Some IP addresses suddenly can't access forum

BarbaraGraham · March 02, 2012, 05:00:59 PM

We started having "SMF can't access your database" problems intermittently a couple of weeks ago. That's much better now, but during that at least three people, all computer literate (one extremely so), stopped being able to access the forum from their computers. They can all access from phone and/or work computers. They have all deleted cookies and cleared cache, but that didn't help. Does anyone have any ideas for us? Thank you.

Lawrence Wright · March 03, 2012, 06:31:28 AM

A swing in the dark, are you running MOD_SECURITY or anti-spam software on your server? Even a firewall (ConfigServer). What's your environment?

kat · March 03, 2012, 10:21:02 AM

Or, perhaps, banned someone? If you make a ban on an IP address, you'll be banning a whole block of people, not just one.

BarbaraGraham · March 04, 2012, 09:45:22 AM

Thank you, no banning, and I've asked our tech person to respond to the other questions about the server. Thanks again.

BarbaraGraham · March 04, 2012, 10:27:44 AM

More info, when one of the people who can't get to the site tries pinging it she gets Request Timed Out x4. Does that help at all?

Kermit · March 04, 2012, 10:29:34 AM

Quote from: BarbaraGraham on March 04, 2012, 10:27:44 AM
More info, when one of the people who can't get to the site tries pinging it she gets Request Timed Out x4. Does that help at all?

If they could access the site with a different ip,it can only mean,host has been somehow banned those IPs

haroldpl · March 05, 2012, 01:03:26 PM

Quote from: Lawrence Wright on March 03, 2012, 06:31:28 AM
A swing in the dark, are you running MOD_SECURITY or anti-spam software on your server? Even a firewall (ConfigServer). What's your environment?

No MOD_SECURITY is not enabled, we host with Host9 on a shared server running Apache with MySQL all current versions. As expected so far the host is denying any responsibility for it.

While our members are having problems I have not been able to duplicate the problem from my side. It is like chasing a ghost, I firmly believe it is an overly aggressively configured firewall on their side but am at a loss as to what to tell them to look for.

Thanks for any ideas.

Harold

Shambles · March 05, 2012, 01:07:47 PM

Ask Host9 if they're running a WAF, as that maintains a blacklist of IP addys

haroldpl · March 06, 2012, 10:29:53 AM

Looks like it has been resolved, everyone is able to get on now. They said the firewall settings were to strict for such an active forum as ours and was blocking based on to many open connections at once.

Sounds like a good excuse to not take responsibility.

News:

Some IP addresses suddenly can't access forum

kat