Troubleshooting DoD Firewall & Display Issues

Overview

We are aware that Department of Defense (DoD) departments occasionally experience specific display and connectivity issues when accessing PSTrax on government-issued devices. Based on extensive testing with other DoD partners, these issues are typically caused by strict government firewalls or content filters.

If you are experiencing issues on a DoD device, we recommend testing access on a personal device (such as a personal laptop or smartphone) connected to a non-government network. If the platform functions correctly on your personal device, the issue is likely isolated to your department's network security settings.

Please share the following technical guidance with your IT or Network Security team to resolve these issues.

Network Configuration Guidance for IT Teams

If your organization utilizes a restrictive firewall or content filter, please review the following settings to ensure proper connectivity to PSTrax.

1. Domain-Based Whitelisting (Recommended)

The most reliable method to ensure uninterrupted access is to whitelist the domain rather than specific IP addresses.

• Target Domain: app1.pstrax.com
• Why this matters: Our domain may resolve to different IP addresses over time due to load balancing or changes in hosting provider configurations. Whitelisting the domain ensures that valid traffic is not blocked if the underlying IP changes.

2. IP Address Whitelisting (If Required)

We strongly advise against whitelisting static IPs, as they can change without notice and cause service disruptions. However, if your firewall limitations strictly require IP addresses:

• Perform a DNS lookup (e.g., using nslookup app1.pstrax.com) to identify the current IP.
• Note: This method is not future-proof. Any infrastructure changes on the PSTrax end could result in an immediate loss of access until the new IP is whitelisted.

3. Verify Port Configuration

PSTrax is a web-based platform accessed via standard browsers using HTTPS.

• Ensure Port 443 is open for all HTTPS secure web traffic.
• In the vast majority of cases (99.99%), organizations leave this port open, but specific strict filters may require manual verification.

Display & Loading Issues

Some DoD users report that gear lists in the SCBA, PPE, and Assets modules fail to fully load or display correctly.

Workaround:

• Resize the Browser Window: Try minimizing or resizing the browser window to be smaller rather than running it full-screen.
• Why this helps: Adjusting the viewport size can force the browser to redraw the page elements, often allowing the lists to populate correctly despite network throttling or strict rendering policies.