Re[5]: Web certificate pricing?

[Joseph McDonald]

>> gold star to the first person to describe *why* name-based hosting
>> doesn't work with SSL.

MP> I actually dont remember that well, but I want that gold star!  If memory
MP> serves, its because the SSL handshake (and key exchange) takes place before
MP> the client passes the host: header to the server. Thus the server wouldnt
MP> know which key/cert to use with the client because it doesnt yet know which
MP> site the client is trying to retrieve. All the server knows prior to the SSL
MP> handshake is the IP and port that the client is connecting to. So,
MP> name-based virthosting doesnt really work out so hot with SSL.

Ding! Ding! Ding!  You and Dave Warren can collect your gold star here:
http://metalliccharm.homestead.com/files/MWXYZbcde01_AwdGolStr.gif

Work is going on to remedy this situation using the "upgrade" header:
http://www.zvon.org/tmRFC/RFC2817/Output/

regards,
-joe