Forum Topic

Ealing Website blocked to Mac/Safari Browser users. Why?

Can anyone explain why all of  London Borough of Ealings website services are blocked to Mac users using Safari?So far I've had everything from " Apple Mac users are not in significant numbers to justify servicing Safari users to total denial that there are any issues at all.However I've now tried to connect to Ealings Website from 9 different macs in differnet offices and locations and none using safari ( the normal Mac browser can access Ealings server.So how many people have been unable to register to vote or postal vote?How many cannot sort problems with wheelie bins and other council services.I ended up leaving my phone on hold in the office today for 88 mins to sort out a bin problem for an elderly resident and gave up.Are others having this problem?

Mark Kehoe ● 3519d21 Comments

Not as old. But 10.7.5 to support my versions of Photoshop and word to be compatible with work.Have very few problems at all. Flash and Acrobat are regularly updated and things work. Except this. Can access Hounslow and Hammersmith websites OK.Thing is it has worked OK in the past. A few glitches at weekends last year and when trying to renew parking permits etc. But then worked during the week after a phone call.Won't access at all on my Nokia Windows phone, but then not much does. It's a great phone for texts and calls and very long battery life though and that's what I really use it for.

Mark Kehoe ● 3516d

Safari is working for me on the Ealing website

Simon Bell ● 3517d

Are the home versions also old?

Paul Webster ● 3517d

Yes. Archaic is the norm in my industry. Nothing I will ever be able to do about it though!I actually use the oldest Mac in the building. It's a twin drive PowerMac and I think its been allocated to me for over 14 years.Ironically, it's also one of just a few that is not fully networked and controlled by IT. But it's now a bit useless for video and won't work with flash player anymore.It's on OS 10.5.8But in all other respects. It works perfectly. Seldom ever locks up or quits and is still well up to the tasks required of it. Most of which don't need the internet.But the main reason for the old system are the bespoke programs for production and intranet communications and compatibility with even older archiving and production systems worldwide. It may be old and outdated but it works.Much of the electro mechanical technology this all replaced was in excess of 70 years old and also worked perfectly. Very little of that was upgraded over that period of time.Apart from the prohibitive cost to upgrade there is also the old adage of "if it ain't broke, don't try to fix it."But the access problem does not just apply to my work place. My home mac, lap top and those of my family have the same issue and they are not networked or restricted by IT.It does seem to be a Safari issue as it will work via Firefox.

Mark Kehoe ● 3517d

Only takes one system at their oubound gateway to block things - managed by one or two IT security people. Different amount of effort compared to 2000 desktops.

Paul Webster ● 3517d

To be honest, most corporations IT are very slow at upgrading, mainly due to the fact they are scared that system won't work after an upgrade, this really is legacy from Microsoft, Mac user should upgrade, just for the latest security measures if nothing else, but also a benefit to your company to be able to use latest software etcMark, you say that you have 2000 units running old operating system, not just out of date but years out of date, I think you should be looking for a new IT manager !! Seems he has not been doing his job !!

Declan Devine ● 3517d

Thanks for the response.The problem is not isolated to me but it as I pointed out . Many Mac users are on older OS versions for good reasons. Macs are a major tool in several industries and not a toy for a great many.There are 2000 units shared between 2500 users alone at work and that's just one location. And almost half are working on OS10.5.8  and the rest on 10.7.5.Quite old but fit for purpose.

Mark Kehoe ● 3517d

connection through work VPN?If yes - then perhaps there is something in your corporate network that is causing the issue.e.g. A reverse proxy that is detecting that Ealing Council does not support some of latest ways of running https and is blocking access.

Paul Webster ● 3517d

Hi Mark, the council’s website is designed to work with all modern browsers and we have tested the website extensively using Safari. Our analytics show that Safari users account for about 15% of all visits and about half of these are also using older versions of the OSX operating system like yourself. We are not aware of any problems with this and if you have previously been told anything contrary to this then this is incorrect. Of course the best thing to do  is to keep your OS and browser  versions up to date via the free, automated downloads from Apple. If you still have problems using our website then you can email details of the specific issue to webmaster@ealing.gov.uk and we can look into it for you.

Ealing Council ● 3517d

Yep! Just tried a machine on 10.11.5 and a new machine in the Regents St Macstore this morning. Works OK.Tried the other suggestions on my laptop but to no avail. Macstore experts just checked my laptop and all the settings are as they should be, and it does work faultlessly all over the world with various internet and FTP applications albeit a bit slow sometimes. That's what I primarily need it to do. They reckon the LBE IT people have either a wrong setting or are not servicing older Mac OS versions. But as the lady in the store told me. Well over 60% are on 10.7.5 for the same reasons as I. Which is millions of users worldwide. It should not be an issue.And really, if a tiny home run internet business can be fully accessible, then a huge local authority ought to be able to be fully accessible to all without having to pfaff about with one's computer settings.

Mark Kehoe ● 3517d

I have a mac pro running OS X 10.11.5 and I have no issues with the council website, everything works fine, I do have Adobe flash installed but this should not affect their web site, check system preferences that WebGL and Javascript are enabled.

Declan Devine ● 3518d

It's not just my mac. All our work ones (some 2000 units ) run on OS10.7.5.I tried 5 different macs tonight in different departments. All had the same message; " Safari can't open the page Https://www.ealing.gov.uk because safari can't establish a secure connection to the server www.ealing.gov.uk."Now tried a total of 19 AppleMacs from MacBooks to iMacs and full size macs in four locations. via wi-fi, ethernet cable, hi speed link and domestic link. Just one has worked. An iPad via wi-fi.Tried machines on OS 10.5.8 and 10.7.5.  Not the latest versions but still very common to use older versions in mass industrial use, due to various bespoke applications.Thing is, I have been able to access Ealing's website with no problems at all over the years even on my old 10.5.8 mac used for archiving.But delving into my machines to find scripts and cookies is for me time consuming and may cause other issues.But I'm sure this is also a bridge too far for a great many users of the same system.

Mark Kehoe ● 3518d

Scripts such as javascript are totally blocked by default here, so I need to partially enable them for most sites to avoid blocking all scripts.

Christopher Bell ● 3518d

Mark,I just tried the ealing.gov.uk site via Safari (and via Opera), and it seemed fine. The only real interaction I did with it was to check rubbish collection days, which worked.I don't have Flash enabled, nor cookies - and it might need one or both of them for some other parts of the site to work.One possibility is that you have something in your cache blocking it - you can clear the cache by pressing alt + command + E at once (you might have to enable the 'develop' menu first to do this - in preferences/advanced).

David Fox ● 3518d

It could be. I'm no computer wizard. I use it as a tool and I'm good with the tools I use, but that's about it.But whilst I might eventually find a way, others, like my Father and those who can just about use email and browse the web will run into all sorts of trouble if they try downloading other browsers or applications.  At least if he gets stuck and is on the same OS, I can help wherever I might be.But what I find strange is wherever I am in the world, Safari and my Mac work fine, even in the most remote or impoverished of places, but I cannot get into the website of my own home town.I'll take a look at your website all the same.Many thanks .

Mark Kehoe ● 3518d

Could it be that it is Safari that is blocking www.ealing.gov.uk because of the cookies and other junk that they throw out? I normally access websites using a "live" Knoppix Linux DVD so that no junk is retained when I re-boot the computer. I can give you a copy if required. More information on www.chrisbell.org.uk

Christopher Bell ● 3518d

Yes it seems to work on I phones and I pads.But not everyone runs on the very latest OS. For lots of reasons. Mainly though because costly bespoke software is not updated or fully compatible and uneconomic to keep updating. That often applies just as much to PC users as well.

Mark Kehoe ● 3519d

And yet it runs fine on iOS, need to check later if it runs on OS X on my own machine.

Lee Page ● 3519d

I tried Firefox and it worked but it is not the default browser and it is verboten at work and on many office managed systems.Most of the Media industry use Macs and even the smallest home run business can manage to have websites that are fully compatible.So how is it a huge Local authority cannot even manage that, or explain why not?It is bad enough that Ealing have ostracised thousands of residents who do not have safe internet access or none at all but this must push the list of those excluded far further.

Mark Kehoe ● 3519d

Correction - Just checked. I have been using Firefox to access the Council website. Safari doesn't work for me either.

Helen Johnson ● 3519d

I use Safari on a Mac and have had no problems at all with accessing the Council website Mark.

Helen Johnson ● 3519d