If you're having issues completing our labs, this could be due to system or WebSocket requirements. This guide contains the following sections to help you troubleshoot your problem:

• System Requirements
• Maintenance Mode
• WebSockets

System Requirements

To ensure connectivity to all our labs, see our System Requirements Guide. This guide contains details on supported browsers, domains that should be allowlisted, and the protocols and ports that you must enable. 

Maintenance Mode

To create realistic labs, we often incorporate and rely on third-party technologies. When these services experience downtime, or an update prevents the lab from being completed, we may need to put a lab into maintenance until full functionality is restored.

Maintenance is always expected to be temporary, and the labs should be available again as soon as possible, but due to dependencies on third parties, we can’t always predict or communicate when it will be resolved.

Because maintenance is temporary, you cannot start labs in maintenance mode, but their completion is still required in order to complete any collections or assignments that rely on the lab.

If you have previously completed a lab that is now in maintenance mode, you will still have the completion and points awarded for it.

WebSockets

Overview

WebSockets are an advanced technology that makes it possible to open a two-way interactive communication session between the user's browser and a server.

WebSockets requirements

Labs need your browser to use WebSockets technology. If WebSockets aren't working properly, you are likely to encounter an error and be redirected out of the lab with a message about the error.

To guarantee the best performance and compatibility, we recommend checking that WebSockets are working properly on your device.

Checking that WebSockets are supported on your device

To check that WebSockers are supported on your device: 

1. Use the link below to check if you can connect to our server via WebSockets: 
   Immersive Labs - WebSockets Test
2. Either:
   • If all the checks pass in the above test, that means you can successfully establish a WebSockets connection with our server.
   • If this is not the case, follow the steps in the instructions below.

Lab WebSockets errors

Your network may be blocking WebSocket requests

If you try to start a lab but you are redirected from the lab with the following message: Your network may be blocking WebSocket requests, try the steps outlined below. After each step, check whether the issue is resolved.

1. If you have not already, check whether WebSockets are supported on your device, following the steps outlined in Checking that WebSockets are supported on your device.
2. Confirm that you’re using a supported browser. You can find a list of our supported browsers in our System Requirements Guide.  If you're not using one of these, try completing the lab on one of those, and then check that WebSockets is working (step 1).
3. Check if you have proxy servers or firewalls that blocks WebSockets access. You might need help from your system administrator or internal IT support.
   For more detail, please consult the WebSocket and domain information in our System Requirements Guide.

4. Try disabling any active browser extensions. These can interfere with WebSockets connections. 

   Note: How to disable browser extensions varies by browser. In chrome, click ... > More Tools > Extensions.

If you've followed these steps and are still having issues, please contact us. Include as much detail as possible regarding the issue, including screenshots or a video. This will enable our team to diagnose the problem quickly and allow you to get back to completing the labs.

Your WebSocket connection has disconnected

If you are completing a lab but are redirected from the lab with the following message: Your WebSocket connection has disconnected, try the steps outlined below.  After each step, check whether the issue is resolved. 

1. Check internet connectivity. Check your device is connected to the internet and your connection is stable.
2. Hard refresh your browser. In most browsers on Windows and macOS, you can hold down the Shift key on your keyboard and click the reload icon on your browser’s toolbar.
3. Clear the cache and cookies. Log out of the platform, and then clear your web browser's cache and cookies, since these may contain outdated information that causes issues with the WebSockets connection. Once you have cleared these, try logging back in to see if the issue is resolved.

If you've followed these steps and are still having issues, please contact us. Include as much detail as possible regarding the issue, including screenshots or a video. This will enable our team to diagnose the problem quickly, and allow you to get back to completing the labs.