Authentication failed error when calling web method using $.ajax

Question

When I make a JQuery call, I get an Authentication failed response:

{
    Message: "Authentication failed.", 
    StackTrace: null, 
    ExceptionType: "System.InvalidOperationException"
}

jQuery call:

$(document).ready(function () {
    //Handle the change event for the drop down list
    $("#ddRegions").change(function () {
        //create the ajax request
        $.ajax({
            type: "POST", //HTTP method
            url: '<%= ResolveUrl("WebForm2.aspx/getLocations")%>', //page/method name
            data: "{}", //json to represent argument
            contentType: "application/json; charset=utf-8",
            dataType: "json",
            success: function (msg) { //handle the callback to handle response                
                //request was successful. so Retrieve the values in the response.
                alert(msg.toSource());
            }
        });
    });
});

The web method:

public static string getLocations() {
    System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine("Getting Locations.");
    return "{region:auckland, city:auckland}";
}

I added the following to my web.config:

<authorization>
    <allow users="*" />
</authorization>
<authentication mode="None" />

And I tried setting the AutoRedirectMode to Off in RouteConfig.cs. This stops the error, but still the web method never gets called. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

Resolved by setting AutoDirectMode to Off in App_Start/RouteConfig.cs

settings.AutoRedirectMode = RedirectMode.Off;

and adding a ScriptManager to the aspx page that has an EnablePageMethods set to 'true':

<asp:ScriptManager ID="ScriptManager1" runat="server" EnablePageMethods="True">
    </asp:ScriptManager>