Problem loading a couple of schools' websites

[Pete Mundy]

Dear List (or the subset who are around in the holidays ;)

Got a bit of a weird one that cropped up a couple of weeks ago with a couple of local primary schools who have their websites hosted through wix.com. The sites load up fine on any machine on the public internet. But every machine I've tested that is on an N4L connection simply loads a blank white page (but still titled with the right name at the top of the window!).

Would anyone else care to give this a try for me? Eg someone who has remote acccess to machines both inside and outside N4L?

The sites in question are:

http://cliftontce.school.nz/

http://ennerglynn.school.nz/

My testing thus-far has included:

- confirming the sites won't load on different browsers (Safari, Chrome & Firefox) when on N4L links

- confirming the sites won't load on different machines (tried Mac OS X 10.8, 10.10, 10.11 & 10.12, plus Midori on a Raspberry Pi) when on N4L links

- confirming the sites DO load OK on a couple of those same test machines when connected to public internet (eg via 4G phone wifi hotspot, or via wifi at my workshop)

- in the EGS case, I put bypass lines into the N4L web-filtering config for the school's own URLs and tested it again about 15 mins later but got the same results.

It looks like WIX's service is implemented on AWS, so I can't add the servers' IPv4 literals themselves. I note that when the sites are accessed via http, wix redirects the client to the https version. When the https version loads, the padlock is green. I have only tested from Mac clients (and that Raspberry Pi), so I'd be interested to discover what Windows does.

I guess my next step is to escalate it to N4L helpdesk, I just thought I'd check here first to see if others can confirm they're seeing the same thing.

Cheers,

Pete Mundy

[Keith Craig]

Pete,
We are not on N4L - got our own filtering onsite. I can get to Clifton on my iPhone (via Wifi) but not my Mac – same connection.
Edit – it is now working on the Mac.

Regards

Keith

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Keith Craig BCom PGDipBus(IS) CNE
Systems Administrator
Phone +64 9 5231060 x843 Mobile +64 (0) 21541549

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[Tim Harper]

Hi Pete,

I can confirm that the sites work happily from a standard public connection.

I can replicate the behaviour you are seeing here inside N4L for both sites - a white page.  If I view the page source it all seems to be there - it just does not display.

regards,

Tim Harper


Phone 03 443 5167 (messages cannot be left on this number)
Mobile 027 443 1236

t...@mtaspiring.school.nz
www.mtaspiring.school.nz

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[Pete Mundy]

> I can replicate the behaviour you are seeing here inside N4L for both sites - a white page. If I view the page source it all seems to be there - it just does not display.

Thanks Tim. I noticed the page source looked similar too (although there are differences according to a 'diff' of the two outputs; but those may just be because they were served from differing load balancer servers).

But although they are similar, I don't understand the JavaScript so couldn't make an informed decision as to whether it was exactly the same, or perhaps if some other page/object referenced within differed instead.

My current hypothesis is this is related to the web filtering service (given it's OK on public internet and OK on N4L links with web filtering disabled), so I'll escalate to N4L and see what they can discover :)

Thanks for the helpful & prompt replies all!

Pete

[Pete Mundy]

How's this for impressive - thread closure within 30 minutes!

I can confirm I've been in contact with the upper echelons of N4L tech, the problem has been replicated, confirmed as upstream, and is now under further investigation by those well above my pay grade.

Thanks again guys :)

Pete


> Begin forwarded message:

[Simon Wright]

I'm on N4L and they load fine.

The only thing probably different about my connection is that i'm not using any N4L filtering, just the connection.

Regards
Simon Wright
ICT Manager

Best for boys through the right learning
2 Arthur Street, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand p: 03 477 5527 | f: 03 477 5468 | c: 021 773 229 | w: obhs.school.nz

Respect - Whakaute | Courage - Toa | Honour - Hōnore | Perseverance - Manawanui | Excellence - Hiranga

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[Pete Mundy]

Heya Simon

Yep, it was confirmed as being related to the web-filtering service. Objects referenced inside the main page come off a different server for which the traffic is not passing through correctly.

Hence the main page source loads OK (and the title on the page), but the objects within do not.

I have every confidence it will now be resolved in due course :)

Cheers,

Pete

On 20/04/2017, at 11:16 am, Simon Wright <simon....@obhs.school.nz> wrote:

I'm on N4L and they load fine.

The only thing probably different about my connection is that i'm not using any N4L filtering, just the connection.

Regards
Simon Wright
ICT Manager

[Jonathan Webster]

Hi Pete, 

Issue was that the server serving up the java script has a poor reputation for sending out SPAM. N4L web filter (CWS) also pulls in a feed from senderbase.org to assist in decisions around web reputation. In this case it looks like there is an assumption that a server sending out spam is compromised and therefore not trusted.

We've run the pages though several stand alone scanners and it's looking clean, so will have that white listed :)

Thanks everyone, love watching the community band together on these things! 

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Jonathan Webster

Senior Engineer

The Network for Learning Ltd

M +64 220 40 3300  P 0800 LEARNING

A Suite 306, Geyser Building, 100 Parnell Road, Parnell, Auckland 1052

A PO Box 37118, Parnell, Auckland 1151  n4l.co.nz

[Tim Harper]

... and the whitelisting appears to have worked as I can now load the pages.

regards,

Tim Harper


Phone 03 443 5167 (messages cannot be left on this number)
Mobile 027 443 1236

t...@mtaspiring.school.nz
www.mtaspiring.school.nz

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to techies-for-schools+unsubscribe...@googlegroups.com.

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Jonathan Webster

Senior Engineer

The Network for Learning Ltd

M +64 220 40 3300  P 0800 LEARNING

A Suite 306, Geyser Building, 100 Parnell Road, Parnell, Auckland 1052

A PO Box 37118, Parnell, Auckland 1151  n4l.co.nz