Troubleshooting Blocked or Malfunctioning Websites with Smoothwall

Troubleshooting Blocked or Malfunctioning Websites: When troubleshooting blocked or malfunctioning websites, it can be a complex process due to the multiple components that make up web pages, which are often sourced from different domains. To effectively troubleshoot these issues, there are several steps and tools that can be utilized. One important source of information is the blockpage.

This provides details such as the categories associated with the blocked website, the user group affected, the IP address involved, and the reason for the block. Understanding this information can help in identifying the root cause of the block.


To begin the unblocking process, the policy tester tool can be used. This tool can be accessed through the Guardian interface by navigating to "Quick links" and selecting "Policy Tester". The policy tester provides policy information and HTTP codes that can shed light on why a website is being blocked. In addition to the policy tester, real-time web filter logs can be helpful in identifying additional blocked sites. These logs can be accessed through the Reports section of the Guardian interface by selecting "Realtime" and then "Web filter". Analyzing these logs can provide insights into websites that may have been blocked but were not initially identified. Once the blocked websites have been identified, the next step is to unblock them. This can be done through the Guardian interface by navigating to "Web filter" and selecting "Manage policies". Here, the blocked sites can be categorized and a new category can be created if necessary. Creating a new category allows for more granular control over website access. After the categorization is complete, a web filter policy needs to be formulated. This policy should include the newly created category and the relevant user groups that should have access to the website. The action for the policy should be set to "Allow" to ensure that the website is unblocked. It is also important to position the new policy appropriately in the policy table to ensure that it takes effect. To verify that the policy is being applied correctly, the policy tester tool can be used again. This will confirm whether the policy is allowing access to the previously blocked website. There are a few key distinctions to keep in mind when unblocking websites. The "Allow" action not only grants access to the website but also applies HTTPS inspection and content modification. On the other hand, the "Do Not Filter" action simply allows access without any additional inspection or modification. When dealing with authentication issues, such as NTLM/Kerberos authentication problems, it may be necessary to add problematic sites to exceptions. This can be done through the Web proxy settings by navigating to "Authentication" and selecting "Exceptions". By adding the problematic sites to the exceptions list, it is possible to bypass authentication issues and allow access to the website. It is also important to avoid blocking sites as unauthenticated IPs. Doing so can lead to unintended consequences and may cause issues with accessing certain websites. If there are any further issues or questions regarding troubleshooting blocked or malfunctioning websites, you can contact [e-mail] for assistance.