asp.net forms authentication only redirects to default.aspx

Question

I am using ASP.NET Forms Authentication with an activation email. I have gotten the registration to work, which adds the user to the database and sends the activation email, the email is sent to the user and the click on it and are activated. I am able to login with the correct crednetials, but everytime- it just redirects to default.aspx at the root of my project. I tried adding links to pages in the sub directory allowed for that role- but it just brings you back to the login page. When you login again- it just goes back to default.aspx

Here is the code on login.aspx.vb

Imports System.Data
Imports System.Configuration
Imports System.Data.SqlClient
Imports System.Web.Security
Imports Microsoft.VisualBasic
Imports System




Partial Class login
Inherits System.Web.UI.Page

Protected Sub ValidateUser(sender As Object, e As AuthenticateEventArgs) Handles Login1.Authenticate
    Dim userID As Integer = 0
    Dim roles As String = String.Empty
    Session("roles") = Nothing
    Using con As New SqlConnection("Data Source=(LocalDB)\MSSQLLocalDB;AttachDbFilename=|DataDirectory|\BandDatabase.mdf;Integrated Security=True")
        Using cmd As New SqlCommand("Validate_User")
            cmd.CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure
            cmd.Parameters.AddWithValue("@Username", Login1.UserName)
            cmd.Parameters.AddWithValue("@Password", Login1.Password)
            cmd.Connection = con
            con.Open()
            Dim reader As SqlDataReader = cmd.ExecuteReader()
            If reader.Read() Then
                userID = Convert.ToInt32(reader("UserId"))
                roles = reader("RoleName").ToString()
                Session("roles") = roles
            End If

            con.Close()
        End Using
        Select Case userID
            Case 1
                Login1.FailureText = "Username and/or password is incorrect."
                Exit Select
            Case 2
                Login1.FailureText = "Account has not been activated."
                Exit Select
            Case Else
                Dim ticket As New FormsAuthenticationTicket(1, Login1.UserName, DateTime.Now, DateTime.Now.AddMinutes(2880), Login1.RememberMeSet, roles,
             FormsAuthentication.FormsCookiePath)
                Dim hash As String = FormsAuthentication.Encrypt(ticket)
                Dim cookie As New HttpCookie(FormsAuthentication.FormsCookieName, hash)
                If ticket.IsPersistent Then
                    cookie.Expires = ticket.Expiration
                End If
                Response.Cookies.Add(cookie)
                Response.Redirect(FormsAuthentication.GetRedirectUrl(Login1.UserName, Login1.RememberMeSet))
                Exit Select
        End Select
    End Using
End Sub
Protected Sub Page_Load(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Me.Load
    If Not Me.IsPostBack Then
        If Me.Page.User.Identity.IsAuthenticated Then
            FormsAuthentication.SignOut()
            Response.Redirect("~/login.aspx")
        Else
            Session.Abandon()
            Session.Clear()
        End If
    End If
End Sub
End Class

Here is the web config (root of project- I read something about having to put a web config in each directory)

      <authentication mode="Forms">
      <forms defaultUrl="~/Default.aspx" loginUrl="~/login.aspx"      slidingExpiration="true" timeout="2880">
      </forms>
    </authentication>
  </system.web>
      <!--https://www.codeproject.com/Articles/2905/Role-based-Security-with-   Forms-    Authentication-->
      <location path="Admin">
       <system.web>
      <authorization>
        <!-- Order and case are important below -->
        <allow roles="Admin" />
        <deny users="*" />
      </authorization>
    </system.web>
  </location>
  <location path="Judges">
    <system.web>
      <authorization>
        <!-- Order and case are important below -->
        <allow roles="Judge" />
        <deny users="*" />
      </authorization>
    </system.web>
  </location>
  <location path="Students">
    <system.web>
      <authorization>
        <!-- Order and case are important below -->
        <allow roles="Student" />
        <deny users="*" />
      </authorization>
    </system.web>
  </location>

Here is the directory structure... directory structure

Full web config...

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!--
For more information on how to configure your ASP.NET application, please visit
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=169433
-->
<configuration>
  <system.webServer>
    <validation validateIntegratedModeConfiguration="false" />
    <handlers>
      <remove name="ChartImageHandler" />
      <add name="ChartImageHandler" preCondition="integratedMode" verb="GET,HEAD,POST" path="ChartImg.axd" type="System.Web.UI.DataVisualization.Charting.ChartHttpHandler, System.Web.DataVisualization, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35" />
      <add name="ReportViewerWebControlHandler" preCondition="integratedMode" verb="*" path="Reserved.ReportViewerWebControl.axd" type="Microsoft.Reporting.WebForms.HttpHandler, Microsoft.ReportViewer.WebForms, Version=11.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=89845dcd8080cc91" />
    </handlers>
  </system.webServer>
  <connectionStrings>
    <add name="Database" connectionString="Data Source=(LocalDB)\MSSQLLocalDB;AttachDbFilename=|DataDirectory|\Database.mdf;Integrated Security=True"
      providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />
    <add name="BandDatabaseConnectionString" connectionString="Data Source=(LocalDB)\MSSQLLocalDB;AttachDbFilename=|DataDirectory|\BandDatabase.mdf;Integrated Security=True"
      providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />
  </connectionStrings>
  <system.web>
    <httpHandlers>
      <add path="ChartImg.axd" verb="GET,HEAD,POST" type="System.Web.UI.DataVisualization.Charting.ChartHttpHandler, System.Web.DataVisualization, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35"
      validate="false" />
      <add path="Reserved.ReportViewerWebControl.axd" verb="*" type="Microsoft.Reporting.WebForms.HttpHandler, Microsoft.ReportViewer.WebForms, Version=11.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=89845dcd8080cc91"
      validate="false" />
    </httpHandlers>
    <pages>
      <controls>
        <add tagPrefix="asp" namespace="System.Web.UI.DataVisualization.Charting" assembly="System.Web.DataVisualization, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35" />
      </controls>
    </pages>
    <compilation debug="true" strict="false" explicit="true" targetFramework="4.5">
      <buildProviders>
        <add extension=".rdlc" type="Microsoft.Reporting.RdlBuildProvider, Microsoft.ReportViewer.WebForms, Version=11.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=89845dcd8080cc91" />
      </buildProviders>
    </compilation>
    <httpRuntime targetFramework="4.5" />
    <authentication mode="Forms">
      <forms defaultUrl="~/Default.aspx" loginUrl="~/login.aspx" slidingExpiration="true" timeout="2880">
      </forms>
    </authentication>
  </system.web>
  <!--https://www.codeproject.com/Articles/2905/Role-based-Security-with-Forms-Authentication-->
  <location path="Admin">
    <system.web>
      <authorization>
        <!-- Order and case are important below -->
        <allow roles="Admin, Student, Judge" />
        <deny users="?" />
      </authorization>
    </system.web>
  </location>
  <location path="Judges">
    <system.web>
      <authorization>
        <!-- Order and case are important below -->
        <allow roles="Judge" />
        <deny users="?" />
      </authorization>
    </system.web>
  </location>
  <location path="Students">
    <system.web>
      <authorization>
        <!-- Order and case are important below -->
        <allow roles="Student" />
        <deny users="?" />
      </authorization>
    </system.web>
  </location>
  <appSettings>
    <add key="ValidationSettings:UnobtrusiveValidationMode" value="None" />
    <add key="ChartImageHandler" value="storage=file;timeout=20;dir=c:\TempImageFiles\;" />
  </appSettings>
  <system.net>
    <mailSettings>
      <smtp deliveryMethod="Network" from="people@overthere.com">
        <network host="localhost" userName="" password="" defaultCredentials="true" />
      </smtp>
    </mailSettings>
  </system.net>
</configuration>

Answer 1

Web.config tells you where the login redirects to (Default.aspx):

<authentication mode="Forms">
    <forms defaultUrl="~/Default.aspx" 
        loginUrl="~/login.aspx"
        slidingExpiration="true" timeout="2880">
    </forms>
</authentication>

i have a login page that uses the web.config to redirect to the default page.

i also use a separate login control on certain pages that redirects to the page they're on.

note: if a user is not allowed on the page/directory they're trying to log in on, they are automatically redirected to the default page.