Configuring the Smoothwall Filter to allow access to 'Google Meet'

To allow access to the 'Google Meet' video conferencing software you will need to ensure the appropriate category is allowed in your web filter policy table, and exclude it from HTTPS inspection. The Google Meet category can be found in the "IT and Technical" subcategory "Software".

Procedure

1. Navigate to 'Guardian > Web Filter > Policy Wizard' and create a new web filter policy as below;
   Who: Everyone*
   What: Google Meet
   Where: Everywhere*
   When: Always*
   Action: Allow
   * Change as necessary
   
   
2. Save the newly created policy and ensure it's placed above any block policies for 'Instant Messaging, VoIP, and Web Conferencing'
   
   
3. Navigate to 'Guardian > HTTPS Inspection > Policy Wizard' and create a new HTTPS inspection policy as below;
   Who: Everyone*
   What: Google Meet
   Where: Everywhere
   When: Always
   Action: Do Not Inspect
   * Change as necessary
   
   
4. Save the newly created HTTPS Inspection policy and ensure it's placed above any 'Decrypt and Inspect' policies.
   
   
5. Finally, if you're using a transparent proxy, you will need to ensure that known SNI-less traffic is allowed through the web filter. You can ensure this is the case by;
   
   1. Navigating to 'Web Proxy > Authentication > Manage Policies'
   2. Selecting the edit button for the relevant transparent proxy
   3. Ensuring that the 'Filter HTTPS traffic' checkbox is ticked, and that under the 'behaviour' heading 'Allow Transparent HTTPS Incompatible Sites and filter others using name from certificate' is selected.

After a save and a restart of the proxy service, possibly restart of applications as well, you should then be able to join or host meetings on Google Meet.