Whatfix domain is unreachable

Issue

When installing the Whatfix Player, you might see a warning page indicating that the Whatfix domains are unreachable. It means you cannot reach the Whatfix domain URL and the system did not receive the expected HTTP 200 OK response code during installation.

Despite the warning, the installation might complete but the Player might not work. This issue could affect Whatfix’s ability to fetch content or receive updates, which could cause a disruption in functionality.

Probable Causes

The Player might be unable to validate the connection with the Whatfix servers due to one of the following HTTP response codes:

• 407 Proxy Authentication Required: The request lacks valid authentication credentials for the proxy server.

• 401 Unauthorized: The request lacks valid credentials to access the requested resource.

• 403 Forbidden: The server refuses to process the request, even with valid credentials. The request failure is tied to application logic, such as insufficient permissions to a resource or action.

• 404 Page Not Found: The server cannot find the requested resource. Links that lead to a 404 page are called broken or dead links and can be subject to link rot.

• 405 Method Not Allowed: The server understands the request method but does not support it for the target resource.

• 408 Request Timeout: The server ends an idle connection due to timeout.

• 500 Internal Server Error: The server experiences an unexpected condition preventing it from fulfilling the request.

• 502 Bad Gateway: The server, acting as a gateway or proxy, receives an invalid response from the upstream server.

• 503 Service Unavailable: The server is temporarily unavailable due to maintenance or an overload.

• 504 Gateway Timeout: The gateway or proxy server doesn't receive a response from the upstream server within the expected timeframe.

Suggested Solutions

• Check Proxy or Firewall Settings: Ensure that the relevant Whatfix domains are enabled through your network’s proxy or firewall settings. These domains must not be blocked to ensure proper communication between your endpoint and the Whatfix server.

• Verify Authentication: If encountering a 407 Proxy Authentication Required or 401 Unauthorized error, ensure that the correct credentials are provided for the proxy server and the authentication information is up to date.

• Address Permission Issues: For 403 Forbidden errors, verify that your user account has the necessary permissions to access the required resources. Re-authentication might not resolve this issue.

• Check for Broken Links: If you encounter a 404 Page Not Found error, verify that the requested URL is correct and that the resource is not moved or deleted.

• Review Request Method: For 405 Method Not Allowed errors, ensure that the correct HTTP method is used for the intended resource.

• Resolve Timeouts: A 408 Request Timeout or 504 Gateway Timeout may indicate network congestion or server side delays. Retry the connection after some time.

• Investigate Server Errors: For 500 Internal Server Error or 502 Bad Gateway, the issue might be on the server side. Wait for the Whatfix team to resolve any server side issues or perform necessary maintenance.

• Ensure Server Availability: If encountering a 503 Service Unavailable error, check if the Whatfix server is down for maintenance or an overload. If so, wait for the server to come back online.

Info:

If the issue persists, contact support@whatfix.com.