Unblocking Websites & Pages
Introduction:
Unblocking a URL is a straightforward task in SchoolProtect, however, you may find that most of the time you don't actually need to unblock. The methods below will talk you through whether you need to unblock a URL, or if there are other methods to get access to what you need.
1. URL Recategorisation:
If you believe the URL has been categorised incorrectly you can request for the site/URL to be recategorised. You can quickly check which categories a URL belongs to by using the 'check a URL' tool on the home page of SchoolProtect. If you think that the assigned category is wrong please then follow the steps below.
To recategorise a URL, you do this in the SchoolProtect admin console, the going to System Admin - URL Recategorisation:
In this example, we've checked for google.com:
You can see that the category name is Technology. Therefore, if you have Technology as a category blocked, you won't be getting google.com. If you click on the change category button, you'll be greeted with the option to attempt a URL recategorisation:
After submitting this. This request will be sent away for review.
2. Bundles:
Bundles in SchoolProtect are groups of websites that are required to allow a website as a whole to function. For example, to be able to block/allow Facebook, you need to block/allow a number of different URLs. To save you time, we have already created System Bundles that can be used by the SchoolProtect administrator, which already group the necessary websites required for popular websites. You can also create your own bundles (Establishment Bundles).
Bundles are found here:
As you can see, you have:
Establishment Bundles:
Establishment Bundles are bundles in which a school can create a bundle of websites to allow or block, saving the time manually entering those sites.
Group Bundles:
Group Bundles are bundles in which you can group together sites. If you were a trust, you can make a group bundle, and share this across all your sites.
System Bundles:
System Bundles are bundles put together for you, that will allow websites that you may be struggling finding the exact URLs you need to unblock.
3. Hidden URLs and Ports:
Often, to unblock a website, you need to unblock a number of different URLS. Some websites will host videos on a separate website, so, even if you unblock the main site, the videos still may not play. An easy way to see this, would be by running an IP report, this is where you can run a report for one device. You'll receive a list of URLs that machine has been trying to access, alongside a report of whether the URL was blocked or unblocked. Some websites also require ports to be unblocked, https://example.com:8443 would require the port 8443 to be unblocked via a firewall or MIP request.
4. How to Unblock a URL:
In order to unblock, you will firstly need to set up policies to unblock against. A basic structure is highlighted here.
Once your structure is in place, you've been through each of the above, and decided you do indeed want to unblock your website, this is done by going to the URLs Overview page. On this page you will see your policies. You can click add new URL, and allow this for the selected policy.
If you've made a mistake, you can delete the entry you just made by simply pressing the red X to the right of the entry:
5. Embedded Content:
Rather than needing to unblock social media sites like YouTube, Vimeo, or TikTok, or spending valuable time hunting down the specific URLs required to allow a particular hosted video to play, you can leverage SchoolProtect's Embedded Content feature. This feature allows you to permit specific, individual pieces of embedded content to function within your school's network without opening up access to the entire parent site. This is particularly useful for teachers who want to use a specific educational video hosted on a platform like YouTube in their lesson plans without allowing students unrestricted access to the rest of the site's content. For more details on how to set up and manage the Embedded Content feature, please refer to the SchoolProtect user manual here.
6. Troubleshooting and Testing:
For troubleshooting and testing, SchoolProtect has a feature called Reports. Under Reports, you can create, or schedule reports to accurately provide information on what is being blocked, or being allowed through. For example, an IP report can be generated to report back from an individual IP of a machine. This will give you a report that will show what is being blocked or allowed through. You can see more details on the Dashboard, which will provide you with an overview, and will also assist hugely in troubleshooting any problems.
Dashboard information here...