Bypass rules allow you to completely exclude traffic from Repacket’s interception, ensuring certain websites or applications operate without any agent involvement.
Overview
Bypass rules enable you to exclude specific traffic from Repacket’s interception entirely. Unlike Firewall Block rules, which still intercept and analyze traffic, Bypass rules tell the Repacket agent to completely ignore matching traffic and let it pass through without any processing.Complete Exclusion
Traffic matching bypass rules is completely ignored by the Repacket agent
Traffic-Based Rules
Define bypass rules based on websites, categories, IP ranges, or domains
Identity-Based Targeting
Apply bypass rules to specific users, groups, or devices
Flexible Management
Enable or disable bypass rules as needed with simple toggles
How It Works
Bypass rules operate at a lower level than Firewall rules. When traffic matches a bypass rule:- No Interception: The Repacket agent does not intercept the traffic at all
- No Analysis: No categorization, scanning, or policy evaluation occurs
- Direct Connection: Traffic flows directly to its destination without any Repacket involvement
Bypass vs Firewall Block
| Feature | Bypass | Firewall Block |
|---|---|---|
| Agent Interception | None | Yes |
| Traffic Analysis | None | Yes |
| Categorization | None | Yes |
| Policy Evaluation | None | Yes |
Creating Bypass Rules
1
Navigate to Bypass Settings
Go to the Gateway section in your Repacket dashboard and select the “Bypass” tab.
2
Create a new bypass rule
Click the ”+ Create bypass rule” button in the top right corner.
3
Enter a rule name
Provide a descriptive name for your bypass rule (e.g., “Bypass AWS”, “Bypass Internal Tools”).
4
Define traffic conditions
In the Traffic rule section, set the scope of your policy by defining conditions that determine how rules match against traffic.Select an attribute from the dropdown:
- All Websites: Bypass all web traffic
- Content Categories: Bypass specific categories of websites
- IP Range: Bypass traffic to specific IP address ranges
- Domain: Bypass traffic to specific domains
5
(Optional) Define identity conditions
In the Identity section, define who the policy applies to by setting identity-based conditions.Click ”+ Add property” to target:
- Specific users
- User groups
- Devices
6
Save your rule
Click “Save” to create the bypass rule. The rule will be enabled by default and immediately take effect.
Managing Bypass Rules
The Bypass page displays all your bypass rules in a table format with the following information:- Name: The descriptive name you assigned to the rule
- Last Updated: Timestamp showing when the rule was last modified
- Status: A toggle switch indicating whether the rule is enabled (green) or disabled
Rule Management Actions
- Search: Use the search bar to find rules by name
- Enable/Disable: Toggle rules on or off using the status switch
- Edit: Click the ellipsis menu (⋮) to access additional options for each rule
- Pagination: Navigate through multiple pages of rules if you have many configured
Traffic Rule Attributes
Bypass rules support several traffic matching attributes:All Websites
Bypass all web traffic for the specified identity conditions. Use this sparingly, as it completely disables Repacket for matching users or devices.Content Categories
Bypass traffic to specific content categories (e.g., Business, Technology, Social Media). Useful for bypassing entire categories of websites that need direct access.IP Range
Bypass traffic to specific IP address ranges. Ideal for:- Internal network resources
- Cloud service IP ranges (AWS, Azure, GCP)
- CDN endpoints
- Specific service providers
Domain
Bypass traffic to specific domains or subdomains. Examples:example.com- bypasses all subdomains*.example.com- bypasses all subdomains using wildcardapi.example.com- bypasses only the specific subdomain
Best Practices
Use for Performance-Critical Applications
Use for Performance-Critical Applications
Bypass rules are ideal for applications where even minimal latency from interception could impact performance, such as real-time trading platforms or high-frequency APIs.
Bypass Internal Resources
Bypass Internal Resources
Configure bypass rules for internal network resources, intranet sites, and local services that don’t require security scanning.
Use Specific Conditions
Use Specific Conditions
Prefer specific domain or IP range conditions over “All Websites” to maintain security coverage where possible. Only bypass what truly needs to be bypassed.
Document Your Bypass Rules
Document Your Bypass Rules
Use descriptive rule names and consider documenting why each bypass rule exists. This helps with auditing and future maintenance.
Review Bypass Rules Regularly
Review Bypass Rules Regularly
Periodically review your bypass rules to ensure they’re still necessary. Remove bypass rules for services that no longer require exclusion.
Consider Firewall Block Instead
Consider Firewall Block Instead
If you need to permit traffic but still want visibility, categorization, and other security features, use a Firewall Block rule instead of a Bypass rule.