Communicator Web Access Integrated Authentication

This morning I set about adding a Communicator Web Access (CWA) server to my lab and had a small issue with the integrated Windows authentication piece. Basically, I’d click the sign in button and get a Windows authentication dialog instead of being signed into CWA. Even with valid credentials my login would fail and I’d see an error "Cannot sign in. The password or sign-in address may be incorrect. Make sure that your sign-address matches your user account and try again."

error

Turns out there a few steps you need to take to make this work:

  1. Open Internet Explorer.
  2. Click Tools | Options.
  3. Click the Security tab.
  4. Click on Local intranet and press the Sites button.
  5. Uncheck the box Automatically detect intranet network and press the Advanced button.
  6. Type in the URL for your CWA website, in my case it was https://cwa.confusedamused.com and press Add, Close and then OK.
  7. Click the Custom level button.
  8. Scroll all the way to the bottom and ensure Automatic logon only in Intranet zone is selected and press OK and OK.
  9. Refresh the page, click Sign in once more and you should log in no problem.

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Quick commentary and links to other sources you'll find interesting. I promise.

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Some personal background, links to related projects, and other ways to connect.

Hi there. My name is Tom Pacyk and this is my small home on the web. I love the intersection of design, technology, and communication, which is a combination that led me to a career in sales and marketing roles at places like Zoom and ServiceNow. They're a bit old now, but I also had the opportunity to publish a couple of books along the way.

Portland, Oregon is home for me, my wife Beth, and our three kids, but I'm actually a Midwestern transplant—I grew up in the Chicago suburbs and went to school at Purdue and Illinois. When I find some free time I'm probably going to concerts, rooting for the Portland Timbers, or working on my Sunshine Burn Photography project.