Using HTTP_REFERER is unreliable since it's client dependent, nothing to do with the webserver you're using, the web browser sends that header and at least with Opera there's an option to turn it off, bypassing whatever you put in place.

[edit]
Well, they wont bypass it by turning it off but you can just set it to whatever you like, thus bypassing anything you put on, I mean

Steve.


[Edited by stevencotton - 12/9/2002 10:51:05 AM]

 

yeah buts it's going to get 99.9% of people visiting his site..

unless you start playing with cookies.. which is easy as well really

[Edited by snowcrash - 12/9/2002 6:08:18 PM]

 

I'm looking for a piece of software, or info on how I can ensure that visitors to a webpage always come in via the front door of the site, rather than directly to a sub-page. (Using Scoobynet as an example, I want to ensure that all visitors go to the main index page rather than going directly to a forum/thread etc.)

Any clues/guidance please?

 

You could check the HTTP Referer (depends on your web server and coding) at the top of each page (as an include in ASP) and make sure they have come from the / home page. If not redirect em. Or you could use a some start session logic (in Global.asa in ASP/IIS) ... Theres loads of ways, but no software as such.

if its ASP then its a peice of pi55. Same for PHP or CF or JSP I guess.

Ids

 

Am I right in saying that using the referrer method, users would be forced back to Page 1 every time they wanted to move to a different page? If so this will not do what I want - and after re-reading my original post think I didn't explain very well.

I would like to make users come in through the front door at the beginning of a session. Once they have visited page one, they would then be free to hop about the site to their hearts content without revisiting the portal unless they wanted to. Next time they visited a new session starts, and the enforced routing via the portal returns.

In a nutshell, I need them to visit the portal once per session, where important info will be displayed.

Thanks

 

no, with the referer method one of the ways you would code it is:

if referer equals "http://www.myhomepage.com" then
display sub page
else
display front door (or redirect)
end if

 

OK, but after visiting myhomepage.com and clicking the link to myhomepage.com/anotherpage, can they then click a link to myhomepage.com/someotherpage without being redirected back to myhomepage.com?

 

yes - as you only ever get it to check that "http://www.myhomepage.com/" exists in the url not what comes after it..

 

thanks