iOS 4.2.1, Proxy settings and Internet-based apps...help?

[Daedroth]

Hello!

I have an iPod Touch (2nd or 3rd gen), with iOS 4.2.1. I have various apps which use the Internet, including a radio app (Kerrang Radio) and the Draw Something.

All the apps work correctly at home, but neither work within work.

Both work and home use WiFi, and the only difference is that home doesn't use a proxy, whereas work does.

I have entered the manual proxy settings within the WiFi settings (correctly), and Safari can browse the Internet fine. However none of my Internet-based apps work, as they just can't access the Internet.

I'm wondering whether the problem is because the Internet filtering system we use requires authentication (which I have entered, and clearly works as Safari works).

Anyone got any ideas?

[CPressland]

Chances are that your Enterprise Proxy Server is filtering SSL Communication and breaking the Third-Party apps. Proxy Settings are handled on a System Level when you apply them in WiFi Settings so all of your apps are being directed through the correct Server, but the Proxy is dropping the connections.

[Daedroth]

I'm a technician, and my account is unfiltered through the proxy, which includes SSL sites.

[CPressland]

Sometimes the Proxy will filter out a cert or something similar, or anything running on non-standard ports.

[Daedroth]

Hm, if I browse the records of our filtering system, it shows me connecting to bbc.co.uk on the device name, and user account used.

However if I try and load an Internet app, it gets no requests at all. (It shows passed/blocked/dropped requests)

Which makes me think it isn't even getting to our filtering system, which makes me think the apps don't know to use the proxy. Potentially meaning the problem is with the iPod itself.

[CPressland]

Hmm, something should show in the Logs. If you connect the Device to your Laptop and have iPhone Configuration Utility installed, what comes up in the Console Log?

[Daedroth]

I haven't used this tool before. How do I get the console log up? (on the Windows version)

[CPressland]

Should just be able to Select the iOS Device from the Sidebar under 'Devices' and you should have logging functionality listed inside there.

[Daedroth]

}
Tue Apr 10 11:40:34 unknown kerrangradio[111] <Warning>: AdUpdate: Unresolved error Error Domain=NSURLErrorDomain Code=-1012 "The operation couldnt be completed. (NSURLErrorDomain error -1012.)" UserInfo=0x2a97f0 {NSErrorFailingURLKey=http://mobile.bauerweb.co.uk/iphone/resized_content.php?station=kerrang, NSErrorFailingURLStringKey=http://mobile.bauerweb.co.uk/iphone/resized_content.php?station=kerrang, NSUnderlyingError=0x2df230 "The operation couldnt be completed. (kCFErrorDomainCFNetwork error -1012.)"}, {
NSErrorFailingURLKey = "http://mobile.bauerweb.co.uk/iphone/resized_content.php?station=kerrang";
NSErrorFailingURLStringKey = "http://mobile.bauerweb.co.uk/iphone/resized_content.php?station=kerrang";
NSUnderlyingError = "Error Domain=kCFErrorDomainCFNetwork Code=-1012 \"The operation couldn\U2019t be completed. (kCFErrorDomainCFNetwork error -1012.)\" UserInfo=0x2b9a90 {}";
}[/CODE]

That's just a snippet for an advert trying to load within the app.

[CPressland]

Looks to be DNS Related.

[Daedroth]

But if that was the case, wouldn't Safari not work?

[CPressland]

I'm not sure why Safari is working..... hmm.... does a Third Party Web Browser like Opera work? (Just thinking that runs on Port 80)

[Daedroth]

Our proxy goes out on 8080, which I've configured in the settings.

Opera doesn't appear to be working either.

[Daedroth]

Can anyone else offer any advice?

[g0dzilla]

Safari, being a default Apple iOS app, is probably working because it is using the manual proxy settings that you configured in Settings for the Wi-Fi network - which I guess would apply to all System applications native to iOS.

However, with the other apps that you have installed being of a Third-party kind e.g. games like Draw Something, are most likely not coded to connect to the Internet via a proxy server (which you mentioned I believe) and is instead trying to connect 'directly' to the Internet. The same can be said for some Windows based business applications whereby there is no option to configure to tell the application to connect to the Internet via a proxy.

I may be wrong, but these are just some of my thoughts...

[alain82]

i'm having the exact same problem.

safari and native iOS apps can connect to the internet thru the proxy settings, while all other third party apps (like whatsapp messenger) cannot connect.

i have tried to e-mail the whatsapp support team, maybe the issue comes from the 3rd party app not knowing how to use the proxy...

i am still waiting for their reply.

[alain82]

updates: i got a reply from whatsapp support team saying "Unfortunately we do not provide support for proxy configuration"

well i guess it's up to each app developper to make use or not of the wifi's proxy settings...

[alain82]

maybe this has been solved with the new functionality of iOS6 called "global http proxy"??

has anyone tried it?

personally i will not update to iOS6 unless there's a useful enhancement, like this one for example (i hope so!)

please let us know if any has updated his OS.

cheers