Web Proxy Auto-Discovery (WPAD) 53

6

Click Reload.

7

Click OK.

 

 

Web Proxy

The Webcache and Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 (and later versions)

Auto-Discovery

support the Web Proxy Auto-Discovery (WPAD) protocol. This protocol

(WPAD)

enables the Web browser on client machines to automatically find and

 

load proxy configuration information (stored in a PAC file) from a server

 

on your network without user intervention.

 

You cannot set up the 3Com Webcache to be used as a WPAD server.

 

The Web Proxy Auto-Discovery (WPAD) protocol is not supported by

 

Netscape Navigator.

 

You can set up a WPAD server that holds a PAC file in a suitable domain

 

on your network. When Internet Explorer 5 is launched it searches for a

 

WPAD server. The Web browser adds the subdomain “wpad” to the

 

beginning of the fully-qualified domain name and progressively removes

 

subdomains until it either finds a WPAD server answering the domain

 

name or reaches the third-level domain. For example, Web browsers on

 

client machines in the a.b.3Com.com domain would query

 

wpad.a.b.3Com, wpad.b.3Com.com, and then wpad.3Com.com. If a

 

WPAD server is found, the Web browser downloads and executes the

 

PAC file and configures the browser settings.

 

You must define your network Domain Name System (DNS) server with

 

the appropriate use of domains in order to use a WPAD server. For further

 

information about the Domain Name System, see “Domain Name

 

System” on page 47.

 

When a Web browser on a client machine is configured to use a WPAD

 

server on your network, there may be a pause of several seconds when it

 

first tries to connect to the server. The delay is caused by the Web

 

browser connecting to your Domain Name System (DNS) server when it is

 

initially started. This is normal behavior. Once the Web browser has

 

accessed the WPAD server, subsequent browser requests will operate

 

without delays caused by WPAD.