Does Gmail uses proxys different to other http traffic?

[jab2]

Having lost my laptop's MB, I have to do all my mail and internet with portable software from a US flashdrive till I can get the LT fixed. This has led to an interesting, but rather puzzling observation.

I used portable Firefox (ver 3.0.8) as browser. Network settings are set to "auto detect proxy" and work fine both at home and at work, where I'm behind a firewall. Since the POP port is blocked at work and I thus cannot use Firebird for mail, I created a GMail account so that I can receive urgent stuff via web mail.

Gmail however times out with the "auto" proxy setting and only work if I set the network settings to "manual configure proxy settings" to our local work proxy. I seems to to have to do with https traffic as this happens with my bank's https page also.

I is not an unworkable problem, it's just annoying to constantly change the settings between work and home, but I would really like to know what is the reason behind this behavior.

 

[general_koffi]

I've noticed this problem too.

I think it's because if you don't manually specify a proxy, one of SAIX's caching servers is automatically assigned to you whenever you initiate a request. However, a different one may be assigned for each request. From the remote server's perspective, your IP address is changing every time this happens... This is a security red flag, so some sites boot you out.

 

[dequadin]

install a plugin like FoxyProxy top make switching between the options easier.

 

[jab2]

install a plugin like FoxyProxy top make switching between the options easier.

Thanks, I'll try that.