Custom Web Client with support for GZip compression and cookies (authentication)

CustomWebClient

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Net;
using System.Text;

namespace MyNamespace
{
    /// <summary>
    /// This web client supports Gzip compression and authentication.
    /// </summary>
    public class CustomWebClient : WebClient
    {
        public CustomWebClient()
        {
            AuthenticationTicket = string.Empty;
            LocationCode = string.Empty;
        }

        public string AuthenticationTicket { get; set; }
        public string LocationCode { get; set; }

        private void AddAuthenticationCookies(Uri path)
        {
            var c = CookieContainer;

            // example how to add pre-set cookies.
            // c.Add(new Cookie(".AUTH", AuthenticationTicket, "", path.DnsSafeHost));

        }

        private CookieContainer _cookieContainer;
        public CookieContainer CookieContainer
        {
            get
            {
                return _cookieContainer ?? (_cookieContainer = new CookieContainer());
            }
            set { _cookieContainer = value; }
        }

        protected override WebRequest GetWebRequest(Uri address)
        {
            var request = (HttpWebRequest)base.GetWebRequest(address);

            if (request != null)
            {
                request.AutomaticDecompression = DecompressionMethods.GZip | DecompressionMethods.Deflate;

                // set up cookies
                AddAuthenticationCookies(address);

                request.CookieContainer = this.CookieContainer;
            }

            return request;
        }
    }
}