Closed Bug 2011186 Opened 8 months ago Closed 8 months ago

Add more details to Local Network Access support page

Categories

(support.mozilla.org :: Knowledge Base Content, task)

Tracking

(Not tracked)

RESOLVED FIXED

People

(Reporter: smayya, Assigned: ffloare)

References

Details

Attachments

(1 file)

Did you check out the steps and FAQs for submitting requests to the CX content team? (yes or no)? [REQUIRED]

**Note: Learn more at https://mozilla-hub.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/MSS/pages/21430745/Mozilla+Support+Content **

IMPORTANT NOTICE: FOR TIMELY PUBLICATION, CONTENT REQUESTS MUST BE SUBMITTED AT LEAST 14 DAYS BEFORE THE RELEASE DATE, ENABLING THE SUMO TEAM TO MAKE THEM LIVE WITHIN 48 HOURS POST-RELEASE. PLEASE ENSURE THAT ALL SUBMITTED INFORMATION, INCLUDING FEATURE DETAILS AND VISUAL ASSETS, IS FINAL. IN THE EVENT OF ANY UNFORESEEN CHANGES OR DELAYS NECESSITATING A PUSH TO A SUBSEQUENT RELEASE, PROMPTLY INFORM US TO PREVENT PUBLISHING AS PER THE ORIGINAL SCHEDULE.

Content access restriction: Is the content restricted to staff or under embargo (yes or no)? [REQUIRED]

Note: If yes, ensure ‘Advanced Fields’ are visible by selecting ‘Show Advanced Field’ at the top right, then scroll to ‘Security’ and check ‘Confidential Mozilla Employee Bug (non-security)’.

Attention: Any content not marked as confidential will be accessible to both NDAd and non-NDAd contributors with a Bugzilla account. Drafts for non-confidential content will also follow the same access policy, being open to comments for anyone with the link. Non-confidential Bugzillas can benefit from contributions by community contributors, while confidential Bugzillas will be handled exclusively by staff.

Product (ensure to select only one product for each ticket. If your request involves multiple products, file an individual Bugzilla for each)

Choose one below and delete others. [REQUIRED]
Firefox for Desktop (Windows)
Firefox for Desktop (macOS)
Firefox for Desktop (Linux)
Firefox for Android
Firefox for iOS
Firefox Focus / Klar
Mozilla Accounts
Hubs
MDN
Monitor
Mozilla VPN
Mozilla Social
Pocket
Relay

Select the type of request.

Choose one or more below and delete others. [REQUIRED]
KB content update/ new content
In-product link request

Please summarize the request, emphasizing any user-facing changes. Include historical context or background information if it helps users understand the new features or changes. [REQUIRED]

##Are the user-facing changes mentioned above for the production release, or is the feature/change experimental/ beta? (Production, Experimental or Beta) [REQUIRED]
**Note: Specify if the user-facing changes mentioned above are final, experimental, or in beta. This information is crucial for determining the appropriate support and documentation level needed. Please note that SUMO KB articles only support the production version for Firefox.

Are the new features or changes region-specific? Are they going to be released in a gradual rollout? [REQUIRED]

**Note: Please confirm if these features or changes are limited to specific geographic regions and if they will be implemented gradually. Knowing this helps us tailor our documentation and support resources appropriately.

Please indicate if this is an on- or off-train release [REQUIRED]

**Note: If applicable, add the product version number to the end of the Summary field using the format: Summary [Product V123]. If this is an off-train release, please use the format: Summary [Product off-train].

What is the anticipated release date? [REQUIRED]

Note: Content is typically published at, or within, 48 hours of the release.

Does the content need to be published prior to the release date? If so, when? [REQUIRED]

Note: If you don’t let us know if this date changes, it will be published on this date

Does the content need to be localized in any languages outside of EN-US? If yes, please indicate which languages. [REQUIRED]

Note: A minimum of 10 days is required for translation requests.

Please include any related JIRA/Github/Bugzilla tickets, documentation, demos or practical use cases. [REQUIRED]

Please include links to any design assets, visuals, figma files, etc. [REQUIRED]

Note: Ensure to submit only final visual assets relevant to the Production release, excluding Nightly or Beta images, and favor 'Light mode' UI screenshots over 'Dark mode'

Please add instructions for testing that will enable us to replicate the expected product behavior. [REQUIRED]

Does the content need approval before publishing? If yes, identify the one approver responsible for this task.

Note: Minor changes such as string updates are directly handled in SUMO, and will not lead to the generation of a pre-publishing draft. [REQUIRED]

Affected Article:

https://support.mozilla.org/ka/kb/control-personal-device-local-network-permissions-firefox

Description:

The current SUMO article for local network access permissions covers the basic user interface for managing permissions. We need to add a new section that explains how users can configure advanced settings using about:config preferences.

Proposed New Section:

Title: "Advanced Configuration (about:config)"

Add this section after the "Managing Permissions" section:


Advanced Configuration

For users who need more control over local network access behavior, Firefox provides advanced preferences accessible through about:config.

⚠️ Warning: Changing these preferences requires careful consideration and may affect how websites interact with your local network.

To access these preferences:

  1. Type about:config in the Firefox address bar and press Enter
  2. Click "Accept the Risk and Continue" if prompted
  3. Search for the preference name you want to modify
  4. Double-click to change boolean values (true/false) or click the edit icon for other values

Available Preferences:

  • network.lna.enabled (boolean)

    • Default: true
    • Controls whether local network access checks are enforced
    • Setting to false disables all local network access restrictions
  • network.lna.blocking (boolean)

    • Default: true
    • Controls the blocking behavior for local network access
    • Setting to false allows access without prompts when enabled
  • network.lna.block_trackers (boolean)

    • Default: false
    • Experimental feature that blocks third-party trackers from accessing localhost and local network resources
    • Setting to true provides additional protection against tracking scripts
  • network.lna.skip-domains (string)

    • Default: (empty)
    • Comma-separated list of domains that should skip local network access checks
    • Can include both source domains (websites making requests) and target domains (local resources being accessed)
    • Supports wildcard patterns with *. prefix (e.g., *.company.com)
    • Example: intranet.company.com,*.devices.local

Troubleshooting and Monitoring:

If you need to see detailed information about local network access attempts or diagnose issues:

  1. Press F12 or Ctrl+Shift+I (Windows/Linux) / Cmd+Option+I (Mac) to open the Web Console
  2. Look for messages related to local network access
  3. The console will show which requests were blocked or allowed, helping you understand what's happening

For enterprise environments, administrators can use the LocalNetworkAccess policy to manage these settings organization-wide. See the Firefox Enterprise Policy Documentation for more information.

Reporting Issues:

If you encounter unexpected prompts or believe a website is being incorrectly blocked or allowed:

  1. Open the Web Console (F12) to capture relevant error messages (usually starting with Local Network Access ...)
  2. File a bug in Bugzilla under the Core :: Networking component
  3. Include in your bug report:
    • The website URL where you saw the unexpected prompt
    • What you expected to happen vs. what actually happened
    • Error messages from the Web Console
    • Whether the site is trying to access a local device or local network resource
  4. File a bug here

Additional Notes for SUMO Team:

  1. The preferences listed above are available starting in Firefox 147
  2. Consider adding screenshots showing the about:config interface and the web console (I have attached a sample image, please let me know if you need more screenshots)

Please can I pick this one up?

(We may need to have a think about the inclusion of about:config prefs.)

Hi Paul,

Thanks for your interest in helping out with this. I have to dig deeper into this request and check with my team first before we can decide. We'll be in touch once I know more.

Assignee: nobody → ffloare

Please can the standard about:config warning be included.

(In reply to Seburo from comment #6)

Please can the standard about:config warning be included.

Sunil can we include this?

Flags: needinfo?(smayya)

For the sake of transparency, we discussed this internally and decided to hand it over to Flavius since it's a timely request.

@Paul thank you again for your offer to help!

That is really a SUMO call to make. We should not really be including about:config prefs in KB content, but if that is really nessescary, we should at least include the standard warning about using them.

(In reply to Seburo from comment #9)

That is really a SUMO call to make. We should not really be including about:config prefs in KB content, but if that is really nessescary, we should at least include the standard warning about using them.

Then I say we should include it. Paul, since we're no longer bound by time, I think you can add it. I'll approve it.

Flavius, the article update you just made includes a new Advanced Configuration (about:config) section. Should a link to the Configuration Editor for Firefox article be added? Also, the image from comment 2 seems out of place in that section.

(In reply to Alice Wyman from comment #11)

Flavius, the article update you just made includes a new Advanced Configuration (about:config) section. Should a link to the Configuration Editor for Firefox article be added? Also, the image from comment 2 seems out of place in that section.

I think the link can be added to the Related articles section. As for the screenshots, it's better to go with the ones Sunil provides.

(In reply to Flavius Floare from comment #12)

(In reply to Alice Wyman from comment #11)

Flavius, the article update you just made includes a new Advanced Configuration (about:config) section. Should a link to the Configuration Editor for Firefox article be added? Also, the image from comment 2 seems out of place in that section.

I think the link can be added to the Related articles section. As for the screenshots, it's better to go with the ones Sunil provides.

The image in comment 2 doesn't fit in with the about:config section. It looks like it may belong in the Troubleshooting and monitoring section, which mentions the Web Console.

Ready for review - https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/control-personal-device-local-network-permissions-firefox/history#preview

I corrected the about:config warning and also punctuation on line 17.

I agree with Alice that the image looks like it is in the wrong place.

Seburo, I made some edits to the pending revision (aboutconfig template and image, moved image showing Web Console). Hope that's OK?

See Also: → 1985999
See Also: → 1995870

I approved them. If there isn't anything else to add, this bug can be closed.

(In reply to Flavius Floare from comment #16)

I approved them. If there isn't anything else to add, this bug can be closed.

Thanks, Flavius. I don't know if a new bug report should be filed but the Firefox 147.0 release notes say this:

Users with Enhanced Tracking Protection (ETP) set to Strict will have local network access restrictions enabled by default. Firefox will now require users to explicitly allow public websites to access local network resources.
This feature is part of a progressive roll out.

I was wondering this information should be added to the KB. I couldn't find a related bug report.

(In reply to Alice Wyman from comment #17)

(In reply to Flavius Floare from comment #16)

I approved them. If there isn't anything else to add, this bug can be closed.

Thanks, Flavius. I don't know if a new bug report should be filed but the Firefox 147.0 release notes say this:

Users with Enhanced Tracking Protection (ETP) set to Strict will have local network access restrictions enabled by default. Firefox will now require users to explicitly allow public websites to access local network resources.
This feature is part of a progressive roll out.

I was wondering this information should be added to the KB. I couldn't find a related bug report.

No, for now, we should keep it like this. The text provided by Sunil came directly from the product team.

More updates are pending. See https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/control-personal-device-local-network-permissions-firefox/history
Flavius, can you review?

I submitted a revision to update instructions in the Troubleshooting and monitoring section of the article, on how to open the Web Console, along with a Web Console link. The current instructions say to use either F12 or Ctrl+Shift+I on Windows. Ctrl+Shift+I opens the Inspector, or whatever tool was last used on my Windows 11 laptop. So does F12 (or Fn + F12, in my case).

I changed the instructions to those given at https://firefox-source-docs.mozilla.org/devtools-user/web_console/ ... as follows:
Press {for win,linux}{key Ctrl+Shift+K}{/for}{for mac}{key Cmd+Option+K}{/for} to open the Web Console.

I also updated the Report issues section to remove F12 and add the Web Console link.

Flags: needinfo?(ffloare)

(In reply to Alice Wyman from comment #19)

More updates are pending. See https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/control-personal-device-local-network-permissions-firefox/history
Flavius, can you review?

I submitted a revision to update instructions in the Troubleshooting and monitoring section of the article, on how to open the Web Console, along with a Web Console link. The current instructions say to use either F12 or Ctrl+Shift+I on Windows. Ctrl+Shift+I opens the Inspector, or whatever tool was last used on my Windows 11 laptop. So does F12 (or Fn + F12, in my case).

I changed the instructions to those given at https://firefox-source-docs.mozilla.org/devtools-user/web_console/ ... as follows:
Press {for win,linux}{key Ctrl+Shift+K}{/for}{for mac}{key Cmd+Option+K}{/for} to open the Web Console.

I also updated the Report issues section to remove F12 and add the Web Console link.

Approved. Thank you.

Flags: needinfo?(ffloare)

(In reply to Alice Wyman from comment #17)

(In reply to Flavius Floare from comment #16)

I approved them. If there isn't anything else to add, this bug can be closed.

Thanks, Flavius. I don't know if a new bug report should be filed but the Firefox 147.0 release notes say this:

Users with Enhanced Tracking Protection (ETP) set to Strict will have local network access restrictions enabled by default. Firefox will now require users to explicitly allow public websites to access local network resources.
This feature is part of a progressive roll out.

I was wondering this information should be added to the KB. I couldn't find a related bug report.

Flavius, I agree with Alice's proposal to clearly state only ETP strict users being included in the rollout.

Flags: needinfo?(smayya) → needinfo?(ffloare)

(In reply to Sunil Mayya from comment #21)

(In reply to Alice Wyman from comment #17)

(In reply to Flavius Floare from comment #16)

I approved them. If there isn't anything else to add, this bug can be closed.

Thanks, Flavius. I don't know if a new bug report should be filed but the Firefox 147.0 release notes say this:

Users with Enhanced Tracking Protection (ETP) set to Strict will have local network access restrictions enabled by default. Firefox will now require users to explicitly allow public websites to access local network resources.
This feature is part of a progressive roll out.

I was wondering this information should be added to the KB. I couldn't find a related bug report.

Flavius, I agree with Alice's proposal to clearly state only ETP strict users being included in the rollout.

Perfect. Alice, I'll let you add it. I'll approve it.

Flags: needinfo?(ffloare) → needinfo?(alice.wyman)

See https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/control-personal-device-local-network-permissions-firefox/history

Both Firefox Beta and Nightly include this feature without any need to set ETP to "Strict" so I submitted a revision to add the following information to the article Intro, directly underneath Template:progressiverollout:

This feature is available in Beta and Nightly pre-release versions of Firefox. In standard Firefox releases, only users with Enhanced Tracking Protection (ETP) set to Strict are included in the progressive rollout. Local network access restrictions will be enabled by default and Firefox will require you to explicitly allow public websites to access local network resources.

Flags: needinfo?(alice.wyman)

I approved it. If there isn't anything to add, I'll close the bug.

Status: NEW → RESOLVED
Closed: 8 months ago
Resolution: --- → FIXED
You need to log in before you can comment on or make changes to this bug.

Attachment

General

Creator:
Created:
Updated:
Size: