WebDAV Woes...

[mrforgetful]

When users try to connect to the Public area from home using WebDAV they receive the following error: The folder you entered does not appear to be valid error.

 

If they type the address into Internet Explorer they can browse the directories fine so the folder is correct.

 

I successfully did the connection from my home PC using a Pupil login.

 

The instructions I've given are for them to create a new place in My Network Places. I have told them to run the update from Microsoft (can't remember the KB article) but they are still having the same problems.

[Geoff]

Webfolders in XP are buggy. I've previously posted some work arounds to this problem elsewhere so I shall just link that discussion.

 

http://groups.google.co.uk/group/uk.education.schools-it/browse_thread/thread/45a51d84a82cae86/370c9a4c87caa677?lnk=gst&q=Geoffrey+King+Webdav&rnum=1#370c9a4c87caa677

[mrforgetful]

Thanks Geoff that's fine.

 

I have kinda come to that conclusion, which is naff

 

I'll check your link now.

[Geoff]

Check out the Netdrive option mentioned later in that thread. It's what we use.

[mrforgetful]

Man that was hard to track down! Just read that post and went to find it on Google, slippery little feller!

 

Will send it to my testing people and have them give it a go.

 

Cheers Geoff.

[mrforgetful]

Hmmm...trying it on this PC at work and it just crashes my PC everytime I tell it to connect the drive. Will look into it more tomorrow.

[Geoff]

Mirror here:

 

http://vle.carrhill.lancs.sch.uk/mirrors/netdrive.exe

[Ric_]

Is it merely XP SP2 that has buggy WebDAV support?

 

I have been thinking about setting this up... in fact I just have! I have published my server through ISA and can connect fine and do whatever I need... albeit using OS X on my iBook G4. I don't have a XP machine to hand to test it on.

 

Also... does anyone know what licensing is required to use WebDAV? I assume that each device that connects will require a Windows CAL since the general rule of thumb is that any device that uses authentication against a Windows server requires a device CAL.

[Geoff]

SP1 was buggy too. IE7 might of rectified the issue though. OTOH it could of made it worse.

 

No idea about the CAL's. Our webdav box is a Linux web server running Apache so it's not an issue we needed to look at.

[Ric_]

@Geoff: Was just thinking... if you host the WebDAV on a Linux box using winbind for authentication, each device still authenticates (all be it by proxy) with a Windows server. As a result, this would mean that each device needs a CAL (plus one for your Linux box!).

 

I know I'm being a bit pedantic. I just want to get this clear in my head... must phone up Ramesys to check.

[mrforgetful]

Had a reply from the first person to try the Netdrive software, goes something like: YES YES YES

 

Thanks Geoff.

[mrforgetful]

Ok been a long time but now I get the error I reported at first on Vista clients, it's been like this for ages now and only just getting roudn to looking at it.

 

Basically using netdrive isn't an option because it doesn't work with Vista, any ideas?

[Geoff]

WebDAV is fixed in Vista AFAIK. It's only XP that was hilariously broken.

[mrforgetful]

That's what I foudn originally.

 

Fought with XP for ages until this thread, netdrive and you fine people fixed my problems.

 

Then people slowly started using Vista and it worked fine.

 

Then it randomly started throwing up the same problem I had with XP (

[mrforgetful]

I remember now actually, I get that message with http, if I use https I get a box saying I need a certificate, but there is a certificate.

 

Annoying thing is it works fine in school if I use the exact same method so I can only try it at home.

[Geoff]

Is it a self signed certificate?

[mrforgetful]

It is indeed.

[Geoff]

That's why your https doesn't work.

[mrforgetful]

Really?

 

Do you think https is really even necessary then for this?

[Geoff]

You have an obligation to make sure sensitive information is protected when it leaves school. Thus you must use encryption for WebDAV.