Smoothwall - websites stopped working

[dapaulio]

Recently we have had several websites in several schools all experience issues with their website not loading properly. This includes Seneca, room booking system, blooket, accessacloud, Facebook, twitter and several sites who have checkouts, eg premier inn, Amazon, etc there are loads others also and likely loads that not been reported either. I’m already seeing this to be a massive job to resolve

 

All sites have smoothwall all on different versions dating back to Leeds 63 to recent 68

 

I found that suddenly these sites are partially blocking with 407 proxy authentication errors.

They are all the affiliated sites causing the website to not function or display properly

 

Has there been and smoothwall recategorisations that could have caused this sudden partial block of un authenticated traffic?

Tia

[timbo343]

Recently we have had several websites in several schools all experience issues with their website not loading properly. This includes Seneca, room booking system, blooket, accessacloud, Facebook, twitter and several sites who have checkouts, eg premier inn, Amazon, etc there are loads others also and likely loads that not been reported either. I’m already seeing this to be a massive job to resolve

 

All sites have smoothwall all on different versions dating back to Leeds 63 to recent 68

 

I found that suddenly these sites are partially blocking with 407 proxy authentication errors.

They are all the affiliated sites causing the website to not function or display properly

 

Has there been and smoothwall recategorisations that could have caused this sudden partial block of un authenticated traffic?

Tia

There was an email that went out a couple if weeks ago about filter categories changing. Could you be seeing the affects of this?

 

What’s changing?

 

Our current system has Parent Categories and Sub-Categories. Parent Categories cannot be used for filtering or reporting, whereas Sub-Categories can and cover broad categories or specific websites and services. To clarify the distinction, we are adopting a new standardised terminology.

 

 

 

New Terminology and Structure

 

Our categories have been updated and organised into themes. Unused or outdated categories have been deprecated. Our revised categories are now more descriptive and relevant. The new category hierarchy will consist of three distinct tiers:

 

 

 

Themes (previously Parent Category)- sit at the top of the category hierarchy, and cannot be used for filtering or reporting. Examples of themes include ‘Mature and Explicit’’ and ‘Information and Reference’. The number of themes we supply as part of the filter blocklist have been consolidated and reduced from 16 to 10.

 

Categories (previously Sub Category)- make up the second tier of our category hierarchy and can be used for filtering and reporting purposes. All categories belong to a specific theme. Example categories include; ‘Pornography’, ‘Drugs’, and ‘Video Games’.

 

Signatures- will now form the third tier of our category hierarchy. Signatures target a single specific website or service. Examples include; ‘Netflix’, ‘Facebook’, and ‘YouTube’.

 

696 new signatures will be introduced, relating to services now commonly found in the digital classroom. These additions will provide significantly more granularity around what can be filtered. For example; Theme - Arts and Entertainment> Category - Sports> Signature - SkySports.

 

I presume you have Idex set up as idex will remove the 407 errors.

[lmgtfy]

Thanks for this, it's the first I've heard of this. I don't recall any email unless I've missed it [emoji1743]

[dapaulio]

Interesting reading . I didn’t see this email either

 

although i don’t think whether we are using “themes” or parent categories to block. We Tend to create a core block category group and a student uap category group used with a block rule which ticks the categories they not allowed. Then we fine tune with creating custom categories for websites and services which operate under http and auth exception rules. Explicit group rules like allowing social media are bonded to a ad security group and specific web filtering rule is then applied.We Using ntlm identification practically in most schools still and using idex in others and we still finding issue with most sites but worth me checking to see whether idex schools are affected

 

Is that update being rolled out with a major or minor release eg Leeds 68 or is this recategorisation and terminology being rolled out thru definition updates?

[ibpalle]

The 407 issue is authentication problems. The proxy is likely still using ntlm or Kerberos. Check that the directory connection is still working, time is right etc.

 

The recategorisation is not being rolled out yet - soon though.

[timbo343]

The 407 issue is authentication problems. The proxy is likely still using ntlm or Kerberos. Check that the directory connection is still working, time is right etc.

 

The recategorisation is not being rolled out yet - soon though.

 

Is it worth the OP to set the Authentication to "Core Auth"?

[ibpalle]

Core auth works by using the login information already present - normally provided by iDex agent, login scripts or RADIUS. For anyone still using ntlm or kerberos for proxy authentication, I'd recommend moving to iDex agent and core auth.

[dapaulio]

I appreciate the advice thanks