Since all GIAC certification exams and practice tests are given online, it is important to ensure that you have a reliable Internet connection prior to starting the exam. The vast majority of GIAC exams are taken over reliable Internet connections without incident. Less frequently people attempt exams from unreliable connections or experience connectivity problems during the exam. Since GIAC cannot ensure the stability of every Internet connection worldwide we are providing the following information that is designed to be a starting point to help all users to be able to prevent, detect, and react to technical difficulties that may be encountered during a GIAC exam, practice exam, or assessment.
Please note that GIAC has an exam system that features an
auto-sense capability to detect disruptions and abnormal latency during
exam delivery. The exam clock, which indicates the exam time remaining,
will automatically adjust to account for anomalies.
I am getting a message saying that Javascript is turned off. What should I do?
You will need to enable Javascript in your browser and/or disable any script blocking plug-ins that are running.
I am getting a message saying that iFrames are blocked. What should I do?
You will need to disable all content and script blocking plug-ins that are running.
I am getting a message saying that WebSockets are blocked. What should I do?
You will need to disable all content and script blocking plug-ins that are running as well as ensure your firewall settings allow WebSocket connections.
Why are some pages loading quickly, while others take a long time?
This can be caused by a number of different things. They are all generally related to a lack of available bandwidth. This is generally a greater problem for dial-up and lower speed broadband users. Some things to check include:
- Ensuring that you are not concurrently downloading large files or
multiple files from different locations.
- That you do not have any file sharing or peer-to-peer applications
running on the desktop.
- That you do not have any additional browser windows or tabs open,
especially to streaming audio or VOD sites.
- If you have a low bandwidth connection ensure that it.s not being used by other people, especially for any of the items listed above.
- Remember that VOIP, VPNs, and items of that nature can be extremely bandwidth intensive.
- Ensuring that you are not concurrently downloading large files or
multiple files from different locations.
The Hands-on questions are showing as ‘disconnected’ in the VM display. What should I do?
Ensure all content blockers are disabled and that your network firewall permits WebSocket connections. After disabling content blockers and allowing WebSocket connections, choose 'Reset VM' to reset your VM and connection.
Why am I getting the error message “The page cannot be displayed”?
"The page cannot be displayed" indicates that your browser cannot connect to our exam engine. This could be caused by anything from temporary loss of Internet connectivity to improperly configured proxies and firewalls. If you get this error in the middle of an exam you will need to click the refresh button to reload the page.