Who's Online (Was: re: Forum getting swarmed by 500+ guests?)

[Bob Clifton]

You are not ALONE .
Same with 2.0.19
 Several of my sites are getting HAMMERED by Google ,Singapore ,Microsoft , Amazon
from ip's  starting with  101.44. 114.119 , and 18.225.56.
The 18's are AMAZON who is selling those to ner do wells or developers they say .
What I dont get is HOW they can even see the boards and threads ,Member profiles ,with not only Guests unchecked where Guests should not be able to see nuttin and even with the sites in off they still get in .
Like was said if I ban a range it may ban some good peeps too but that is what I am having to do then weed out those later .

[Aleksi "Lex" Kilpinen]

If guests can't see, bots can't either. Many bots will know how the url structure in SMF works though, it's no secret, so they may try, and even if they can't access a try is still a hit to the server.

[Bob Clifton]

If guests can't see, bots can't either. Many bots will know how the url structure in SMF works though, it's no secret, so they may try, and even if they can't access a try is still a hit to the server.

That's just it I have Guests checked unable to see and yet they are seeing.
I even put the site in maintainance mode and they still get in. Haveing to just ban one at a time. Most are from IPSHU or Amazon.Apparently they have Back Doors . CRAZY !!!

[Aleksi "Lex" Kilpinen]

No, like I said, they are not seeing. They are trying, and failing. There is no way a bot will see something a guest can't see, because bots are guests.

[Bob Clifton]

 it currently says Me and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
Guests are not allowed to view forum untill I Ban this ip they show to be viewing it .
After I ban the ip it says  me and o guests after a minute or 2 . are viewing .

[Aleksi "Lex" Kilpinen]

Any attempt at a valid SMF url will usually be shown in the who's online list,
it will not separate failed attempts from actual access.
It is NOT an access log. You can see this for yourself, quite easily, if you want to:
- Open 2 browsers side by side
- Use 1 logged in, and the other logged out
- With the logged out browser, try to access a topic (by copying and pasting an url from the other browser)
- See Who's Online with the logged in browser.

EDIT:
Topic split from Forum getting swarmed by 500+ guests?

EDIT2:
Also, moved to 2.0 based on the forum in OP's profile links.

[Bob Clifton]

When I attempt to see my forum as a guest it says I have to log in as a member and   
I understand whose online showing  me as in  the other ip's however it should NOT show them viewing anything.
Viewing anything but sorry guest you are banned from viewing this thread/post whatever OR you must login to see .........
When guests I am getting should not even be able to click on a link I go to the thread it shows me and a guest viewing until I ban that guests ip .
NOW maybe spiders have acsess to the forum and might be scanning the site but they should show up as spiders as I have it checked . IF these others are guising as  spiders then maybe that is the  problem but I see no way to Block spiders .

[Aleksi "Lex" Kilpinen]

No, no one has access to the forum. What you see as guest, is what all the crawlers see too.

[Bob Clifton]

No, no one has access to the forum. What you see as guest, is what all the crawlers see too.

I HOPE you are right and appreciate your patience however I can not get it through my old head why it shows them in the forum and in the thread when it shows me using a diff ip as  as a guest and not able to see or show me looking at anything xcept the message for non member accsess .
Until I ban their ip they show up as actually in the forum  or specific thread .
I may take some screen shots and try and show this  better . 
Thank you .....

[shawnb61]

Yes, it can be confusing.

Some bots even run thru various admin & moderation functions...  So if you are constantly watching "Who's Online", you may even see "Guest moderating topic xxxx"...

[Kindred]

Once more: the who's online list is NOT an access log.
It is 100% based on the url being requested... even if that url returns an error to the user, the who's online list will show them as accessing that url action
E.g. reading topic, sending pm, etc...  if you have guest access turned off, then guests are setting the error message and nothing shown in that list is what they are SEEING

[Steve]

@Bob Clifton - I'm going to mark this solved. The question has been asked and the answer given several times. If you don't want to believe the experts on SMF, that's on you.

[Bob Clifton]

@Bob Clifton - I'm going to mark this solved. The question has been asked and the answer given several times. If you don't want to believe the experts on SMF, that's on you.

Thank you ( Aleksi "Lex" Kilpinen,shawnb61,and Kindred )for the information. Been under the weather a while and just now able to reply .

 However  ( STEVE) I NEVER said I REFUSE to Believe  you guys .Just did not understand why I can for example If I go to my site with different browser and watch logged in as Admin on my other and it  will NOT allow ME to see Anything as guest from the other browser(just you must log in to see  basically)  yet shows others looking at boards or posts and shows them in the board under who is viewing yet no guests is checked . Sometimes I notice it showing them printing Topic even with the sight in Maintenance Mode .
Maybe it has something to do with Search Engines crawling the site as was mentioned above  ? I don't know . Just think it is peculiar that's all.
 So (STEVE) If YOU think everything is Hunky Dorie then I am not concerned about it .
Thank you again ( Aleksi "Lex" Kilpinen,shawnb61,and Kindred ) for your inputs.

[Kindred]

that is because the "who's online" action list is built based on WHat the URL is -- it has no bearing on whether the user can/did complete the action or not.

If I went to your site and used ?action=admin then it would show a guest accessing the admin area.   
As a guest, I would see a "you are not allowed to access this section" or have the boardindex displayed (depending on your setup) -- but *YOU* would see that I was in admin, based on the URL


there is nothing wrong.  This is completely Functions As Designed (FAD).