DAY-LITE Consulting - User Authentication

What is User Authentication?
User authentication restricts access to some or all of your web site to authorized individuals. User authentication requires the visitor to your web site, or the portion of your web site you want to restrict, to login before they can view the protected pages of your web site. To login, they will be prompted to enter a valid Username and Password. If the Username/Password combination exactly matchs a Username/Password combinations you have created, access is granted. Incorrect Username/Password combinations refuse to allow the visitor to access protected pages.

Why would I want to use User Authentication?
You would want to use user authentication if you have sensitive information you only wish to distribute to a select group of people, such as:

Maintaining Confidential Information such as Addresses, Phonenumbers, Company Trade Secrets, etc.
Maintaining an Online Magazine Available Only to Paying Customers
Having a Company Intranet Available on the Internet to Traveling Employees

User Authentication uses a user database to determine what Username/Password combinations are valid. There are many ways this can be implemented. For instance, you can have just one valid Username/Password that everyone uses or you can have a Username/Password for each individual.

Do I need Day-Lite Consulting to do anything to make this available to me?
Yes. We need to configure our web server to turn on User Authentication for your web site. If you elect to maintain User Authentication, we also need to setup a Unix login so you can create and maintain the user database(s).

What do I need to do to implement User Authentication?
You have two choices. Either you can maintain the user databases for User Authentication yourself or we can do it for you for a nominal charge.

I prefer Day-Lite Consulting to maintain User Authentication for me:

We will be happy to discuss your User Authentication options and implement them for you. Just contact us and we will have you up and running in no time.

I want to maintain User Authentication myself:

Then you need to do the following things:

Contact Day-Lite Consulting and tell them you wish to implement User Authentication on your web site. We will supply you with a Unix Shell Account login and password (which can be the same as your FTP password you use to update your web site). We will also configure our web server software to allow you to use User Authentication and will supply you with details you need to configure User Authentication.
Determine if you already have a TELNET program on your computer.
- Windows 95 & NT, Unix: You already have a TELNET program installed by default.
- Other systems: You may need to obtain a TELNET program, either freeware, shareware, or commercial.
Use your TELNET program to login to our Unix server, day-lite.com, enter your login/password.
Read the directions given in " Using User Authentication" paying particular attention to the sections: "Creating a User Database", "Using htpasswd", and "Configuring the Server".
Create a User Database as described in the sections: "Creating a User Database" and "Using htpasswd".
Configure the ".htaccess" file as described in the section: "Configuring the Server".
Test your user database to determine if you implemented it correctly.

If you have trouble configuring User Authentication on your web site, we will provide one time support, at no charge, to get you going.

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DayLyte, Inc
P.O. Box 104
Leo, IN 46765-0104

(260) 760-8365