In many organizations, employees use both desktop and notebook machines to perform their tasks. Since notebook users connect to multiple networks and employees physically carry them past the organization's gateway, OfficeScan needs to extend web threat protection to them even when they disconnect from their network. Web Reputation policies ensure client machine protection regardless of location.

OfficeScan checks a client machine’s gateway IP address to determine its location and then applies a specific Web Reputation policy to the computer. OfficeScan considers a computer "internal" if its gateway IP address matches any of the IP addresses you specify in Networked Computer > Web Reputation > Computer Location of the web console, and "external" if otherwise.