I have never tried WPAD.dat import, but here is some internal knowledge base information that I hope can be helpful.
The Auto-Proxy feature automatically configures client browsers with Web proxy settings when the user joins the wireless network. Clients locate the proxy script according to the Web Proxy Auto Discovery Protocol (WPAD). WPAD uses discovery methods such as DNS and DHCP Option 252 to locate the configuration file. To use this feature, you must designate where the wpad.dat file is to be stored. Click
Choose File to upload a wpad.dat file conforming to the WPAD protocol to ZoneDirector, or select
External Server and enter the IP address of the external DHCP/DNS server where the file is stored.
- Internet Explorer supports DNS and DHCP Option 252, while Firefox, Chrome and Safari support the DNS method only.
- If the wpad.dat file is stored on ZoneDirector, only one file can be uploaded and this file applies to all WLANs that use the ZD-stored file.
- Up to 8 wpad.dat files can be saved on external servers in addition to the single wpad.dat file that can be stored on ZoneDirector.
- If Wireless Client Isolation, ACLs or Web/Guest Captive Portal are enabled on the WLAN, additional ACL may be required to allow wireless clients to access the Web proxy server and ZD Captive Portal redirection page.
Find the Auto-Proxy setting under
WLANs > Advanced Options
The desired behavior is:
- The client connects to the WLAN and acquires IP Address, DNS Server and “example.com” domain from the internal server.
- The client will look for “http://wpad.example.com/wpad.dat” and download it from the internal server. A Preauthentication ACL will allow unauthenticated client to get it. The PAC file instructs the client that a proxy server exists and must be used using the TCP port 8080.
- The user can now open a browser and ask for Google website using a Proxy Server.
- The WLC intercept the request and redirects the user to the Web Authentication page (usually https://1.1.1.1/login.html?redirect=www.google.com).
- After the authentication the client can reach the server using the TCP Port 8080 and access to the Google website.
- Users without Proxy Auto Configuration should receive a warning page asking to configure the browser in a proper way.