Console Access to the WebBlocker Server

If you lose your network connection to WebBlocker Server and cannot log in with a web browser, you can use the predefined wgsupport user account to make a console connection to the WebBlocker Server. The wgsupport user has read-only access to the WebBlocker Server, and can only be used with a console connection.

When you make a console connection to the WebBlocker Server, the wgsupport user can review your network settings and determine why a connection cannot be made. This user can also assign a static IP address to any of the available Ethernet interfaces. You can then use that static IP address to connect to WebBlocker Server with a web browser and log in with a standard user account, such as the admin account.

The default wgsupport user credentials are:

  • User name — wgsupport
  • Passphrase — readwrite

The first time you make a console connection to WebBlocker Server, you must change the default password for the wgsupport user.

To make a console connection to WebBlocker Server:

  1. Log in to the vSphere Client or Hyper-V Manager and select your WebBlocker Server VM.
  2. Start a console connection to your WebBlocker Server VM.
  3. Type the user name wgsupport.
  4. Type the passphrase for the wgsupport account. The default password is readwrite.
  5. If this is the first time you logged in, follow the prompts to change the passphrase for the wgsupport account.
  6. Run the commands described in the next sections.
  7. To log out, type exit.

Set a Static IP Address

After you have made a console connection to WebBlocker Server with the wgsupport user account, you can run the command to set a static IP address for the external (Eth0) interface. The command tool that you use to change the IP address is in the /opt/watchguard/webblocker/bin directory. To change the IP address, you must specify this directory, run the wg_ip_addr.sh command, and type the new IP address and default gateway for the interface.

To configure WebBlocker Server with a static IP address:

  1. At the command line, type:

/opt/watchguard/webblocker/bin/wg_ip_addr.sh -i <IP address> -m <mask> -g <gateway>.

For example, to configure WebBlocker Server with a static IP address of 203.0.113.201/24 and a gateway of 203.0.113.1, type:

/opt/watchguard/webblocker/bin/wg_ip_addr.sh -i 203.0.113.201 -m 24 -g 203.0.113.1.

  1. Press Enter.

To see the options available for this command and the Help descriptions of the command options:

  1. At the command line, type:

/opt/watchguard/webblocker/bin/wg_ip_addr.sh --help.

  1. Press Enter.
    The options and Help text for the wg_ip_addr.sh command appear.

Find the External IP Address

If the external network has a DHCP server, the WebBlocker Server external interface is automatically assigned an IP address. You can use the command line to find the IP address and the interface information for your WebBlocker Server.

To find the WebBlocker Server external IP address:

  1. Log in to the vSphere Client or Hyper-V Manager and select your WebBlocker Server VM.
  2. Start a console connection to your WebBlocker Server VM.
  3. Type the user name wgsupport. Press Enter.
  4. Type the password you specified for the wgsupport account. Press Enter.
  5. Type ifconfig. Press Enter.
    The IP address information for all WebBlocker Server interfaces appears.

Find WebBlocker Server Network Interface Details

You can use the console connection to find the IP address, configuration details, and route information for the WebBlocker Server network interfaces.

To find the IP address and configuration details:

  1. Log in to the vSphere Client or Hyper-V Manager and select your WebBlocker Server VM.
  2. Start a console connection to your WebBlocker Server VM and type the credentials for the wgsupport user. Press Enter.
  3. Type ip addr show. Press Enter.
    The IP address assigned to the Eth0 interface and the configuration details for the interface appear.

To find the route information:

  1. Log in to the vSphere Client or Hyper-V Manager and select your WebBlocker Server VM.
  2. Start a console connection to your WebBlocker Server VM and type the credentials for the wgsupport user. Press Enter.
  3. Type ip route show. Press Enter.
    The route information for the eth0 interface appears.

Enable Support Access to WebBlocker Server for Diagnostics

If you cannot connect to WebBlocker Server in a web browser, you can make a console connection to your WebBlocker Server VM and run the wg_support_access.sh command to enable or disable support access to the WebBlocker Server, and specify the port to use for support access. The support access command is in the /opt/watchguard/webblocker/bin directory.

The options you can run with the support access command include:

  • -e — Enable support access
  • -d — Disable support access
  • -p — Specify the port number to use for support access
  • -h — See the available support access command options and exit the support access command
    To exit the support access command, the option is 0. If you typed the exit option in error, the option is 1.

You can also run the --help option to see the available support access commands.

To enable support access to WebBlocker Server and specify the port number:

  1. Log in to the vSphere Client or Hyper-V Manager and select your WebBlocker Server VM.
  2. Start a console connection to your WebBlocker Server VM and type the credentials for the wgsupport user.
  3. Press Enter.
  4. Type /opt/watchguard/webblocker/bin/wg_support_access.sh -e -p <port number>.
    For example, to use port 22 for support access connections to WebBlocker Server, type /opt/watchguard/webblocker/bin/wg_support_access.sh -e -p 22.
  5. Press Enter.

To disable support access to WebBlocker Server, at the console connection prompt:

  1. Type /opt/watchguard/webblocker/bin/wg_support_access.sh -d.
  2. Press Enter.

To see the available support access command options, at the console connection prompt:

  1. Type /opt/watchguard/webblocker/bin/wg_support_access.sh -h.
  2. Press Enter.
    The available support access command options appear.

To exit the support access command, at the console connection prompt:

  1. Type /opt/watchguard/webblocker/bin/wg_support_access.sh -h 0.
  2. Press Enter.

Related Topics

About the On-premises WebBlocker Server

Manage WebBlocker Server System Settings