Bypassing Web Filtering
If the Web Security Service can't access certain sites, you can configure the DWP to bypass the service and send requests directly to the sites.
Note: You can bypass web filtering at the account level or group level. In either case, the procedure is the same. For more information, see Configuring the Desktop Web Proxy (DWP).
You can bypass filtering using one of these approaches:
- Bypass both DWP and the Web Security Service so that the browser takes the users directly to the specified sites. This method takes the highest precedence and uses the exception list entered into the browser. For convenience, define your lists in the account's or group's DWP Configuration subtab. After DWP receives this information, DWP updates the users' browser exception list. Browsers have their own syntax for entering multiple items on a list. The Management Portal requires you to use a single format, but DWP converts the format later to conform to the browser's syntax.
- Use DWP to bypass the Web Security Service if the specified sites are accessed. The procedure instructs you to enter the sites using a prescribed syntax.
- Bypass filtering for local (Intranet) sites. This option works with IE browsers only.
Caution: No filtering, and therefore no policy, is applied when users access these URLs. Access to the URLs are not logged.
To bypass web filtering and enter an exception list in the browser:
- Open the DWP Configuration subtab in Edit mode.
- Scroll down and verify that Activate DWP on Install is selected.
- In the Browser Bypass: Browser connects directly to the Internet text box, enter the sites stored in the browser's exception list. Use a semicolon to separate the site entries.
DWP converts the syntax into a browser-specific supported format. Both DWP and the Web Security Service are bypassed for these sites.
- Verify that the exception list is created in the browser.
To access sites directly using DWP and bypass web filtering:
-
In the DWP Bypass: DWP connects directly to the Internet text box, enter the URLs to be accessed directly by DWP without going through the Web Security Service. Use one line per domain. Don't use IP addresses in place of domain names.
Use this general format:
domainname=DIRECT
Replace domainname with one of these values:
- The fully qualified notation of the domain, so that the bypass is specific to that domain.
-
A partial domain notation, to include subdomains within a domain.
For partial domains or URLs, start your entry with a leading dot (.) to include any secondlevel domains within a domain.
The allowed formats are:
maps.google.com=DIRECT
google.com=DIRECT
google=DIRECT
www.google.com=DIRECT
If you accidentally type a forward slash within the entries, the browser session might end.
- For Internet Explorer browsers only: If you want to bypass filtering for local (Intranet) sites, select the checkbox next to Use the IE Browser setting 'Bypass proxy server for local address':
- Click Save.
This checkbox on the DWP Configuration subtab updates Internet Explorer's Proxy server settings in the LAN Settings dialog.
The DWP client installations poll the service every 15 minutes for changes. DWP can also be restarted to get updates any time. Once these changes are propagated to the clients, the DWP users' browsers are updated with the exception list that conforms to the browser's required syntax.
