The i-net CoWork is considered a server application. It does, however, require an internet connection for some operations to provide additional functions and ensure service quality. This help page provides an insight of the i-net CoWork server requirements to do just that.

Please note, that the server is capable of running in an offline configuration as well. Some functions will not be available in that case and may have to be provided by administrative interaction.

i-net CoWork is build using Java, incorporating signed components. Java uses an internet connection to validate signatures of all signed components for security purposes. It will gracefully ignore problems if no internet connection is available, but cannot determine whether code has been tampered with or malware has been introduced.

The i-net CoWork is capable of checking for updates of plugins and core components. That allows to inform administrative users of newer setup versions and plugin updates that can be installed directly from the store. The interval for requesting update information in the background is set in the Store application.

Requests are made to the servers of i-net software GmbH, transmitting the product name and version. Additional requests also contain information about the plugins currently installed. If the Store application is opened by an administrative user, a request to the update server is performed once an hour at most.

The setup, too, checks for updates from the online servers to determine newer, compatible plugin versions that may need to be downloaded during setup.

Note: If the server has no internet connection, no update information can be provided. The Store application will function solely for enabling and disabling plugins that are provided with the installation.

The i-net CoWork requires a license key to function properly. A license is automatically obtained from servers operated by i-net software GmbH during setup and can optionally be requested from the Configuration application. The validation of time-based licenses, such as the Trial License Keys, also require a connection to public time servers.

Please check the Trial License documentation for additional information.

Note: If the server has no internet connection, a license has to be requested from our support staff at cowork@inetsoftware.de.

When enabling certificates provided by Let's Encrypt, a request is being sent to the respective servers. i-net CoWork uses the implementation of a Java based Let's Encrypt client to provide this functionality. Requests are made regularly to keep the certificate up-to-date.

Pleas check the documentation from Let's Encrypt for connection scenarios.

Web Push Notifications is a feature of the browser that allows notifications from the i-net CoWork server to be sent to the user without the browser - or application - being open. The notification function uses a standardized interface provided by most modern browsers¹⁾. The browser manufacturers provide their own servers for this purpose, to which the i-net CoWork server must be able to establish an SSL secured connection.

Note: With some browsers, e.g. Brave, the notification function must first be activated in the browser settings.