Simple Machines Community Forum

SMF Support => SMF 1.1.x Support => Topic started by: HeroHog on April 15, 2019, 02:12:37 AM

Title: Ban List Triggers: are they AND or are they OR?
Post by: HeroHog on April 15, 2019, 02:12:37 AM
Say you have a v1.1.21 Ban List and you have an IP Address, Host name, Email Address, and a User Name. Do they work together as an "AND" so they will only be kicked if their IP Address AND their Host name AND their Email Address AND their User Name ALL MATCH the triggers for that entry or do they work as "OR" statements where they will be kicked if their IP Address OR their Host name OR their Email Address OR their User Name match one or more of the triggers for that entry?

Also, is there any reason to ban by, say, IP 69.46.84.50 AND Host 69.46.84.50?

I couldn't find the answer in the docs or through a search and I have inherited a system that appears to have a lot of redundant garbage in the Ban List db.

Thanks in advance.
Title: Re: Ban List Triggers: are they AND or are they OR?
Post by: Shambles on April 15, 2019, 02:53:59 AM
Logical thinking would suggest that any of the registered triggers would activate the ban, otherwise creating a username and IP combination ban would render the ban ineffective if the user switched IP addresses.
Title: Re: Ban List Triggers: are they AND or are they OR?
Post by: Kindred on April 15, 2019, 11:10:11 AM
a ban trigger affects a user if ANY of the defined triggers are hit

incidentally, banning by IP is a bad process and overall, a waste of time.
If you absolutely must ban an IP, then block it in the htaccess file, not in the ban system...  but even that is a waste, since I can hit your site from a new IP in 30 seconds.
Title: Re: Ban List Triggers: are they AND or are they OR?
Post by: GigaWatt on April 15, 2019, 10:06:07 PM
Quote from: Kindred on April 15, 2019, 11:10:11 AM
a ban trigger affects a user if ANY of the defined triggers are hit

That would mean an OR. "If this or this or this is triggered, do this" ;).

And yes, generally, banning by IP is a bad decision... and will be completely meaningless when IPv6 becomes mainstream.
Title: Re: Ban List Triggers: are they AND or are they OR?
Post by: HeroHog on April 16, 2019, 11:17:08 AM
THANK YOU for your responses!

What is the recommended solution to the issue of spam bots, people from countries that have no business on your forum?
Title: Re: Ban List Triggers: are they AND or are they OR?
Post by: GigaWatt on April 16, 2019, 12:21:22 PM
For spam bots, I recommend a good registration questionnaire template ;). Here's an example ;).

http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=531660.msg3776163#msg3776163
Title: Re: Ban List Triggers: are they AND or are they OR?
Post by: Illori on April 16, 2019, 12:25:01 PM
Quote from: GigaWatt on April 16, 2019, 12:21:22 PM
For spam bots, I recommend a good registration questionnaire template ;). Here's an example ;).

http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=531660.msg3776163#msg3776163

if the OP is using SMF 1.1*, it does not by default have the questions built in.
Title: Re: Ban List Triggers: are they AND or are they OR?
Post by: HeroHog on April 16, 2019, 12:49:04 PM
We are on 1.1.21. Once I get access to the Server side, I WILL upgrade us to the latest, stable build of SMF.