Problem: URL reverting from HTTPS to HTTP

Problem

The server has been configured to use a SSL certificate to provide the webinterface on HTTPS/SSL. When you access the server URLs, the server automatically reverts from HTTPS to HTTP.

Solution

PowerFolder Server has an internal check to see if it's own web portal is available on HTTPS (or the HTTP port) and the configured hostname under Preferences > General.

This check may fail due to a number of possible error conditions. It doesn't necessarily mean that your server web address is really not available.

To disable the check, please follow the procedure below:

  1. Set the Web Base URL under Preferences > Network > Server URLs:

    https://powerfolder.example.com
  2. Set the Web Tunnel URL under Preferences > Network > Server URLs:

    http://powerfolder.example.com/rpc

    (warning) Please note that the URL should not use HTTP not HTTPS, since the traffic posted against that URL will be encrypted by the PowerFolder internal protocol.

  3. Restart PowerFolder Server.

Other possible solutions

The steps described above enforce the usage of the configured URL. If the reason for the initial problem is not a wrong self-check, you may now face different problems, since the server doesn't enforce a fallback by reverting back to HTTP. Those problems could be:

  • Browsers may issue warnings about the used certificate
  • Clients can't connect to the server
  • Some elements of the web interface doesn't display correctly

All those problems may have the same origin: Either you used a self-signed certificate with the SSL setup or you forgot to insert the intermediate certificate (e.g. required by GoDaddy certifcates) with the actual certificate and therefore the server can't offer the full certificate chain to the client, resulting in the client to not connect to the server. For more information please read carefully through the last step of our SSL Configuration guide.