Windows Authentication | SUNY Fredonia

What is Windows Authentication?

When you log on to our campus network, you provide a username and password. This identifies you and allows you to have access to various resources on the network. For example, when you are logged on to your computer, and open your Outlook email application, you don't have to provide a username or password to get into your email. The fact that you are logged on provides you direct access.

This same authentication scheme can be used in certain web applications.

How can you take advantage of this? If you do nothing, and navigate to one of these web applications, then you will be challenged for your username and password. Enter the same credentials as you do when you log on to your campus computer.

However, you can very easily set up your Internet Explorer or Firefox browser to "play nice" with the web server. If you do, you will not be required to enter your credentials when navigating to a web application that uses Windows Authentication, when you are logged on to the campus network. The fact that you are already credentialed by your network logon will be trusted, and the web application will automatically know your identity. This is called Single Sign On (SSO).

From Off-Campus

Note: From off-campus, or if using other browsers, you will need to provide a username and password when the login form pops up. That is to say, you still use your campus network login, but you have to do it manually. Windows Authentication only works when you are actually logged on to our network. There is no point trying to enable Windows Authentication on your home computer.

Please be sure to prepend the domain name and slash - ad\ - to your username in order to log in successfully!

To Enable Windows Authentication in Internet Explorer

Open Internet Explorer
At the top, locate the menu item "Tools"
Navigate to Tools | Internet Options ... and along the top open the Security tab
In the graphical window near the top select "Local Intranet" and then follow the "Sites..." button
Leave all three items on the Local Intranet pane checked, and go to "Advanced..."
Add this (without the quotes) as a trusted site "*.fredonia.edu"
OK, OK, OK ... and you're done!

To Enable Windows Authentication in Mozilla Firefox

Open Mozilla Firefox
Put "About:config" (without the quotes) in the location bar and press Enter (or use "Go")
Scroll to "network.automatic-ntlm-auth.trusted-uris". There are a handful of others that start similarly; make sure you match exactly!
Right-click on this line and then select "Modify" in the context menu.
Enter this value (without the quotes) ".fredonia.edu". Note the leading period!
OK ... and you're done!