Firewall and Network Problems
If the download button does nothing, the renewal page won’t load, or the app can’t connect, a firewall, corporate proxy, or antivirus is usually blocking the connection. This page explains which servers our software needs and how to check them.
Why Can’t I Download, Renew or Activate?
Our software and website need to reach our licensing server to download installers, check licenses, and process renewals and activations. When that connection is blocked, you may see one of these symptoms:
- The download button does nothing, or the download times out after a few minutes;
- The renewal page won’t load or fails partway through;
- The app can’t connect or activate, or shows a network error;
- The online dieline generator returns an error.
The downloads and old versions pages are served from the same servers, so if they don’t load either, the same fix applies. In most cases the cause is a firewall, a corporate proxy, or antivirus software that blocks the connection.
Which Servers and Domains Does the Software Need?
The software and website need access to the following domains over HTTPS:
id.appsforlife.comappsforlife.comdielines.boxshot.com
All connections use HTTPS on port 443, the standard port used by secure websites. No other ports are required.
How Do I Check if the Licensing Server Is Reachable?
Open https://id.appsforlife.com in a browser. If the server is reachable, the page shows the word:
OK
If you see an error, a timeout, or a blank page, something on your network is blocking the connection.
You can also check whether the site itself is up with a service like downforeveryoneorjustme.com. If the site is up for everyone else, the problem is on your side of the connection.
What Should I Ask My IT Department to Allow?
If you are on a corporate network, ask your IT department to allow access to the following over HTTPS (port 443):
id.appsforlife.comappsforlife.comdielines.boxshot.com
If any of these domains is blocked by your security software, ask your IT department to add it to the allowlist.
What About Corporate Proxies and Security Software?
Corporate proxies, firewalls, and antivirus software can block connections even when the domains above are allowed. If you use a proxy, make sure it is configured to pass HTTPS traffic and that these domains are not filtered.
Security software that inspects HTTPS traffic can break the app’s connection even when the browser can open the pages. If the browser loads https://id.appsforlife.com but the app still can’t connect, ask your IT department to exclude the domains from SSL inspection.
To confirm that security software is the cause, temporarily disable the firewall or antivirus and retry the download, renewal, or activation. If it works with the software disabled, add the domains above to the software’s allowlist and re-enable it.
Still Blocked?
You may find answers to related questions on the support page or in the license issues section.
If you have allowed the domains above, confirmed that the licensing server is accessible, and the problem persists, contact us. Include a description of what you tried and any error messages you saw.