Install the legacy MV2 Smoothwall Cloud Filter Extension on ChromeOS (Chrome)

This article applies to our Cloud product only, not to On-Premise Appliance Filter and Firewall.

 

If you can’t update all your Google ChromeOS devices (like Chromebooks) beyond Chrome browser 110, you must deploy our legacy MV2 extension to continue using Smoothwall Cloud Filter. You can see how to check if this applies to your devices here: Upgrade ChromeOS to a version which supports Cloud Filter MV3

Since Smoothwall hosts this extension instead of the Chrome Web Store, you must block the deployment of the existing extension and replace it with the legacy extension.

Step 1: Allow MV2 extensions to run on devices

  1. Sign in to the Google Admin console as an administrator.
  2. Go to Devices > Chrome > Settings and ensure you are in the User & browser settings tab.
  3. Select your top-level organisational unit on the left, typically your Google domain name.
  4. Search for “Manifest” and set the Manifest V2 extension availability setting to Enable force-installed manifest V2 extensions. This allows MV2 extensions to run on devices higher than Chrome version 110, which is helpful if you have a mix of older and newer devices.
  5. Select Save at the bottom of the page.

Step 2: Allow extensions to be installed from Smoothwall

  1. Go to Devices > Chrome > Apps & Extensions and select the Users & Browsers tab.
  2. Select your top-level organisational unit on the left and select ADDITIONAL SETTINGS at the top right.
  3. In the App and extension install sources setting, add the following URL to allow extensions from the Smoothwall self-hosting website. Press Enter to add a new line if needed.
    https://software-mv2.smoothwall.com/*
  4. Select Save at the top right of the page.

Step 3: Add the extension to locations

  1. Go to the Apps & extensions area.
  2. Search for all deployments of the existing Smoothwall Cloud Filter extension using this ID:
    jbldkhfglmgeihlcaeliadhipokhocnm
  3. Identify all organisational units where the extension is deployed.
  4. In each location:
    1. Select the Smoothwall Cloud Filter extension.
    2. Copy the Policy for extensions contents and keep this safe.
    3. Set the installation policy to Block. This will prevent the old extension from running on any device.
    4. Select Add Chrome app or extension by ID at the bottom right of the page.
    5. In the popup window that appears, enter the Extension ID: nlcnbnnmbfgekccnapcfjpoofnoblfpk
    6. Enter the following URL: https://software-mv2.smoothwall.com/filter/update.xml
    7. Select the nlcnbnnmbfgekccnapcfjpoofnoblfpk extension and set the Installation policy to Force Install.
    8. Paste the Policy for extensions from the old extension.
    9. Select Save at the top right of the page.
  5. Repeat for any other organisational units with the old extension deployed to block the existing extension and add the new self-hosted extension.

Step 4: Check the setup

Check that the extension is provisioned and operating correctly:

  1. Log in to a Chrome device.
  2. Open Chrome.
  3. Check the Diagnostics page to ensure that Filter Mode shows as Mode 2.
  4. Select the puzzle piece icon and select Manage extensions to ensure that:
    • The nlcnbnnmbfgekccnapcfjpoofnoblfpk legacy MV2 extension is running.
    • The jbldkhfglmgeihlcaeliadhipokhocnm previous extension is no longer installed.