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I've recently noticed a problem with login persistence on Windows and Android Chrome browsers. I guess this started with the most recent update of w3all, or I didn't notice it before. The problem: on Windows and Android Chrome, after logging on via phpBB, as soon as the page is refreshed or a new page loaded, the login is lost. Deactivate w3all and the problem goes away. My website is proxied through Cloudflare, which might be a factor. The problem doesn't occur on Windows Firefox or Opera, but I believe Chrome imposes stricter cookie handling.

Environment: phpBB + WordPress Multisite integrated with WP w3all 3.1.0, site behind Cloudflare.
Problem: On Windows and Android Chrome only, phpBB login does not persist. Firefox and Opera work normally.
Crucial test: Disabling w3all makes the Chrome login persistence problem disappear. Re-enabling w3all immediately brings it back.
Cookies: phpBB's three pm_forumx44z3bzz... cookies are set correctly (Domain=.pennymachines.co.uk, Path=/, Secure, HttpOnly). In working Opera, wordpress_logged_in_* is present; in Chrome it is absent.
Login response: phpBB login response is CF-Cache-Status: DYNAMIC, sets the phpBB cookies, and redirects with 302 to /Forum/index.php?sid=....
Additional observation: Chrome shows a speculative/prefetch request to ucp.php returning 503, but disabling Cloudflare Speed Brain did not change the problem.

I will give it a try but, i remember a changed thing (a line of code) that maybe (maybe not) affect this:
have you set into the phpBB admin -Cookie setting, the Cookie domain field, or leaved it blank instead to set it as:
.yoursite.com or .yoursite.co.uk
or localhost if on localhost
???
Can you please let me know?

ps anyway if

I've recently noticed a problem with login persistence on Windows and Android Chrome browsers. I guess this started with the most recent update of w3all, or I didn't notice it before. The problem: on Windows and Android Chrome, after logging on via phpBB, as soon as the page is refreshed or a new page loaded, the login is lost. Deactivate w3all and the problem goes away. My website is proxied through Cloudflare, which might be a factor. The problem doesn't occur on Windows Firefox or Opera, but I believe Chrome imposes stricter cookie handling.

this happen just when you are in "pure" phpBB (so you are not into the iframed phpBB, so into the template integration that embed phpBB), it IS NOT a plugin integration related problem because no code run there.

axew3 wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2026 12:52 pm I will give it a try but, i remember a changed thing (a line of code) that maybe (maybe not) affect this:
have you set into the phpBB admin -Cookie setting, the Cookie domain field, or leaved it blank instead to set it as:
.yoursite.com or .yoursite.co.uk
or localhost if on localhost
???
Can you please let me know?

Hi,
I have .pennymachines.co.uk (with the dot).

axew3 wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2026 12:52 pm this happen just when you are in "pure" phpBB (so you are not into the iframed phpBB, so into the template integration that embed phpBB), it IS NOT a plugin integration related problem because no code run there.

It happens on Chrome browser only when I network activate the w3all WP phpBB integration plugin. As soon as I deactivate it (and am therefore in the pure phpBB environment) the phpBB login works (has persistence).

It is very strange because in pure phpBB it cannot be a plugin problem.
I tested the plugin into my WP multisite and the login works with no errors when an user come into wordpress as logged in phpbb.

In phpbb, the cookie path (but obviously you have set it as it should be) need to be a single / slash so the cookie is available all over the domain.
But as said, if the problem happen in phpBB (not iframed) then the problem reside into how phpBB is configured because no plugin code run there.

If the problem come out because the user login in phpBB then come into wordpress with a valid phpBB cookie, and instead to be logged in, is logged out, then it is a plugin problem. If the logout happen on the phpBB side without visiting WP it cannot be a plugin problem.

Under Security settings -> Allow "Remember Me" logins: need to be set to yes, even if it is required for a login in wp (the cookie) because phpBB himself do not require it (cookie) and can login users using the session appended into the url.

You could try to delete all cookies and try again the login into phpBB but given the scenario, seem that the problem have nothing to do with the integration code.
Clean the browser's cache also, maybe something misleading is hidden somewhere.

Try to: staying only in phpBB, clean cookies on browser, clean cache in phpbb, check if the login works having the remember me login set to yes into phpBB admin, and you check the option remember me logging in the user.
If a persistent cookie is not created into the browser (check chrome console) then your configuration is not ok someway.

PS. have you try to ask to the crazy girl? (AI )
Look these two
https://share.google/aimode/v08fWsb73NuhmXcu4
https://share.google/aimode/XXB3vLwjB1T8SzBms

My logic for believing that w3all is the cause (or at least linked to the cause) is simply that when I deactivate w3all the problem goes away. If I turn it on, I start getting messages from my forum members saying they can't stay logged into the forum. Also, as I said, as soon as I activate w3all, login breaks on phpBB on the Chrome browser only (on Windows or Android). It works fine on other browsers. For this reason, I have to keep w3all deactivated until this is resolved.

axew3 wrote: Mon Sep 14, 2026 9:39 am Under Security settings -> Allow "Remember Me" logins: need to be set to yes, even if it is required for a login in wp (the cookie) because phpBB himself do not require it (cookie) and can login users using the session appended into the url.

Yes, it has always been set to allow "Remember Me" logins.

axew3 wrote: Mon Sep 14, 2026 9:39 am You could try to delete all cookies and try again the login into phpBB but given the scenario, seem that the problem have nothing to do with the integration code.
Clean the browser's cache also, maybe something misleading is hidden somewhere.

I've done that many times while troubleshooting over the last week or so.

axew3 wrote: Mon Sep 14, 2026 9:39 am Try to: staying only in phpBB, clean cookies on browser, clean cache in phpbb, check if the login works having the remember me login set to yes into phpBB admin, and you check the option remember me logging in the user.
If a persistent cookie is not created into the browser (check chrome console) then your configuration is not ok someway.

OK, I have run the following tests:

On Opera browser (where everything works as expected):

w3all network activated
User checks 'Remember me' and logs into phpBB.
Console/Application shows:
3 phpBB cookies (with values) all Domain: .pennymachines.co.uk Path: /
and
3 Wordpress cookies (wordpress_logged_in_etc., Domain pennymachines.co.uk Path: / wordpress_sec_etc., Domain pennymachines.co.uk Path: / wordpress_sec_etc. Domain pennymachines.co.uk Path: /arena/wp-content/plugins

w3all network deactivated
User checks 'Remember me' and logs into phpBB.
Console/Application shows:
3 phpBB cookies (with values) all Domain: .pennymachines.co.uk Path: /

On Chrome browser (where the problem appears):

w3all network activated
User checks 'Remember me' and logs into phpBB.
Console/Application shows:
0 phpBB cookies
and
1 Wordpress cookie wordpress_test_cookie Domain pennymachines.co.uk Path: /

w3all network deactivated
User checks 'Remember me' and logs into phpBB.
Console/Application shows:
3 phpBB cookies (with values) all Domain: .pennymachines.co.uk Path: /
and
1 Wordpress cookie wordpress_test_cookie Domain pennymachines.co.uk Path: /

Why do I have a Wordpress cookie on phpBB when w3all is deactivated? (There is also a Simple Membership swpm_session cookie persistent when user is logged in or out).
Could this iframe in my phpBB style's overall_header.html template (for a modal search that detects the WP logged-in status to determine which Search interface to show) be the reason?

axew3 wrote: Mon Sep 14, 2026 9:39 am PS. have you try to ask to the crazy girl? (AI )
Look these two
https://share.google/aimode/v08fWsb73NuhmXcu4
https://share.google/aimode/XXB3vLwjB1T8SzBms

The first is consistent with what I already learned, and I already have those settings in phpBB ACP.
The second isn't helpful - dealing with the symptoms, not the disease. My website shouldn't require users to reconfigure their Chrome browsers so they can use it!

I have removed the above mentioned iframe from my phpBB style overall-_header.html template file and my Wordpress theme header.php, and the login persistence problem on Chrome has gone away (when w3all is active). So it was apparently an interaction between Chrome's cookie handling protocols, my embedded iframe code (with the WP src="/arena/ path) and w3all.

I'm still having problems with the Simple Membership logon, but that's another story...