DirectoryEntry works for anonymous, but not for usern/pass

From: Brian Stevenson (bgstevenson_at_fishelco.com)
Date: 07/25/03 

Date: 24 Jul 2003 16:25:18 -0700

I'm racking my brain over this problem. I can get DirectoryEntry to
bind to a DirectoryEntry object anonymously without any problem, but
when I try to bind with a username and password, it doesn't work.

Environment:
Windows 2000 Server / IIS 5.0
Novell's LDAP server (running NetWare 5.1)

Code snippet:

    Public Function Login() As Boolean
        Dim root As New
System.DirectoryServices.DirectoryEntry("LDAP://10.99.5.92/O=Fishel","USERNAME","PASSWORD")
        Dim searcher As New
System.DirectoryServices.DirectorySearcher(root)
        searcher.Filter = "(&(objectClass=user)(cn= " & Me.Username &
"))"

        Dim results As SearchResultCollection
        results = searcher.FindAll()

        Dim result As SearchResult

        For Each result In results
        ' CODE TO BIND TO EACH OBJECT FOUND IN THE SEARCH AND TRY THE
USER'S USER/PASS COMBO. NOT YET WRITTEN.

        Next result

    End Function

The above code will work when I take out the "USERNAME" and
"PASSWORD", but when present, the following error for some attributes
in the local debug window reads:
   Name <error: an exception of type:
System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException} occurred> String

When is should read something like:
   Name O=Fishel String

I also get the following error on the web form....

An invalid dn syntax has been specified

Description: An unhandled exception occurred during the execution of
the current web request. Please review the stack trace for more
information about the error and where it originated in the code.

Exception Details: System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException: An
invalid dn syntax has been specified

Stack Trace:

[COMException (0x80072032): An invalid dn syntax has been specified]
   System.DirectoryServices.DirectoryEntry.Bind(Boolean throwIfFail)
+513
   System.DirectoryServices.DirectoryEntry.Bind() +10
   System.DirectoryServices.DirectoryEntry.get_AdsObject() +10
   System.DirectoryServices.DirectorySearcher.FindAll(Boolean
findMoreThanOne) +199
   System.DirectoryServices.DirectorySearcher.FindAll() +10
   TeamFishel.OWNS.BLL.Authenticate.Login() in T:\Home\Visual Studio
Projects\TeamFishel.OWNS.BLL\Authenticate.vb:57
   TeamFishel.OWNS.WebUI.Login.loginButton_Click(Object sender,
EventArgs e) in C:\Documents and
Settings\bgstevenson\VSWebCache\dotnet.intra.fishelco.com\OWNS\Login.aspx.vb:34
   System.Web.UI.WebControls.Button.OnClick(EventArgs e)
   System.Web.UI.WebControls.Button.System.Web.UI.IPostBackEventHandler.RaisePostBackEvent(String
eventArgument)
   System.Web.UI.Page.RaisePostBackEvent(IPostBackEventHandler
sourceControl, String eventArgument)
   System.Web.UI.Page.RaisePostBackEvent(NameValueCollection postData)
   System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequestMain() +1263

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Version Information: Microsoft .NET Framework Version:1.0.3705.288;
ASP.NET Version:1.0.3705.288

Line #57 is:
        results = searcher.FindAll()

Does anyone have any thoughts about why this is happening?

Sincerely,
Brian