SSL by proxy problems (Network Solutions)


Hosts that insist on SSL by proxy, such as Network Solutions), will cause problems with WordPress and WooCommerce because they prevent PHP and the WordPress is_ssl() function from detecting if the page is being served over HTTPS. This causes a redirect loop.

In Network Solutions’ own words:

Network Solutions® uses a proxy SSL; this does not allow the use of server-side variables to detect HTTPS (secure).  All server-side coding will always detect HTTP (non-secure), and for programs that attempt to redirect non-secure connections (http://) to a secure connection (https://) will result in an infinite loop and server error after 30 seconds.

Network Solutions have been aware of this limitation since 2007, so don’t expect a  change in policy anytime soon.

There is no workaround within PHP (http://stackoverflow.com/questions/4686668/https-redirect-for-network-solutions). The only workaround is:

  1. Turn off the Force SSL settings within WooCommerce
  2. Use Javascript to redirect to SSL
Network Solutions’ own solution is JavaScript:
<script language="javascript">
if (document.location.protocol != "https:")
{
document.location.href = "https://subdomain.yourdomain.com" + document.location.pathname;
};
</script>

Please note that we cannot officially support this non-standard setup.


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