Updated on 2024-03-14 GMT+08:00

How Do I Configure the Client Protocol and Server Protocol?

This FAQ describes how to configure the client and server protocol.

WAF provides various protocol types. Use www.example.com as an example. You can configure your WAF instance using any of the following methods:

HTTP Access - 302 Redirection Response

Set Client Protocol and Server Protocol to HTTP. Figure 1 shows an example.

This configuration allows web visitors to access http://www.example.com over HTTP only. If they access it over HTTPS, they will receive the 302 Found code and be redirected to http://www.example.com.

Figure 1 HTTP mode

HTTPS Forcible Conversion

Set Client Protocol and Server Protocol to HTTPS. Figure 2 shows an example. When the HTTP protocol is used to access the server, all initial client requests are forcibly converted from HTTP to HTTPS.

  • If web visitors access your website over HTTPS, the website returns a successful response.
  • If web visitors access http://www.example.com over HTTP, they will receive the 302 Found code and are directed to https://www.example.com.
Figure 2 HTTPS redirection

HTTP and HTTPS

Set Client Protocol and Server Protocol. Figure 3 shows an example.

  • If web visitors access your website over HTTP, the website returns a successful response but no communication between the browser and website is encrypted.
  • If web visitors access your website over HTTPS, the website returns a successful response and all communications between the browser and website are encrypted.
Figure 3 HTTP and HTTPS forwarding

HTTPS Offloading

Set Client Protocol to HTTPS and Server Protocol to HTTP.

If web visitors access your website over HTTPS, WAF forwards the requests to your origin server over HTTP.

Figure 4 HTTPS offloading