ASP.NET - Strange case of inexplicable 404 error
<p>We are having a very strange problem on one particular web server (we do not have direct access to the web server, only FTP access).</p>

<p>Our ASP.NET application displays a dataset into a standard GridView. One of the columns in the GridView is a basic template column, with a link redirecting to another page - passing few parameters. </p>

<p>One of the parameters is <code>EmployeeName</code> - and the following page uses that parameter to set a label.</p>

<p>ON this particular web server (WEBSERVER1 in this example)... the resulting link generates an error 404 (page not found)</p>

<p><code>https://WWW.WEBSERVER1.COM/Customer_011B.aspx?WeekEnding=1/21/2012&amp;GUID=n.a.&amp;EmployeeName=Knutson-Haushalter, Kathleen&amp;ReportToName=Mary Jo Eayrs&amp;Assignment_Id=123772</code></p>

<p>On another web server (WEBSERVER2 in this example)... the resulting link properly opens the page.</p>

<p><code>http://WWW.WEBSERVER2.COM/Customer_011B.aspx?WeekEnding=1/21/2012&amp;GUID=n.a.&amp;EmployeeName=Knutson-Haushalter, Kathleen&amp;ReportToName=Mary Jo Eayrs&amp;Assignment_Id=123772</code></p>

<p>(unfortunately the links above are not rendered correctly </p>

<p>Yes, I am aware that WEBSERVER1 is running under SSL - but am not sure why this would make a difference.</p>

<p>Now, we have verified that the page Customer_011B.aspx is indeed present on WEBSERVER1.</p>

<p>Here comes the puzzle:</p>

<p>If we only remove the EmployeeName parameter, the page displays correctly. All database operations are performed correctly, etc. The only "problem" is that the EmployeeName is not reported in the target label.</p>

<p>In other words:</p>

<p>This DOES NOT work and all we get is error 404</p>

<p><code>https://WWW.WEBSERVER1.COM/Customer_011B.aspx?WeekEnding=1/21/2012&amp;GUID=n.a.&amp;EmployeeName=Knutson-Haushalter, Kathleen&amp;ReportToName=Mary Jo Eayrs&amp;Assignment_Id=123772</code></p>

<p>This DOES work and we get to the page and we retrieve all the needed data.</p>

<p><code>https://WWW.WEBSERVER1.COM/Customer_011B.aspx?WeekEnding=1/21/2012&amp;GUID=n.a.&amp;ReportToName=Mary Jo Eayrs&amp;Assignment_Id=123772</code></p>

<p>Just in case you are wondering, the only parameter needed by our data access layer is that Assignment_Id number.</p>

<p>Also, note that I enclosed the links in double quotes... so that they would render properly...</p>
