Sophos Firewall provides powerful web filtering and security features, but sometimes it may block legitimate websites due to category filtering or SSL inspection. If you are unable to open a trusted website like http://enter domainname, you can easily create an exception rule or allow policy in Sophos Firewall to whitelist it.

Step-by-Step Guide to Allow a Website in Sophos Firewall

Step 1: Login to Sophos Firewall

1. Open your browser and go to:
   https://<firewall-ip>:4444

2. Log in with admin credentials.

Step 2: Identify Web Policy Used

1. Navigate to Web → Policies.

2. Check which Web Policy is applied to your LAN users (like “Default Policy”).

3. Click Edit on that policy.

Step 3: Add Website to Allow List

1. Inside the Web Policy, click Add → Add Exception Rule or Add Custom Category.

2. Enter the domain:

   enter_domainname
   *.enter_domainname
   

3. Set the Action → Allow.

4. Click Save and Apply.

Step 4: Attach Policy to Firewall Rule

1. Go to Rules and Policies → Firewall Rules.

2. Edit your LAN → WAN rule.

3. Under Security Features, select the Web Policy you modified.

4. Save changes.

Step 5: Clear Cache and Test

From any system on your LAN, open the browser and try visiting:

http://enter_domainname

If it loads successfully, the rule is working.

Step 6: Troubleshooting

If still blocked:

• Go to Log Viewer → Web Filter and check the category.

• Disable SSL/TLS inspection temporarily.

• Add *.enter_domainname to the global exception list under Web → Exceptions.

Security Tips

• Allow only trusted websites.

• Use category filters to prevent misuse.

• Regularly monitor logs for suspicious access.

Conclusion

By adding a domain exception in the Sophos Web Policy and linking it to your firewall rule, you can easily allow access to a specific website like enter_domainname while keeping full web protection active.