Scenario is load balancer and two machines(1&2) in
production. Out of state session server on another machine
(Session). Works perfectly.

Replace machine (2) with machine (3). Can't get past the
authentication login page. Keeps redirecting user back to
login page with no errors.

Machine 1,2 and 3 have duplicate web.configs and using
forms authentication. All machines configured with .NET
1.1. Machine.Config has duplicate encryption/decryption
keys for all three machines. If type in invalid username
or password, logic does report an error so logic is
finding the user trying to login.

Set up test production with load balancing, move machine
(2) and (3) here. Still using out of state session server.
Same behavior as (1) and (3), bad. Recapping (1) and (2)
good, (1) and (3) bad, (2) and (3) bad. Seems like common
factor in bad behavior is machine (3).

Turned on tracing. When the request fluctuates between the
two load balanced servers, both machines have the same
viewstate, session id, and cookies. Authentication against
the DB is happening else it does correctly report an
error. Its SEEMS like authentication cookies are not being
saved or something.

Anyone see something like this before?

Jeff