Installing the Nexthink browser extension

The monitoring of web applications relies on a browser extension available for Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox.

The Nexthink browser extension is available on the Chrome web store and Microsoft Edge add-ons repository. Nexthink directly hosts the extension for Firefox.

Chrome

Google Web Store with miinajhilmmkpdoaimnoncdiliaejpdk as extension ID

Edge

Microsoft Edge add-ons repository with higleibocjmgcnbikjneplkibiopjnkp as add-on ID

Firefox

Direct download from Nexthink with {393c57f8-28d9-11eb-8f58-3b6871335926} as extension ID

Deployment considerations

Deployment pace varies and depends on the release process of your organization. For any change in hardware or software, the implementation of the browser extension should be preceded by a proof of concept and testing phase. This is typically done on a limited number of endpoints.

You should use GPOs on Windows or profiles on macOS to deploy on all devices, instead of remote actions, if this is the standard way of managing browser extensions in their organization.

Additionally, you should ensure that the Nexthink browser extension is a part of their browser policy, which enforces the extension.

Without a proper browser policy in place, the existing policies might remove the extension thus preventing Applications from collecting data.

You can use a dedicated remote action to deploy the extension. For a new environment, you can deploy it through Collector. This offers convenience and speed of deployment on a small set of devices but is not recommended as it can conflict with existing policies. The remote action, or the Collector installation, installs the browser extension by setting a registry key at the local machine level which can overwrite any existing browser extension policies at the current user level.

Ensure that you do not have existing browser extensions set at the current or higher user level before deploying Nexthink browser extension, otherwise, they might be uninstalled.

To check your existing policies on a device, type chrome://policy in the Chrome address bar or edge://policy for Edge.

For more information about policy management, refer to your browser documentation:

Before rolling out the extension to the whole organization, Nexthink strongly recommends running an information campaign using Nexthink Engage. You can download a template campaign as a library pack for a quick start. An Engage campaign will make employees aware of the role the extension is playing and how it will further improve their experience. Clearly communicate to the employees that only the listed domains are monitored and that they can be verified, at any time, with the tooltip of the extension icon.

Installation

Policies

Using a Group Policy Object (GPO) or policy profiles, your IT department can deploy the browser extension.

Windows

In case the extension is not deployed through GPOs on Windows, please verify that there is no existing policy that could remove the extension or prevent NativeMessaging communication.

Google Chrome

To deploy the Nexthink browser extension for Google Chrome, add the Nexthink Applications Chrome browser extension ID to the Extension Install Force list and NativeMessagingAllowList GPO of the Chrome browser.

Here is an example of a registry key pushed by GPO:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
 
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome\ExtensionInstallForcelist]
"1"="miinajhilmmkpdoaimnoncdiliaejpdk;https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx"

Microsoft Edge

To deploy the Nexthink browser extension for the Microsoft Edge, add the Nexthink Applications Edge browser extension ID to the Extension Install Force list and NativeMessagingAllowList GPO of the Edge browser.

Here is an example of a registry key pushed by GPO:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
 
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge\ExtensionInstallForcelist]
"1"="higleibocjmgcnbikjneplkibiopjnkp;https://edge.microsoft.com/extensionwebstorebase/v1/crx"

Mozilla Firefox

To deploy the Nexthink browser extension for Firefox, use the ExtensionSettings GPO. Set the extension ID {393c57f8-28d9-11eb-8f58-3b6871335926} to have the installation_mode as force_installed and the install_url as https://ffextension.nexthink.com/nexthink-latest-an-fx.xpi. Note that the Firefox extension shows a consent popup to users if their device does not have a collector installed. However, in practice, no one should see this popup because the Nexthink browser extension is designed to function only when the Collector is installed. There is no business or technical rationale for installing the extension without the Collector.

Here is an example of a registry key pushed by GPO:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Mozilla\Firefox]
"ExtensionSettings" (REG_MULTI_SZ) =
{
 "{393c57f8-28d9-11eb-8f58-3b6871335926}": {
 "installation_mode": "force_installed",
 "install_url": "https://ffextension.nexthink.com/nexthink-latest-an-fx.xpi"
  }
}

macOS

Google Chrome

To deploy the Nexthink browser extension for Google Chrome on macOS, configure the installation mode as force_installed and set the install_url to https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx in the Chrome browser's configuration profile. Additionally, include com.nexthink.chrome.extension in the NativeMessagingAllowList.

Here is an example of an XML plist you can add to a Jamf profile:

<plist version="1.0">
  <dict>
    <key>ExtensionSettings</key>
    <dict>
     <key>miinajhilmmkpdoaimnoncdiliaejpdk</key>
     <dict>
      <key>installation_mode</key>
      <string>force_installed</string>
      <key>update_url</key>
      <string>https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx</string>
     </dict>
    </dict>
  </dict>
</plist>

Microsoft Edge

To force install the Nexthink browser extension for Microsoft Edge on macOS, configure the installation mode as force_installed and set the install_url to https://edge.microsoft.com/extensionwebstorebase/v1/crx in the Edge browser's configuration profile. Additionally, include com.nexthink.edge.extension in the NativeMessagingAllowList.

Here is an example of an XML plist you can add to a Jamf profile:

<plist version="1.0">
  <dict>
    <key>ExtensionSettings</key>
    <dict>
     <key>higleibocjmgcnbikjneplkibiopjnkp</key>
     <dict>
      <key>installation_mode</key>
      <string>force_installed</string>
      <key>update_url</key>
      <string>https://edge.microsoft.com/extensionwebstorebase/v1/crx</string>
     </dict>
    </dict>
  </dict>
</plist>

Mozilla Firefox

To force install the Nexthink browser extension for Mozilla Firefox on macOS, configure the installation mode as force_installed and set the install_url to https://ffextension.nexthink.com/nexthink-latest-an-fx.xpi in the Firefox browser’s configuration profile.

Note that the Firefox extension presents a consent popup to the users if no collector is installed on their device. In practice, no one should see this popup as the Nexthink browser extension is designed to function exclusively when the Collector is installed, and there is no business or technical rationale for installing the extension when the Collector is absent.

Here is an example of an XML plist you can add to a Jamf profile:

<plist version="1.0">
  <dict>
    <key>EnterprisePoliciesEnabled</key>
    <true/>
    <key>ExtensionSettings</key>
    <dict>
      <key>{393c57f8-28d9-11eb-8f58-3b6871335926}</key>
      <dict>
        <key>installation_mode</key>
        <string>force_installed</string>
        <key>install_url</key>
        <string>https://ffextension.nexthink.com/nexthink-latest-an-fx.xpi</string>
      </dict>
    </dict>
  </dict>
</plist>

Collector Installer

Windows

You can deploy the Nexthink browser extension for Chrome, Firefox and Edge at the same time Collector is installed. For this purpose, you must enable the install_browser_extension flag of the Collector MSI installer. The Collector installer generator also includes a tick box to set this option. Similarly, the install_browser_extension flag has a disable value which removes the browser extension when set to this value.

The Collector installer generator tick box only installs the browser extension if checked and does not uninstall the browser extension if not checked.

Collector configuration tool (nxtcfg)

Windows

You can use the Collector configuration tool utility to force install and lock the Nexthink browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge browsers. The tool deploys the browser extensions using registry keys.

The install_browser_extension flag with the enable value forces the installation of the Nexthink browser extensions. The following command must be run with admin rights:

nxtcfg.exe /s install_browser_extension=enable

To uninstall the browser extensions, set the install_browser_extension flag to the disable value.

nxtcfg.exe /s install_browser_extension=disable

For Firefox, the Nexthink browser extension is not uninstalled when install_browser_extension is set to disable, but it unblocks it, allowing the user to manually remove it.

Remote Actions

Use Nexthink Act to facilitate the deployment of the Nexthink browser extension. The remote action scripts developed by Nexthink deploy all the necessary registry keys.

Windows

The following remote action deploys the Applications extension for all 3 browsers:

Set Applications

It does not restart the browser and is not associated with a Nexthink Engage campaign. The same remote action is also capable of disabling the extensions.

Other remote actions are available for a specific browser:

These remote actions restart the browser and send employees a Nexthink Engage campaign to notify them of the change.

macOS

The following remote action helps you get the list of extensions for a specific browser and check the browser extension status:

Monitoring deployment progress

You can monitor the deployment progress with the dedicated Applications - Browser Extension Management dashboard provided through Nexthink Library. This dashboard also let you monitor the health and status of your Nexthink browser extensions to ensure you are receiving the most accurate results from the Applications module.

Browser extension admin mode

You can access the browser extension admin mode to test transactions in real-time on an endpoint and to view all the data collected by the extension.

To activate the admin mode:

Select the Nexthink browser extension from the list of extensions.
A pop-up appears indicating whether your experience on the current page is being optimized or not. You can access the admin mode only on web pages monitored by the extension. A blue Nexthink Logo indicates that the web page is being monitored.
Click five times on Powered by to activate the admin mode.

Admin mode eliminates the need to use browser developer tools to test transactions and still works when the Transaction end option is set to be detected automatically.

Last updated 5 months ago