they go home.

[fiza]

If you specific a PAC file for the proxy and that pac file isn’t reachable, what happens?

 

Does the internet just not work or does it just send data direct.

 

We are looking at PAC files and are hoping to set them on teacher laptops but wondered what would happen when they go home.

 

The pac file should have a line in it that looks for the proxy server, if it cant find it then goes direct to the net. Obviously this would not work in school but would at home.

[LeMarchand]

If you specific a PAC file for the proxy and that pac file isn’t reachable, what happens?

 

Does the internet just not work or does it just send data direct.

 

We are looking at PAC files and are hoping to set them on teacher laptops but wondered what would happen when they go home.

 

Should just go direct. I used to have a line to check if the machine was on the school network, but as the pac now has to be hosted rather than local it's likely that your users will not be able to reach the pac from home. Our main pac is hosted by the LEA, not reachable outside their network, and doesn't contain anything to say "if you can't get to the pac, use direct" and everyone can use their own internet at home.

 

Simple enough to test, though!

[grant_girdwood]

If you specific a PAC file for the proxy and that pac file isn’t reachable, what happens?

 

Does the internet just not work or does it just send data direct.

 

We are looking at PAC files and are hoping to set them on teacher laptops but wondered what would happen when they go home.

 

If they have downloaded the PAC file on-network, it should cache the file locally, but this can depend on the settings on the local machine.

 

You'll be able to craft your PAC file with the desired behaviour if your proxy is not reachable from their network location.

[sparkeh]

If you have the “auto detect settings” box ticked in internet settings, then they’ll pick up the pac in school and go direct at home.

[snagrat]

If you have the “auto detect settings” box ticked in internet settings, then they’ll pick up the pac in school and go direct at home.

 

That’s only if I configure WPAD as well though is t it?

[mjk]

That’s only if I configure WPAD as well though is t it?

 

yes, but wpad is just a dns link to the pac file so it's really simple to do.

The other way of looking at it is having the pac file globally accessible and put in some javascript that says if they are on a home network ip range do direct, and if they are on a school range use these proxy servers.

[snagrat]

I probably will do wpad as well then if it’s that easy.

 

I did think of the pac being hosted externally and always available. This is for multiple sites so could very easily create rules based on IP range

[sparkeh]

That’s only if I configure WPAD as well though is t it?

yeah shouldn’t post before my brain wakes up

 

However configuring wpad is easy solves the problem. At school the client finds the wpad.dat and uses it, at home it doesn’t and goes direct.