vb.net Post login data httpwebrequest and cookies - vb.net

Question

im currently trying to login to my website, this works however it wont redirect when it logs in. here is my code
Dim request As WebRequest = WebRequest.Create("http://www.jamiehayles.com/test/login.php")
request.Method = "POST"
Dim postData As String = "username=testing&password=lmao1234"
Dim byteArray As Byte() = Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(postData)
request.ContentType = "application/x-www-form-urlencoded"
request.ContentLength = byteArray.Length
Dim dataStream As Stream = request.GetRequestStream()
dataStream.Write(byteArray, 0, byteArray.Length)
dataStream.Close()
Dim response As WebResponse = request.GetResponse()
Console.WriteLine(CType(response, HttpWebResponse).StatusDescription)
dataStream = response.GetResponseStream()
Dim reader As New StreamReader(dataStream)
Dim responseFromServer As String = reader.ReadToEnd()
RichTextBox1.Text = responseFromServer
reader.Close()
dataStream.Close()
response.Close()
my question is, do i need cookies for it to redirect? and if so any help guys?

Answer 1

Take a look at what you're doing with the response from the server:
Dim responseFromServer As String = reader.ReadToEnd()
RichTextBox1.Text = responseFromServer
All you're doing is reading it and placing the content of the response into a text box. You're not actually responding to a redirect in any way.
A "redirect" means that the server responds with a specific status code and header in the response. The status code tells the browser that the response is an instruction to redirect to another resource. The header contains the new resource that the browser should request.
A web browser checks the response for this code/header and performs a new request. Your code doesn't. It just shows the response to the user, regardless of what it is.
So, to illustrate, a normal redirect happens like this:
Browser: I'm requesting this resource.
Server: Ok, I've received your request, but the resource you really want is actually over there.
Browser: Ok, then I'm now requesting that resource over there.
Server: Ok, here you go.
Your code, however, is more like this:
Code: I'm requesting this resource.
Server: Ok, I've received your request, but the resource you really want is actually over there.
Code: [no further action is taken]
The server instructed your code, in an HTTP-standard way, to request a new resource. Your code simply ignored that instruction.
You need to check the status code of the response, as well as the headers of the response, and make new requests accordingly.