Troubleshooting Web Limiting
Overview
With LanSchool, teachers can help students focus on their work by limiting online access to approved websites and even disabling internet access during tests and quizzes. LanSchool relies on the LanSchool Student client running on the student devices to enforce these policies. To support web limiting in most browser, a companion browser extension is also required.
Who Should Use This Guide?
This article is designed to help IT Administrators troubleshoot instances where LanSchool Web Limiting is not being enforced. The LanSchool Web Helper browser extension must be installed in each web browser in order to enforce the teacher's desired limiting policy. The steps to troubleshoot this are different for each web browser.
Teachers should refer to this overview of how to setup and use web limiting for use in their classroom.
If the student devices are macOS 11.0 (Big Sur) please see Granting macOS Privacy Approvals for LanSchool Using an MDM on how to apply browser extension profiles for Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based, Version 85+). If you are using LanSchool Classic in a Thin Client/ Terminal Services environment, web limiting is not supported.
Troubleshooting Web Limiting
Google Chrome
Web limiting for the Google Chrome browser utilizes the LanSchool Web Helper browser extension. By default, this browser extension is installed as part of the student install on Windows and Mac devices below 11.0 (Big Sur), and deployed via Google Admin for Chromebooks.
Step 1: Confirm Extension Is Installed
- On a student device, open the Chrome browser and navigate to Settings > Extensions or enter chrome://extensions in the address bar.
- Confirm that the LanSchool Web Helper extension is installed and enabled
- If the extension is not installed, contact your LanSchool IT Admin or proceed to Step 2.
Step 2: Re-deploy the Extension If Required
By default, the LanSchool Student installer will attempt to automatically install the Web Helper extension into Chrome. In some environments, this will fail if Chrome has not yet been installed or local policies require extensions be deployed another way.
Deploying Chrome Extension Using Google Admin
Students will need to authenticate to the Chrome browser on their device in order for assigned extensions to be force-installed. To assign the LanSchool Web Helper to students so it is force-installed with they sign in, follow these steps.
- Login to Google Admin
- Navigate to Devices > Chrome > Apps & Extensions > User and Browser Settings
- Select the OU containing student user accounts.
- Add an extension from the Chrome Web Store
- Search for LanSchool Web Helper and select it.
- Set the Installation Policy to Force Install
- Click Save
Deploying Chrome Extension Using Active Directory Group Policy (GPO)
If the LanSchool student client fails to install the LanSchool Web Helper extension, or if you have an existing list of force installed extensions in the Chrome browser, you may need to create/modify the following Group Policy to deploy the extension to student Windows devices:
- Open the Group Policy Management Console
- Navigate to User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Google\Google Chrome\Extensions
- Go to "Configure the list of forced-installed apps and extension" and enable it.
- Click the Show button.
- Enter the following in an available line: honjcnefekfnompampcpmcdadibmjhlk;http://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx
- Deploy the policy, then refresh the Group Polices on the student machine.
Step 3: Confirm Windows Proxy Settings
If your organization is utilizing a proxy server to manage internet traffic, you will need to modify the following setting in Windows either locally or through Group Policy.
- Open the control panel on the student computer and navigate to Internet Options
- Click on the Connections Tab
- Click on the LAN Settings button.
- Select the option for "Bypass proxy server for local addresses" and click OK
Once you have performed these steps, open the Chrome browser and enter localhost:56797 in the address bar. If a window opens asking for authorization, please reboot the student computer and try these steps again. LanSchool requires that the student device be able to access this port locally without being interrupted by the proxy.
Mozilla Firefox
Due to changes in Mozilla Firefox's requirements the support of the Mozilla Firefox extension is currently under review.
Web limiting for Firefox utilizes the LanSchool Web Helper browser extension. By default, this browser extension is installed as part of the student install on Windows and Mac devices. In some environments, this will fail if Firefox has not yet been installed or local policies require extensions be deployed another way.
Step 1: Confirm Extension Is Installed
- On a student device, open the Firefox browser and navigate to Settings > Add-Ons > Extensions or enter about:addons in the address bar.
- Confirm that the LanSchool Web Helper extension is installed and enabled.
- If the extension is not installed, contact your LanSchool IT Admin or proceed to Step 2.
Step 2: Deploy the Extension via Policy If Required
If the LanSchool student client fails to install the LanSchool Web Helper extension, or if you have an existing list of force installed extensions in the Firefox browser, you may need to create/modify the following Group Policy to deploy the extension to student Windows devices:
- Open the Group Policy Management Console
- Navigate to \Software\Policies\Mozilla\Firefox\Extensions\ (Firefox ADMX Templates Required)
- Add the following Group Policy values:
“Install” : “https://www.stonewarefiles.com/lanschool/firefox/ffwebhelper.xpi%22
“Locked” : “webhelperEd@lanschool.com" - Deploy the new policy and perform a Group Policy update on the student devices.
- Confirm that the LanSchool Web Helper extension was successfully installed.
See Mozilla's documentation for other methods of deploying extensions using Intune, policies.JSON and other tools. If using policies.JSON, refer to this example file for the LanSchool Web Helper.
Microsoft Edge
LanSchool Classic 9.0.1.154 and above now supports web limiting for the Microsoft Edge browser (Chromium-based, Version 85+). By default, this browser extension is installed as part of the student install on Windows devices and Mac devices below 11.0 (Big Sur).
Step 1: Confirm Extension Is Installed
- On a student device, open the Edge browser and navigate to Settings > Extensions.
- Confirm that the LanSchool Web Helper extension is installed and enabled.
- If the extension is not installed, contact your LanSchool IT Admin or proceed to Step 2.
Step 2: Deploy the Extension via Group Policy If Required
If the LanSchool student client fails to install the LanSchool Web Helper extension, or if you have an existing list of force installed extensions in the Edge browser, you may need to create/modify the following Group Policy to deploy the extension to student Windows devices:
- Open the Group Policy Management Console.
- Navigate to User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Microsoft Edge\Extensions (Edge ADMX Templates Required)
- Go to "Control which extensions are installed silently" and enable it
- Click the Show button.
- Enter the following extension ID: hbonijggfojboimdmhilgnikbkeodiha
- Deploy the new policy and perform a Group Policy update on the student devices.
- Confirm that the LanSchool Web Helper extension was successfully installed.
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