Web Proxy Auto-Discovery (WPAD) 53
6 Click Reload.
7 Click OK.
Web Proxy
Auto-Discovery
(WPAD)
The Webcache and Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 (and later versions)
support the Web Proxy Auto-Discovery (WPAD) protocol. This protocol
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.
