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Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 5:51 pm
by LakeyTW
Alan_Brown wrote:If we do work through the process of submitting requests for access to blocked sites, and a previously blocked site is allowed, is that request processed for just that one firewall installation, or is the new permission pushed out to all users of the LDS Extended Access profile?
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Access policies are applied at the profile level, not the device level. All devices with the same configuration use the same access policies.

How do we report sites that should not be blocked?

Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 9:51 pm
by aebrown
lakeytw wrote:I believe there is a link from the block page to request access to a site be reviewed.
tomw wrote:
lakeytw wrote:I believe the process for requesting sites be reviewed and recategorized is by submitting them from the block page.

This is correct. There is a team that reviews the submitted sites.

Tom

I went to the building that has LDS Extended Access, prepared to follow this helpful advice and submit some requests for site access, only to find that in truth the block page has no link that allows for an access request. It only has one link that allows you to view the policy, which contains no further links and really is not helpful for this situation.

Here is the screen that is displayed:
block.jpg
block.jpg (9.98 KiB) Viewed 1095 times

So I repeat my original question: how do we request adjustments to the filtering? If there is a team that "reviews the submitted sites," how do I contact that team or in any other way submit sites for review?

Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 9:58 pm
by aebrown
danpass wrote:We are configured with LDS Extended Access. For several weeks, I have known that there is a problem logging into the local unit part of ldscatalog from meetinghouse computers. However, the problem does not manifest itself as an obvious filter block (we don't get the filter page saying that the site is blocked). We can get to the login page with no problem at all. It is when we enter the userid and password for the unit and attempt to login, that we get an error from the server saying that the page is currently not available (or something to that effect). This problem occurs using either Firefox or IE and it occurs on administrative computers as well as my own laptop (Linux/Firefox). Yesterday, for testing purposes, I briefly connected my laptop directly to the building Internet connection, bypassing the firewall. I was able to log in with no problem at all.
I suspect that even though the filter doesn't block the ldscatalog site, behind the scenes, it is probably blocking the authentication process from accessing some other server.

Dan, thanks for checking this out and reporting your experience. I did a follow-up test and now I see why we seemed to have different results. If you try to go directly to "ldscatalog.com" you will immediately get the block message I reported in my previous post. However, when I go to www.ldscatalog.com I see exactly what you reported above. So including the www makes a difference, but the filtering still stops you from logging in, which is what we really need to do.

Similarly, I found that going to byubroadcasting.org results in an immedate block, but if we had not been blocked, we would have been redirected to www.byub.org. On LDS Extended Access, if I go to www.byub.org, I am allowed into the site. However, if I then try to listen to an MP3 (for example, President Monson's address to BYU Women's Conference), I get the following block message:
block3.jpg
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Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 12:48 am
by russellhltn
Just for compairson, here's the block screen from a FHC.

Notice the policy is "General Access". There's also a link to ask for new sites to be added.

Image

All links given in the first message seem to work normally.

Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 6:44 am
by LakeyTW
Oops, I didn't realize there were two different block pages for FHC and these new CCN sites. Let me check into why it was implemented this way and see what can be done.

Tom

Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 6:51 am
by aebrown
lakeytw wrote:Oops, I didn't realize there were two different block pages for FHC and these new CCN sites. Let me check into why it was implemented this way and see what can be done.

Tom

Thanks for looking into this. However, just to clarify, the FHC and CCN are usually the same sites.

Where I am reporting problems is with the Church-managed ASA firewall (not the PIX that is typically in the CCN nodes that are part of FHCs). These ASA firewalls are installed as part of the new Meetinghouse Internet program where the stake installs everything, and also purchases everything, except the ASA firewall which is supplied by the Church. If I understand the terminology properly, these are not CCN sites.

Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 7:04 am
by LakeyTW
Alan_Brown wrote:Thanks for looking into this. However, just to clarify, the FHC and CCN are usually the same sites.

Where I am reporting problems is with the Church-managed ASA firewall (not the PIX that is typically in the CCN nodes that are part of FHCs). These ASA firewalls are installed as part of the new Meetinghouse Internet program where the stake installs everything, and also purchases everything, except the ASA firewall which is supplied by the Church. If I understand the terminology properly, these are not CCN sites.
Actually, CCN is a term used to describe all sorts of Church networks. CCN stands for Church Communications Network. And there are various categories of sites which are all CCN sites, including FHC sites, local meeting houses, welfare offices etc. The ASA firewall is simply the replacement product for the PIX firewall. The web filtering should be handled similarly I believe, but I will see if I can find out why you are getting a different block page.

Tom

Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 8:43 am
by aebrown
lakeytw wrote:Actually, CCN is a term used to describe all sorts of Church networks. CCN stands for Church Computing Network. And there are various categories of sites which are all CCN sites, including FHC sites, local meeting houses, welfare offices etc. The ASA firewall is simply the replacement product for the PIX firewall. The web filtering should be handled similarly I believe, but I will see if I can find out why you are getting a different block page.

Tom
Thanks for the clarification. I had only seen the term CCN used in conjunction with the Church connections that were set up in FHCs and FM offices, so I incorrectly assumed that "CCN" did not encompass the new Meetinghouse Internet program installations.

In the 11 Feb 2008 letter, the term CCN is defined as "Church Communications Network," which I believe is indeed the precise term, not that it matters much. In any case, I'll try to be more careful in my use of the terms so I don't confuse people (or myself!).

Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 8:50 am
by LakeyTW
Alan_Brown wrote:Thanks for the clarification. I had only seen the term CCN used in conjunction with the Church connections that were set up in FHCs and FM offices, so I incorrectly assumed that "CCN" did not encompass the new Meetinghouse Internet program installations.

In the 11 Feb 2008 letter, the term CCN is defined as "Church Communications Network," which I believe is indeed the precise term, not that it matters much. In any case, I'll try to be more careful in my use of the terms so I don't confuse people (or myself!).
Yes. CCN should be Church Communications Network... so many acronyms...

Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 10:47 am
by aebrown
lakeytw wrote:Oops, I didn't realize there were two different block pages for FHC and these new CCN sites. Let me check into why it was implemented this way and see what can be done.

Tom
Has there been any progress on this?

Although it would be nice to see the LDS Extended Access block page changed so that we can request the unblocking of useful, appropriate sites, I would find it acceptable to have any way to request unblocking. At this point, I don't have any idea how to make such a request.