If you have been using the Internet then there is a good chance that you have heard the term “firewall”. A firewall is used on the network or local PC to prevent unauthorised access and certain types of internet traffic on your PC.

The firewall runs between your PC / Network and the Internet. It can be set to allow or deny users access to certain web sites and protocols found on the Internet.

If you are experiencing problems with a website that you have always had access to then likelihood is there may be a problem with the actual website itself or there may be a problem on the network. If you can access other websites but not the one in question then there will more than likely be a problem with the site. A call or e-mail to the people who run the site will probably reveal the problem.

If the website that is not working is not one that you normally access and other users that do can view it then there is a good chance that you are not set in the firewall for access. A call or E-mail to the IT support team asking for access will more than normally be enough to solve the issue.

Another scenario is a website that you can normally access has a service or area that you have not ever used before and does not seem to be doing what it is supposed to. It is possible that the website may be requesting your PC use certain software or protocols that are not allowed by default on the firewall. Again IT Support or whoever is responsible for the firewall will be able to add these settings to the firewall to allow you the proper access.

If you are using a stand alone or home PC and are running one of the many different firewalls available (which is recommended) and you are having problems, it is possible to change the settings within the software – see the suppliers website or help function for advice.