WebDAV Limitations and Troubleshooting

WebDAV connection problems usually come from the URL, credentials, certificate validation, the operating-system WebDAV client, or a firewall or proxy that blocks WebDAV requests.

Understand the Client-Side Limits

WebDAV is a chatty protocol: one visible file operation can require several round trips between the client and the appliance. A single upload or download may perform well while directory browsing, many small files, concurrent operations, or editing a remote file in place feels slow.

Operating-system WebDAV clients add their own limits. The Windows WebClient service, for example, has historically limited downloads to 50 MB by default and failed uploads that take longer than 30 minutes. These are Windows client limits, not ExaVault limits. Microsoft documented registry settings for both scenarios in this archived support article; confirm that the instructions apply to the Windows version you administer before changing the registry.

Windows also hides content when a mapped path exceeds limits enforced by the client. If files appear in the ExaVault web interface but not in a mapped drive, shorten the folder names or hierarchy and test again.

Check the URL and Port

Use the complete URL https://YOUR-EXAVAULT-DOMAIN/webdav and port 443. The /webdav path is required. ExaVault does not offer unencrypted WebDAV.

Connect to the fully qualified domain name covered by the appliance certificate. Connecting by IP address can produce a certificate-name mismatch even when the server and credentials are otherwise correct.

Check the User Account

Try the same username and password in the ExaVault web interface. If that login also fails, investigate the account rather than the WebDAV client. Confirm that the username exists, uses the intended authentication method, is enabled, has not expired, and is not temporarily locked after repeated failed attempts.

For directory-backed users, review Troubleshooting LDAP. For a cross-protocol investigation, see Investigating Login Failures.

Check Certificate Validation

WebDAV uses HTTPS and presents the same active SSL certificate as the web interface. A new appliance starts with a self-signed certificate. Some clients let an administrator trust that certificate; others require a certificate chained to a trusted certificate authority.

If the client reports an invalid, untrusted, unexpected, or expired certificate, verify all of the following:

• The client is connecting to the hostname named in the certificate.

• The expected certificate is active on the appliance.

• An uploaded certificate includes its intermediate certificates.

• The certificate is currently valid and has not expired.

See Installing or Updating an SSL Certificate for certificate choices and installation.

Check the Network Path

Allow HTTPS traffic on port 443 from the client to every IP address used by the appliance. A firewall, web proxy, content filter, or TLS-inspection service may allow ordinary web browsing while blocking WebDAV methods such as PROPFIND, LOCK, UNLOCK, MKCOL, MOVE, or COPY.

When the URL works in one client or network but not another, compare the proxy, TLS inspection, endpoint security, and firewall policies between them. Ask the network administrator to allow WebDAV methods to the appliance hostname, not merely browser traffic on port 443.

Check Windows Services and Reconnection

Windows drive mapping depends on the WebClient service. If Windows reports that it cannot access the location, open services.msc, confirm that WebClient is running, and configure it to start automatically when persistent mappings are required.

A mapped drive may not reconnect automatically after restart even when Reconnect at sign-in is selected. Disconnect and map the drive again to determine whether the failure is saved-credential behavior rather than an ExaVault outage.

Use Activity and Service Logs

In ExaVault, open Activity, select Activity Search, and filter for User Login, the affected user, and WebDAV as the connection type. Failed authentication attempts for a known user appear as critical login activity and include the time and client IP address.

Appliance service logs are stored under /data/exavault/logs/. WebDAV server entries are written to files whose names begin with fileserver-webdav. Compare the service log with the client log using the same timestamp. Do not send passwords, private keys, or session credentials in a support request.