Multiple login prompts are driving users nuts

Question

What are the typical causes of multiple login prompts on sharepoint sites?

We have a production site where users who login outside of the domain (from home) are prompted multiple times (3 or so times) for their domain credentials for the site.

Inside the domain (in one of our offices), when users load the site, they are logged in automatically as expected. The only time multiple prompts come up inside the domain is if they select "Sign in as a different user".

As an experiment, I built out a blank site on a VM and I experienced the same multiple prompts behaviour both on and off the domain, across both IE and FF:

• Site runs at: https://oursite.uat.contoso.com
• Windows Authentication was enabled (Classic Mode) during setup
• Integrated Windows authentication using NTLM is set under authentication providers
• Anonymous Access is turned off
• *.contoso.com is listed under the local intranet zone sites in IE.

Answer 1

I had a similar situation on a client site when you entered the website via VPN or TMG that external content was loaded, causing a prompt per item. Close to 100 prompts at one point.

I later found out it was due to HTTP / HTTPS indifferences. Like for instance external links to JavaScript or the sorts of like in master pages and iFrames. This was handled by an HTTP handler checking the URL and adjusting all links.

Answer 2

Do you have external content being rendered on the page?

For example, if you have an intranet page which contains a content editor web part which is an iframe for another site.

Then users will be prompted for the Sharepoint site, and for the external content as well.

This is usually the cause for multiple login prompts.

Answer 3

That is the behavior of a site that is accessible outside the network with intgrated authentication. Make sure when prompted, the users login as domain\username and their password or username@domain.com and their password.