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What to Do When Your Network Is Blocking Access
What to Do When Your Network Is Blocking Access

Tips and guidance for how to handle a network that is blocking access to your virtual fair.

Chris avatar
Written by Chris
Updated over a week ago
  1. Test your network using our platform test page

  2. If any service registers as being blocked, please navigate to the service-specific section using the table below.

  3. Send the service specific link to your IT group who can help unblock it for you.

  4. Reach out to us (support@careerfairplus.com) if you need short-term workarounds or need someone to get on a call with your IT group.

Google Firebase Authentication

This service is required for authentication into the platform. Without this service, users will not be able to log in and the platform will be completely unusable.

Domain Being Blocked: www.googleapis.com

Possible Causes

Potential Solutions

Domain or Google Apps is blocked via Firewall

IT to make a rule for affected users to allow firewall traffic for domain/Google App Engine

SSL traffic is being intercepted by a network security software/hardware

IT to add an SSL bypass rule for the particular domain.

See the section below for software-specific advice.

Google Firebase Cloud Functions

This service is required for certain important functions on the platform like creating video schedules, inviting colleagues, or viewing resumes.

Domains Being Blocked: api.careerfairplus.com

Possible Causes

Potential Solutions

Domain or Google Apps blocked via Firewall

IT to make a rule for affected users to allow firewall traffic for domain/Google App Engine

SSL traffic is being intercepted by a network security software/hardware

IT to add an SSL bypass rule for the particular domain.

See the section below for software-specific advice.

Google Firebase Firestore

This service is required to access basic pages on our platform. Without this service, users will not be able to create an account, create a schedule, or view existing schedule information and the platform will be completely unusable.

Domain Being Blocked: firestore.googleapis.com

Possible Causes

Potential Solutions

Domain or Google Apps blocked via Firewall

IT to make a rule for affected users to allow firewall traffic for domain/Google App Engine

SSL traffic is being intercepted by a network security software/hardware

IT to add an SSL bypass rule for the particular domain.

See the section below for software-specific advice.

Google Firebase Cloud Storage

This service is required to view candidate resumes and profile pictures.

Domain Being Blocked: firebasestorage.googleapis.com

Possible Causes

Potential Solutions

Domain or Google Apps blocked via Firewall

IT to make a rule for affected users to allow firewall traffic for domain/Google App Engine

Amazon S3

This service is required for basic navigation around the platform. Without this service the platform will be completely unusable.

Domain Being Blocked: CareerFairPlus.s3.amazonaws.com

Possible Causes

Potential Solutions

Domain blocked via Firewall

IT to make a rule for affected users to allow firewall traffic for domain

Amazon CloudFront

This service is required to view company logos and download a resume packet.

Domains Being Blocked: cdn.careerfairplus.com, der5bhfwobe85.cloudfront.net

Possible Causes

Potential Solutions

Domain blocked via Firewall

IT to make a rule for affected users to allow firewall traffic for domain

Microsoft Viewer

This service is required to view certain candidate resumes in the MS Word format.

Domain Being Blocked: view.officeapps.live.com

Possible Causes

Potential Solutions

Domain blocked via Firewall

IT to make a rule for affected users to allow firewall traffic for domain

Whereby Video Chat

This service is required to participate in video meetings on our platform. You can use your own video service if you prefer, but if you wish to use ours, please reference this article and this one which will walk you through the network requirements.

Domain Being Blocked: *.whereby.com

Ports Being Blocked: 443 (TCP & UDP)

Possible Causes

Potential Solutions

Domain blocked via Firewall

IT to make a rule for affected users to allow firewall traffic for domain

VPN software interfering with connection

Disable your VPN software or try using your phone or personal computer

Wifi connection is not fast or computer is slow

Switch to "Mobile Mode" in Whereby

  1. Click on the settings cog at the top right

  2. Click on Advanced

  3. Enable "Mobile Mode" which lowers bandwidth requirements

Are you using Zscaler, Digital Guardian, CensorNet (USS), or Other Security Software?

These pieces of software may cause some issues. We have customers who have successfully resolved those issues and shared their techniques.

Zscaler

If you have Zscaler and are not able to access Career Fair Plus, we have reports that adding an SSL bypass rule for the api.careerfairplus.com domain will resolve blocking issues with Career Fair Plus. Here is a link for more information: https://help.zscaler.com/zia/controlling-access-google-consumer-apps

Also helpful is configuring SSL Certificate Pinning for Google Shared Services as outlined here:

Digital Guardian

From a customer:

Digital Guardian will need to make an exception for the Career Fair Plus domain and Firebase domains and the app works for us in Chrome.

Speaking in DG parlance, DG created a dynamic group with the exceptions to the policy and then assigned the workstations to the dynamic group that needed the exceptions. Another option is to add the exclusion for all workstations which just needs the exceptions added to the policy.

CensorNet (USS)

The USS gateway proxy applicate is version 1.2.0 and above

There is an SSL interception bypass for api.careerfairplus.com (this bypass will be necessary for initial login into the portal)

Other Security Software

Every organization uses a different set of security tools to try to keep its network and users safe. If you don't use Zscalar or Digital Guardian, but none of the other tips in this article are helping, we recommend reviewing the tips for those platforms anyways to see if any apply to your security software as well.

Specifically, customers have reported the most luck adding an SSL decryption bypass rule for api.careerfairplus.com (or for googleapis.com in general), and also configuring their software to handle SSL Certificate Pinning (see the Zscaler section, above).

Don't have Zscaler, Digital Guardian, CensorNet, or other security software?

Here are some things you can try if you don't use Zscaler or Digital Guardian and your network's security settings are preventing you from accessing your Career Fair Plus virtual fair.

Use a Different Network

The first and easiest thing to try is to access the Career Fair Plus web app using a different network that doesn't have the same restrictions.

This could mean using your home Wi-Fi network, using a cellular connection if you're on a phone or tablet with that capability, or even trying your company's guest Wi-Fi if that has fewer restrictions.

Use a Different Device

If you're using a company-issued computer and changing your network either didn't work or isn't an option, then the computer itself may have security measures that are blocking your access.

Try accessing the Career Fair Plus web app using a personal computer or mobile device to see if that solves the problem.

See if Your IT Department will Allow-List Our Application

If you have some time before your fair, and using a different network or device isn't an option, you can try to work with your IT department to unblock the Career Fair Plus site.

The Career Fair Plus application uses Google's Firebase and Firestore applications to serve up the data necessary for the application to run. You or your IT department can use this link to test to see what portions of Firebase or Firestore are being blocked by the network and whitelist them, allowing you and your co-workers access.

Copy the following text to send to your IT department:

Hi,

I am attending an upcoming virtual career fair that is using the Career Fair Plus platform. It appears that our network is blocking the ability for the Career Fair Plus web app to contact Google Firebase, which supplies schedule and candidate data to the application.

If we are using Zscalar, Digital Guardian, Censor Net or something similar, an SSL Bypass rule may needed to be added for firestore.googleapis.com (see here)

If adding the rule above doesn't solve the problem, would it be possible to allow the following on our network, at least for myself:

The following URLs need to be allow-listed:

  • *.googleapis.com

    • firestore.googleapis.com

    • firebasestorage.googleapis.com

    • longrunning.googleapis.com

    • storage.googleapis.com

  • *.careerfairplus.com

    • cdn.careerfairplus.com

    • api.careerfairplus.com

  • CareerFairPlus.s3.amazonaws.com

Thank you for your assistance.

Regards,

Contact Career Fair Plus Technical Support

If none of the above options work, or there is not enough time to try the IT route, reach out to our support team at support@careerfairplus.com and we can work with you to find a solution that will allow you to meet with any candidates that have booked reservations.

In order to help us diagnose your issue more quickly, please provide a screenshot of your browser's development console at the time you're experiencing the issue.

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