Darn, I hate to admit it but I am really stumped on this so here goes.

I have a LINUX 10.3 installation running most of the standard stuff which comes with it and squid 2.6 and apache 2.2.4

I have a mime type entry as follows
application/x-ns-proxy-autoconfig pac

squid is running normally
root 4054 1 0 21:47 ? 00:00:00 /usr/sbin/squid -sYD


and when I set up my browser with a http proxy of 192.168.1.5 port 3128 it works correctly and log internet access to the squid.log file but when I try to use an autoconfiguration script, procy.pac with entries as follows

function FindProxyForURL(url, host)
{
if (host == "localhost" || isPlainHostName(host) ||
isInNet(host, "192.168.1.0", "255.255.255.0"))
return "DIRECT";
else
return "PROXY proxy.lift.com.au:3128";
}

and my browser set to automatic proxy configuration script
http://192.168.1.5/proxy.pac

I get
Firefox is configured to use a proxy server that can't be found.


I am stumped, I'm sure I'm missing something pretty basic but I have really no idea what. port 3128 is open on my firewall.

well you've given a inconsistent range of information there, if your browser getting the script? is it trying to go to the proxy? is there anything in the logs for the squid box? you might be best using wireshark on the client to see what network activity occurs and to where as a point to split the problem into clearer parts. you say it works when statically using an IP, but your pac file uses a DBS name.. is it a dns fault?

There is nothing in the squid log when I try to use the pac file. I can browse to the pac file directly with http://192.169.1.5/proxy.pac which the browser then tries to open or download.

I am running my own dns without any errors according to dnsreport. I think the problem is the script because if I point the browser to a non-existent script I works correctly but does not log access to the squid log, I assume this is because it is going direct.

AHA, it always helps to try and explain yourself. When I use the ip address (as below) instead of the line proxy.lift.com.au it works, perhaps I have something in either my hosts or dns incorrectly setup, I will investigate further

// http://home.netscape.com/eng/mozilla...roxy-live.html
function FindProxyForURL(url, host)
{
if (host == "localhost" || isPlainHostName(host) ||
isInNet(host, "192.168.1.0", "255.255.255.0"))
return "DIRECT";
else
return "PROXY 192.168.1.5:3128";
}

Thanks for the nudge Chris

Andrew

right well as above, very clearly DNS.

Just to finish off, the problem was in my zone file which was a modified copy of a zone file from one of my other sites, I neglected to copy in the following CNAME line
proxy IN CNAME lift


Thanks again for the help