If you are experiencing issues with your website not loading properly, the first step is to clear your browser or device cache. If the website displays correctly for Rediker staff and the general public, it indicates that there is no technical issue with the website itself, and we will be unable to provide a "fix" or assistance.
The good news is that when this occurs, it is typically isolated to your school's network, often due to a firewall or content filter in place at your institution. The website is functioning properly for external users and is not affected by this issue. The most likely cause is that your network or filters are blocking the Content Delivery Network (CDN) used by the website. To resolve this, you may need to work with your IT department to adjust the necessary network settings or content filters.
Content Delivery Network (CDN)
The RediSite Platform operates on AWS (Amazon Web Services) and utilizes a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to enhance loading speeds. It retrieves assets such as CSS files, widgets, and images from the domains irp.cdn-website.com and static.cdn-website.com.
If your network, filter, or device blocks those sites/servers from loading properly the website cannot render properly.
Schools often implement robust security measures on their networks, including firewalls and content filters. These systems can sometimes automatically block Content Delivery Network (CDN) links without warning, disrupting the loading of essential website assets. This occurs because many of these security measures rely on subscription-based services that may incorrectly flag the CDN as a potential threat.
When this happens, it's typically your internal IT department or the firewall service provider that is inadvertently blocking URLs associated with the CDN (such as those starting with irp.cdn-website). As a result, it is your internal IT team that is responsible for resolving this issue.
The solution involves investigating the administrative areas of these security applications to identify what has been flagged or blocked. Your IT team will likely need to make appropriate allowances, which may include:
- Unblocking cross-origin resource sharing (CORS)
- Whitelisting our CDN URLs
- irp.cdn-website.com
- static.cdn-website.com
- 100.24.208.97
- 35.172.94.1
By taking these steps, your IT team can ensure that the necessary assets are able to load properly, restoring full functionality to your website within your school's network.