Re: credentials prompt accessing list anonymously

Even if you have given then Add functionality, they will still need to sign in to get it.

All they they have by default in a site accessible by anonymous access is Reader permissions.

So unless you have amended anonymous access so that anonymous people have Contributor rights (the other option to the default Reader), these people you have given add rights will still need to specify their name and password before being allowed to add anything.

Mike Walsh


Robbie wrote:
As soon as they want to create an Announcement they are doing more than Read so they need credentials.
I have already given them add functionality to the two Lists. They do not have Edit or Delete Items ability. Should they need either?

So in my opinion the credential prompt is still "surprising."

I use ExpertsExchange.com to look up answers to some things. Someone else has this issue, and here is the question and basically, after a long discussion, their response:
Q: I have discovered a bug with anonymous access on Portal server 2003. When Anonymous access is enabled, you can't log in to the sections that require it. I called Microsoft Support and was told this is by design. (Terrible design in my opinion, but by design none the less) Apparently when a restricted area is accessed, Sharepoint first looks at IIS to see if Anonymous access is allowed and if it is, denies the request no matter who is actually logged in. Does anyone know any way around this?
Comment: It is so that there are no "back-door" entries into other portals/sites.
Answer: This is a known issue with Sharepoint and the only real workarounds are the ones discussed above.

Hopefully Microsoft will address this is a fix or service pack for Sharepoint.

Dave Dietz
Administrative comment: As Dave notes, the answer is that there is no real solution, only workarounds. Note: The workaround - can make it work like I want for a short time by disableing Anonymous access, restarting IIS and then enableing anonymous access without restarting IIS, but once the process restarts on its own, I'm back to square one.

I hope this is helpful. This isn't documented very well out there.

"Mike Walsh" wrote:

It's set up to be anonymous access so people can access it with (default) Reader functionality without needing to give credentials.

As soon as they want to create an Announcement they are doing more than Read so they need credentials.

So the real questions is why you are not being asked for credentials when accessing internally. The answer is almost certainly that IE is set up for the Intranet security zone to use current name and password.

In other words I see nothing to suggest that asking for a credential prompt for your external users is "surprising".

Mike Walsh
WSS FAQ http://www.wssfaq.com
no questions by e-mail please



Robbie wrote:
WSS 3.0, 2K3server
I am having issues with a site that's set up to have anonymous access. Everyone can access the site great (the whole application is set to anonymous), all of the pages are great. But when someone outside of the office wants to add an annoucement to a List, for example, they get a surprising credential prompt. It's the oddest, and most frustrating, thing.

Any thoughts?

As a note, when I am internal, I do not get a prompt. I have anonymous access enabled in IIS but also Windows Authentication. I have tried adding and taking off Digest and Basic, but the user still has the same issue.
.

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