RE: Proxy rewrite problems

["Gimon, Charles A" <CAGimon@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Here a really brief summary of what we've experienced:

The old method doesn't work for people who:

1. have a bad browser (specifically, broken or missing proxy support)
2. have firewall issues (need to use a different proxy server to get past
their institutional firewall, port 8080 is blocked on the firewall, etc.)

The new method doesn't work for people who:

3. have an ISP whose DNS server doesn't support DNS wildcarding properly
(e.g.: *.example.com, or more to the point, *.youropac.yourlibrary.org)

Note that 1. and 3. can both apply to hapless AOL users.

Note that NONE of those are the fault of the proxy server itself. All of
those deal with situations outside the III server and ultimately, outside
our control. 

In our testing, AOL 8 users still had to download and install a separate
copy of Internet Explorer to be able to use the proxy server with the
original method, and were completely unable to use the proxy rewrite method.
The fault there lies, again, with AOL.

My personal take is that the proxy rewrite method works very nicely for the
great majority of users.

--Charles Gimon
  Web Coordinator
  Minneapolis Public Library




> -----Original Message-----
> From: Travis Spence [mailto:Travis.Spence@xxxxxxxxxx] 
> Sent: Thursday, July 31, 2003 5:15 PM
> To: innopac@xxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Proxy rewrite problems
> 
> 
> All,
> 
> I was wondering if anyone who has been using the proxy rewrite method 
> for a while has compiled a list of problem issues?
> 
> We are about to change over from having our patrons configuring their 
> browsers to the rewrite method.  We'd like to present the public 
> services staff with a list of things to be aware of.  The 
> "Known Issues" 
> report at CSDirect doesn't appear to be particularly 
> substantial in this 
> case.
> 
> For example, it says:
> "After phase 2 upgrade, some DSL and shared cable modem users 
> have been 
> unable to use any of the proxied databases. The patron authentication 
> page simply refreshes."
> 
> Does this refer to the old method or the rewrite method?
> 
> Also, does the rewrite method work for AOL subscribers 
> without requiring 
> the the use a separate browser?
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> -- 
> 
> Travis Spence
> Library Services Specialist
> Pima Community College
> Tucson, AZ
> 
> --
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