Banned by "security" tools!

[UncleEbenezer]

If you have recently suffered a message hat you have been banned for a day, our apologies.

Its not you it's us.

Our increased security tools to keep you and the site safe are a bit on the over protective mother/parental figure side. I have lowered the settings and I hope that alleviates your issues.

If you continue to get issues, please contact myself by email to stooz@ the site address.

At the moment I can only log in if I VPN via the United States. I suggest you throw away the new security tools. C.

Can't followup nor even rec. csearle's post on Announcements.

Just replied to email from a fellow-Fool who was concerned, and promised I'd post what I know here - if it hadn't already been said. But his email prompted me to run a couple of tests.

The IP address is a complete red herring. I am able to log in from the (linux) desktop but not from the (mac) laptop, from the same IP. Routing the laptop through an entirely different network (using my 4G instead of ny regular ISP) makes no difference.

Furthermore, a different browser or "incognito" window (clear cookies/etc) makes no difference.

I believe my friend who asked will have been using a Mac. So that's a common theme, but probably also a red herring.

Once upon a time, I might have investigated in detail. These days I've grown old and lazy, and left it there. So I'll just open this as a thread for other Fools who may have something to add.

[AleisterCrowley]

Yes, I got the;
You have been banned from this board until Today, 9:52 pm.
Please contact the Board Administrator for more information.
A ban has been issued on your IP address

So I tried again on my phone (WIFI off, 4G connection) and got the same message - and the 4G session would have a different IP address

[GrahamPlatt]

viewtopic.php?f=101&t=40411&view=unread#p610832

“I suggest you throw away the new security tools.”

Seconded.

I managed to get in from Costa Rica.

[tjh290633]

9;52pm is what I got. I got the same message on both PC and mobile, but that was via WiFi. Maybe I should have tried outside on the mobile.

It would be helpful if the message indicated why you were banned.

And the link to Board Adminstrator goes to a "noreply" inbox, which does not accept it.

Reminds me of the old story about Mushroom Management.

TJH

[1nvest]

Having a

You've been banned from the board until 9:52pm today

A ban has been issued on your IP address

message all day. Now passed that time and .... still saying the same

Posting this via a online browser

[daveh]

Having a

You've been banned from the board until 9:52pm today

A ban has been issued on your IP address

message all day. Now passed that time and .... still saying the same

Posting this via a online browser

I'm back in now at 22:59, maybe the security is in a different timezone.

[csearle]

I'm back in now at 22:59, maybe the security is in a different timezone.

Welcome back!

[Mike4]

I had the same ban. I bet the advertisers are delighted at the lack of traffic!

I decided it must genuinely be IP based as logging out made no difference, I was still banned from even reading the site.

There was a silver lining though, it prompted me to find other places to visit...

[stooz]

The system checks a global database of known ip addresses and bans people for a day that it thinks are registered.

I have lowered the settings and this should solve the issue.
I have cleared the list of addresses it has collected so anytime it picked up will now be allowed.

I am unsure why it thinks many of you have dodgy addresses, it may be an external supplier issue, but might be because of security software is clashing with the other monitor.

Apologies for the on going issues, it should all be resolved soon.
Please keep reporting issues and email direct if you can't.

[tmiuatga]

I wondered what I had been banned for!
I had visions of being sent to Shawshank.

[UncleEbenezer]

The system checks a global database of known ip addresses and bans people for a day that it thinks are registered.

Um, red herring there. Adding emphasis ...

I am able to log in from the (linux) desktop but not from the (mac) laptop, from the same IP.

[Arborbridge]

I was banned too. Maybe it was for going on holiday and not posting for a fortnight?

Arb.

[daveh]

I was asked to log in again and made a mistake with my logon name. I added a capital at the start by mistake. I was then told that one failed attempt was too many and I was banned. That was at work via my work computer and also on my phone on work WiFi. I thought turning off WiFi would get around it as the phone was now connecting via my phone service, but no still banned, and banned at home connecting to broadband via BT. I thought I would have different IP addresses in those different situations?

[seagles]

Recently another site I use let me login but not use any of the functions. Contact with support came back my IP address was on a "banned" list. Some links were provided to sites that have "banned" addresses and mine was there as 99% suspicious. I wondered who I had upset?
Anyway support suggested getting new address. Quick recycle of router solved problem. Did later find out that the address in question was a generic default, not sure how that works, but resolved.
When i got the above message realised it was probably another quirk of TLFs new security package and went and watched the athletics.
I wonder how useful IP banning is when you can recycle a new one?

[mc2fool]

The system checks a global database of known ip addresses and bans people for a day that it thinks are registered.
:
I am unsure why it thinks many of you have dodgy addresses

You said elsewhere "I have disabled the spam checker for now" and depending on which global database it checks that may be (at least part of) the issue, as just about everybody's IP address is on at least the Spamhaus Policy Block List (PBL), as people are not supposed to send out emails directly from their IP but should do so via an outgoing server that they have been authenticated to use.

So anyone running an outgoing email server from their IP is automatically assumed to be a spammer, and the address ranges that ISPs allocate are supplied to Spamhaus for the PBL by the ISPs (BT, Talktalk, etc, etc) to catch that.

E.g. here is one for an address in the range(s) BT allocates to customers: https://check.spamhaus.org/listed/?searchterm=86.128.1.1

Also see https://check.spamhaus.org/faqs/?id=what_is_the_policy_blocklist__pbl__ and https://www.spamhaus.org/pbl/

[XFool]

The system checks a global database of known ip addresses and bans people for a day that it thinks are registered.
:
I am unsure why it thinks many of you have dodgy addresses

You said elsewhere "I have disabled the spam checker for now" and depending on which global database it checks that may be (at least part of) the issue, as just about everybody's IP address is on at least the Spamhaus Policy Block List (PBL), as people are not supposed to send out emails directly from their IP but should do so via an outgoing server that they have been authenticated to use.

So anyone running an outgoing email server from their IP is automatically assumed to be a spammer, and the address ranges that ISPs allocate are supplied to Spamhaus for the PBL by the ISPs (BT, Talktalk, etc, etc) to catch that.

E.g. here is one for an address in the range(s) BT allocates to customers: https://check.spamhaus.org/listed/?searchterm=86.128.1.1

Yes. I checked and my current IP is indeed "listed": "This IP is listed in the Policy Blocklist (PBL)"

There is, of course, no valid reason for this. I don't send out SPAM emails and don't even run my own mailer. Trouble is, this idea you can simply power recycle your router to get another IP (which will, presumably, still be "listed"...) has not been true for many people for years now. Yes, I can remember when power cycling my router got a new IP from the 'IP pool' - but that system is long gone. Even though I do not have an official 'Fixed IP' it can be, for all intents and purposes, fixed for months even if the router is powered down.

[BullDog]

I was banned yesterday too. Visiting my daughter who uses Vodafone for internet appears to have triggered the ban. At home BT internet works fine.

[DrFfybes]

I just assumed that Sttoz had had his fill of my witty, erudite, well balanced and well informed repartee, and needed a break from the overwhelming eperience of reading my posts.

And cringing at my typos.

Paul

[UncleEbenezer]

The system checks a global database of known ip addresses and bans people for a day that it thinks are registered.
:
I am unsure why it thinks many of you have dodgy addresses

You said elsewhere "I have disabled the spam checker for now" and depending on which global database it checks that may be (at least part of) the issue, as just about everybody's IP address is on at least the Spamhaus Policy Block List (PBL), as people are not supposed to send out emails directly from their IP but should do so via an outgoing server that they have been authenticated to use.

So anyone running an outgoing email server from their IP is automatically assumed to be a spammer, and the address ranges that ISPs allocate are supplied to Spamhaus for the PBL by the ISPs (BT, Talktalk, etc, etc) to catch that.

E.g. here is one for an address in the range(s) BT allocates to customers: https://check.spamhaus.org/listed/?searchterm=86.128.1.1

Also see https://check.spamhaus.org/faqs/?id=what_is_the_policy_blocklist__pbl__ and https://www.spamhaus.org/pbl/

Different policies for different services. Yes, email is (most regrettably, but understandably) widely restricted as you describe. That doesn't apply to web browsing, where use of a proxy is not the norm unless Orwell's Big Brother is watching on your network.

[mc2fool]

The system checks a global database of known ip addresses and bans people for a day that it thinks are registered.

Um, red herring there. Adding emphasis ...

I am able to log in from the (linux) desktop but not from the (mac) laptop, from the same IP.

Maybe you could, but given the weight of evidence from the number of folks (inc. me) who have reported that they could/couldn't get in solely by changing their IP address it looks conclusive that IP address was the factor for many people. But that doesn't mean that there might not have been other factors that would explain your experience.