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Solve Login Problems on Windows App

Resolve the ‘Poor Internet Connection’ login error on Windows by updating your hosts file, clearing DNS cache, and bypassing network restrictions.

Why am I getting "poor internet connection" error when logging in?

If you're getting a "poor internet connection" error message while trying to log into WebWork on Windows, even though your internet is working fine, this usually means your network is blocking access to WebWork's servers.

This can happen due to:

  • Corporate firewall restrictions
  • Network security policies
  • DNS resolution issues
  • Internet service provider blocking

How to fix this

You can resolve this by adding WebWork domains to your system's hosts file, which tells your computer exactly where to find our servers.

Step 1: Find WebWork server IP addresses

  1. Press Windows + R keys together
  2. Type cmd and press Enter to open Command Prompt
  3. Type this command and press Enter:
nslookup webwork-tracker.com

  1. Write down the IPv4 addresses shown (you'll see one or more IP addresses like 192.168.1.1)

Step 2: Open hosts file as administrator

  1. Press Windows + R keys together
  2. Type notepad and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter (this opens Notepad as administrator)
  3. Click "Yes" when prompted for administrator permission
  4. In Notepad, click File → Open
  5. Navigate to: C:\\\\Windows\\\\System32\\\\drivers\\\\etc\\\\
  6. Change file type filter from "Text Documents" to "All Files"
  7. Select the hosts file and click Open

Step 3: Add WebWork domains

  1. Scroll to the bottom of the hosts file
  2. Add these two lines (replace IP_ADDRESS_1 and IP_ADDRESS_2 with the actual IP addresses you found in Step 1):
IP_ADDRESS_1    www.webwork-tracker.com
IP_ADDRESS_2    media.webwork-tracker.com

  1. Save the file (Ctrl + S)
  2. Close Notepad

Step 4: Clear DNS cache and restart

  1. Open Command Prompt as administrator (Windows + X, then select "Command Prompt (Admin)")
  2. Type this command and press Enter:
ipconfig /flushdns

  1. Restart your computer
  2. Try logging into WebWork again

How to check if it's working

After completing these steps:

  1. Open WebWork application (Make sure you're using the latest version for best compatibility)
  2. Try logging in with your credentials
  3. The "poor internet connection" error should no longer appear
  4. You should be able to log in successfully and start time tracking

Still having issues?

Command not found or permission denied:

  • Make sure you're running Command Prompt as administrator
  • Right-click Command Prompt and select "Run as administrator"

Cannot save hosts file:

  • Ensure Notepad was opened as administrator
  • Check that you're editing the correct hosts file location

Still getting connection errors:

  • Try using different IP addresses if multiple were shown in Step 1
  • Test with a different internet connection (mobile hotspot or different network) to confirm it's a network-specific issue
  • Contact your IT administrator if you're on a corporate network
  • Check if your antivirus or firewall is blocking WebWork
  • If errors persist, learn how to send an error log to support

Important notes

About the hosts file:

  • The hosts file tells your computer which IP address to use for specific websites
  • This bypasses DNS lookup issues that might be causing the connection problem
  • Changes take effect after restarting your computer

Security:

  • Only add trusted domains to your hosts file
  • These changes only affect your local computer
  • You can remove these entries later by deleting the lines from the hosts file

Need more help? Contact support with your Windows version, error message screenshot, and the IP addresses you found in Step 1.