Title: Authentication Redirect Loop Redux…
Last modified: August 20, 2016

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# Authentication Redirect Loop Redux…

 *  Resolved [Smittie](https://wordpress.org/support/users/smittie/)
 * (@smittie)
 * [13 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/authentication-redirect-loop-redux/)
 * I am trying to migrate from a single use install of WordPress to multisite. I
   have followed the instructions provided [here](http://codex.wordpress.org/Create_A_Network).
   When I had completed the instructions to the point where you log out and log 
   back in and tried to log back in, I was in a redirect loop. I found [this forum thread](http://wordpress.org/support/topic/fresh-install-subfolder-multisite-infinite-redirect-loop-sub-blog-login/)
   and did everything mentioned there. I still have a redirect loop.
 * Site details
 * WordPress is installed at ~/htmlHome/wordpress/
    Blog is installed at ~/htmlHome/
   blog/
 * The hosting service is Bluehost.com.
 * My .htaccess file for multisite:
 *     ```
       RewriteEngine On
       RewriteBase /blog/
       RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]
   
       # add a trailing slash to /wp-admin
       RewriteRule ^([_0-9a-zA-Z-]+/)?wp-admin$ $1wp-admin/ [R=301,L]
   
       RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} -f [OR]
       RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} -d
       RewriteRule ^ - [L]
       RewriteRule ^([_0-9a-zA-Z-]+/)?(wp-(content|admin|includes).*) $2 [L]
       RewriteRule ^([_0-9a-zA-Z-]+/)?(.*\.php)$ $2 [L]
       RewriteRule . index.php [L]
       ```
   
 * Clearly I’ve missed something but I cannot figure out what it is. I’d be most
   grateful for some guidance.
 *  — Smittie
    blog.smittie.com

Viewing 11 replies - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)

 *  [derrick_w](https://wordpress.org/support/users/derrick_w/)
 * (@derrick_w)
 * [13 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/authentication-redirect-loop-redux/#post-3588911)
 * Please explain:
    WordPress is installed at ~/htmlHome/wordpress/ Blog is installed
   at ~/htmlHome/blog/
 * In general, the login loop is due to WordPress being asked to work with a URL
   it can’t understand, analogous to HTTP error 404.
 * Disable your .htaccess, I do this by renaming it.
    Then attempt login by manually
   entering the ‘real’ URL ie. [http://domain.tld/any/other/subfolders/your-wordpress-install-dir/wp-login.php](http://domain.tld/any/other/subfolders/your-wordpress-install-dir/wp-login.php)
 *  Thread Starter [Smittie](https://wordpress.org/support/users/smittie/)
 * (@smittie)
 * [13 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/authentication-redirect-loop-redux/#post-3588915)
 * Hello derrick_w. Thanks for responding. I was developing a complex.
 * So, WP is installed at ~/htmlHome/wordpress/ the URL of which is [http://mydomain.com/wordpress/](http://mydomain.com/wordpress/).
   The one and only blog currently running on this install of WP is at ~/htmlHome/
   blog/, the URL of which is [http://mydomain.com/blog/](http://mydomain.com/blog/).
 * Everything works as advertised when using non-multisite .htaccess and wp-config.
   php files. When using the multisite .htaccess and wp-config.php files, everything
   except the login page work as they should. The blog loads normally. It is only
   the login page that has problems. Once multisite is turned on, any attempt to
   access [http://mydomain.com/wordpress/wp-admin/](http://mydomain.com/wordpress/wp-admin/)
   results in a redirect loop.
 *  — Smittie
 *  [derrick_w](https://wordpress.org/support/users/derrick_w/)
 * (@derrick_w)
 * [13 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/authentication-redirect-loop-redux/#post-3588919)
 * Yes, a phone call would cut down on ‘complex.’ Tell me if we are not working 
   with 3.5.1. My understanding of WP Network, leads me to believe a standard/default/
   vanilla setup of your single WP site (blog some call it), helps facilitate later
   enabling and setting up a Network. Most folks 1st site (blog) runs where WP is
   installed. Installed meaning where the wp-(admin|content|includes) folders exist.
   URLs to the site (blog) would depend on where WP’s index.php resides. For example:
   [http://domain.tld](http://domain.tld) or [http://domain.tld/wordpress](http://domain.tld/wordpress)
 * Pardon, but I still don’t get
    WordPress is installed at ~/htmlHome/wordpress/
   Blog is installed at ~/htmlHome/blog/ structure. What files/folders exist in 
   home/blog? The 2 URLs you mentioned earlier, without any mention of redirection
   or forwarding, look like you have 2 installs of WP. Or, are you using 2 or more
   copies of WP’s index.php to get from home/blog to home/wordpress?
 * Besides racking my brain, I was waiting for you to respond with results to my
   earlier suggestion to disable your .htaccess, but I think we need to clear up
   the schizophrenic blog first.
 *  Thread Starter [Smittie](https://wordpress.org/support/users/smittie/)
 * (@smittie)
 * [13 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/authentication-redirect-loop-redux/#post-3588920)
 * One install of WP set up to work from its own directory. The blog directory only
   contains an index.php file and a .htaccess file. The WordPress directory contains
   the normal WordPress files.
 *  — Smittie
 *  [derrick_w](https://wordpress.org/support/users/derrick_w/)
 * (@derrick_w)
 * [13 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/authentication-redirect-loop-redux/#post-3588923)
 * Any need to maintain [http://mydomain.com/blog/](http://mydomain.com/blog/) URL
   going forward?
    Is this URL used for anything right now, other than ‘running’
   WP in home/wordpress?
 * And now let’s focus on [http://mydomain.com/wordpress/](http://mydomain.com/wordpress/)
 * What’s the target, subfolder or subdomain Network?
 * Disable your /htmlHome/.htaccess, I do mine by renaming it.
    Then attempt login
   by manually requesting the ‘real’ URL ie. [http://domain.tld/wordpress/wp-login.php](http://domain.tld/wordpress/wp-login.php)
 *  Thread Starter [Smittie](https://wordpress.org/support/users/smittie/)
 * (@smittie)
 * [13 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/authentication-redirect-loop-redux/#post-3588924)
 * [http://mydomain.com/blog/](http://mydomain.com/blog/) is where the blog resides.
   It will continue to reside there. I’m transitioning to multisite because I want
   to support a couple more blogs off the same install of wordpress.
 * It is set up as a subfolder network and SUBDOMAIN_INSTALL is defined as false
   in the wp-config.
 * If there is no .htaccess or if the .htaccess is step up for single use, there
   is no redirect loop. The redirect loop only occurs when multisite is set up.
 *  — Smittie
 *  Thread Starter [Smittie](https://wordpress.org/support/users/smittie/)
 * (@smittie)
 * [13 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/authentication-redirect-loop-redux/#post-3588925)
 * These instructions explain setting up WordPress to run from its own directory:
 * [http://codex.wordpress.org/Giving_WordPress_Its_Own_Directory](http://codex.wordpress.org/Giving_WordPress_Its_Own_Directory)
 *  [derrick_w](https://wordpress.org/support/users/derrick_w/)
 * (@derrick_w)
 * [13 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/authentication-redirect-loop-redux/#post-3588926)
 * The reason I asked, “Any need to maintain [http://mydomain.com/blog/](http://mydomain.com/blog/)
   URL going forward?” is I believe you can drop the /blog/ part of the URL for 
   your main site, and then subsequent blogs with URLs like ..com/subfolder1, ..
   com/subfolder2, … your call.
 * Login go to the Network Admin Dashboard -> Settings -> Network Setup. WP should
   offer you the .htaccess code it recommends. Is it any different than what you
   posted above?
 *  Thread Starter [Smittie](https://wordpress.org/support/users/smittie/)
 * (@smittie)
 * [13 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/authentication-redirect-loop-redux/#post-3588927)
 * I gave up. Deleted everything. Going to start over with a clean install and rebuild
   from there.
 * Thank you for your time.
 *  — Smittie
 *  [derrick_w](https://wordpress.org/support/users/derrick_w/)
 * (@derrick_w)
 * [13 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/authentication-redirect-loop-redux/#post-3588929)
 * Sorry to hear that. Everyone has a different limit. You referred to [Giving WordPress Its Own Directory](http://codex.wordpress.org/Giving_WordPress_Its_Own_Directory).
   My take away from that is the following:
    – install WP into a subfolder of the
   document root of your domain.tld /blog/ for example – if you want to ‘run’ the
   main WP site from the root, ie. url [http://domain.tld](http://domain.tld) vs.
   [http://domain.tld/blog/](http://domain.tld/blog/), copy domain.tld/blog/index.
   php to domain.tld/index.php – WP permalinks or network setup will give you the.
   htaccess or web.config code. These files go with index.php you are using to ‘
   run’ WP.
 * The installation mentioned in above posts was complicated by electing to use 
   two folders /wordpress and /blog at the same level, whereas a single folder, /
   blog/, would have satisfied Smittie’s requirements. We could have even used the/
   wordpress/ folder with the url [http://domain.tld/blog/](http://domain.tld/blog/).
   But that is for a redirection topic.
 *  Thread Starter [Smittie](https://wordpress.org/support/users/smittie/)
 * (@smittie)
 * [13 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/authentication-redirect-loop-redux/#post-3588930)
 * I’m looking to support more than one site out of the /wordpress install, hence
   the desire to get multisite up and running. I currently only run one blog from
   the WordPress install but I need to add two more. I will eventually get it working
   but I wanted to start with a clean install so that I am not trying to solve pre-
   existing problems while at the same time figuring out new functionality. Based
   on the explanations codex.wordpress.org, WordPress will work in multisite mode
   from its own directory without adding my own alterations. I am looking to understand
   that implementation first. Once I understand that, I can start to add layers 
   of complication.
 *  — Smittie

Viewing 11 replies - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)

The topic ‘Authentication Redirect Loop Redux…’ is closed to new replies.

 * In: [Networking WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/multisite/)
 * 11 replies
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [Smittie](https://wordpress.org/support/users/smittie/)
 * Last activity: [13 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/authentication-redirect-loop-redux/#post-3588930)
 * Status: resolved

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