recurring problems with kindle and ipad users getting 'you are banned'

[rayra]

... while their main / home accout access works just find. Can find references in the Forum Error Log but no reference in the Moderation log or in our extensive ban list.
It's almost as if there is some sort of access activities via these mobile devices that trigger an automated ban by SMF.
Meanwhile, I have others using same / similar devices - including myself - getting in just fine.
Problem occurred in 1.1.16 and continues thru the upgrades to 1.1.19
I've tried searching for iPad and kindle keywords but don't find anything useful.

Any ideas / suggestions?

[Kindred]

SMF does not have any "automated ban" feature...   unless you have installed a mod to do so.

[rayra]

Well that at least answers an unasked question, the automated part. We haven't added any mods that do anything like it. Nor have we banned folks reporting the trouble, in fact two of them are mods on our board and are still active under their accounts from their home PCs / network.

Any other known SMF issues involving mobile devices / tablets, that might relate to this?


eta

The problems started cropping up a few months ago, the board itself just had it's 5th anniversary.

[Deaks]

Similar IP to a banned user?

[rayra]

None that I can find. Checked ban triggers and no matches. And the forum error messages telling the users 'sorry you're banned' list their registration / home IP and no others seem associated.

I'm asking the afflicted to try some various trouble shooting steps, logging out of the board, trying a different mobile device when they are having trouble out and about.
Two faults are occurring via Kindle devices, although the people can get in from their PC. One of them is a mod. A third fault is with an iPad, another moderator.  But meanwhile I'm able to get in via home PC and iPad on home network and iphone on verizon cell 3g.

In years past we've had an occasional error thrown where someone gets mysteriously banned, no log entries, no triggers, member just shows banned, readily reversible.  No clue how it happens. Suspected some kind of database glitch.  We're a pretty mature and insular sedate crowd, don't think there's any shenanigans going on.


Looking for any suggestions of other things to check or try, I can't think of anything else I can do for diagnosis. Besides having the afflicted work with the variables to see if any pattern turns up.

[Deaks]

To be honest never of this happening and cant find any similar issues so its really going to be shots in the dark that may help:

1. Go to phpmyadmin and see if any of your tables need repaired:
http://www.siteground.com/tutorials/phpmyadmin/phpmyadmin_optimize_database.htm#

2. Upgrade to 2.0.8

As I said both these are shots in the dark, 1.x line was never really made for modern methods however it shouldnt be banning users like this cant guarantee upgrading to 2.0.8 will fix it but its a unique situation :/

[rayra]

Yes, odd isn't it, I finally posted because I couldn't find any references to such tablet access problems anywhere.

further developments, I went thru the exercise of banning the three afflicted persons then rescinding their bans, hoping to reset whatever bit might be barring them.  Along the way I noticed while executing the ban that both moderators showed a tremendous number of IPs, one over 600 the other about 200.  ought to be a handful at most.   As you mentioned, there might be some database repair attempts in order.  But not tonight, it's 2am for me, bad juju. And want a full backup before I do and to get in contact with all three ladies and see if there stuff works right now.

As an aside, we have a lot of bans, predominantly spammers and whole swaths of IP ranges for a forum hacker operating via an Amsterdam RIPE ISP.  We've only ever banned two legit posters.  Just mentioning it to point out we have a lot of table data in that regard, maybe it's somehow got conflated with legit posters.

[Kindred]

well, one thing -- banning spammers is a mostly pointless task.  Stop them BEFORE they get in with anti-spam measures.
I have not had a successful spammer registration in 2 years now.
(read the FAQ/wiki)

Also, large numbers of bans can actually affect your site performance.

Finally... although it's available, permanently banning user IPs in SMF is a poor idea.
If you really feel that you need to ban IPs or ranges of IPs, use .htaccess to do that.