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Banned IP Address

aznguy

Member
Jan 31, 2009
249
4
18
Has this happened to anybody else?

A few times over the last few months, I have tried to log in but get a "IP adress is banned" message. A few hours later, I will all of a sudden be able to log in without any problems.
 

Mod 11

Active Member
Jul 28, 2009
3,428
1
38
14
I'm a Mod and I get this once in a while.

This is due to some troublemakers or spammers.

When you connect to the internet, your ISP randomly assign you an IP address. If MERB Admins realize a spammer or troublemaker often log from the same address, the Admin can ban that address on top of banning the user name. This prevents the problematic user to create a new user name.

Some people have a fixed IP address that never change but, most have a dynamic IP address. That's an address that changes with every connection of the modem. The problem with banning the address is, even if the spammer or troublemaker is gone, the next person who's assigned that IP by the ISP will get rejected also.

One way around this is to access your router and disconnect from the your ISP and reconnect after a few minutes. On ADSL, you are likely to get a different IP right away. Cable might take longer.
 

aznguy

Member
Jan 31, 2009
249
4
18
I'm a Mod and I get this once in a while.

This is due to some troublemakers or spammers.

When you connect to the internet, your ISP randomly assign you an IP address. If MERB Admins realize a spammer or troublemaker often log from the same address, the Admin can ban that address on top of banning the user name. This prevents the problematic user to create a new user name.

Some people have a fixed IP address that never change but, most have a dynamic IP address. That's an address that changes with every connection of the modem. The problem with banning the address is, even if the spammer or troublemaker is gone, the next person who's assigned that IP by the ISP will get rejected also.

One way around this is to access your router and disconnect from the your ISP and reconnect after a few minutes. On ADSL, you are likely to get a different IP right away. Cable might take longer.

Ahhhh! OK. Thanks for the answer.
 

Mod 11

Active Member
Jul 28, 2009
3,428
1
38
14
d-slam? I work with computers and networks and never heard this! Don't you mean DHCP server and address pool?

And where did you take your example from? ;)

Address pools have an amount determined by what the ISP requested. Ranges can be from a few (home network) to several thousand or more (Vidéotron per example) CS, on your last post, your address range is way over a few thousand large. That have no effect on the users.
 
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aznguy

Member
Jan 31, 2009
249
4
18
Techman would be the one to answer this more effectively, but typically a land broadband setup covers an entire area to access a "d-slam" unit. When you log on, the d-slam allocates one of the IP's in its inventory to fill your request for connection. Kind of like a traffic manager, since not everyone is supposed to be logged on at once.

Now, let's take a "theorical example" and say you live in Ottawa and have a manic tendancy to create multiple handles generally harrassing other posters and stalking the SPs to the point of terror. One of MERB's moderators may block the particular IP that is a common culprit of these "attacks" in order to protect the board from nut jobs. aznguy, I know this isn't you. However if one of the IP's banned is on your d-slam, this could explain it. My understanding is each typical d-slam has something like 30 or 36 IP's. So if a banned one sometimes comes up, it could be one that has been banned in such a fashion. On the good side, it's probably nothing personal.

I'm sure I've made some technical errors here, so Techman will come in after and clean it up a little.

I was OK up to - "Techman would be the one to answer this more effectively, but... "!

At least I know it's not anything I did! Thanks guys!
 

Techman

The Grim Reaper
Dec 23, 2004
4,199
0
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DSLAM is an acronym for Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer. Basically it's the module at the phone company's central office that handles the connection to your DSL modem. Each DSLAM has a number of modems in it, one for each person's modem that connects to the DSLAM. Sometimes these modems fail and you lose your connection until it gets replaced and sometimes an entire DSLAM will fail which brings down a larger number of subscribers. This is why one person's net access may be down but the guy next door's is working fine. The chances of two neighbours being on the same DSLAM is pretty slim.

Other than the tech stuff...there really isn't much other than that to add to CS's post because he covered it pretty well. Good job, CS!

Blocking DSL IP addresses, or any dynamically asigned address for that matter, is not usually an efficient way to block spammers or any particular person's access to a site like MERB. To effectively block someone you'd have to block the entire range of addresses from that particular node which could prevent a legitimate person from accessing the site. When only one or a couple of addresses are blocked all someone has to do is reset their modem until they get an address that let's them connect.

Techman
 

aznguy

Member
Jan 31, 2009
249
4
18
I'm going back to this thread because I am still having this issue. Last week, I was banned on 2 seperate occasions for the better part of a day each time.

I understand that it is to eradicate the spammers, but is this absolutely neccesary? This is the only website/board/from that this happens to me.

Or is there a workaround to the problem? Rebooting doesn't neccesarily change my IP address, so that is not the answer.
 

Techman

The Grim Reaper
Dec 23, 2004
4,199
0
0
aznguy, it isn't a matter of rebooting your computer, you have to disconnect your modem and reconnect. If you're on Videotron, or another cable ISP, that usually requires you to disconnect your modem from power because they usually don't have a power button, only a standby button which won't renew your ip. Unplug the modem, wait at least 5 minutes and then plug it back in. Go to this site before doing the reset and check your IP and then check it again after re-connecting to make sure it has changed. If it hasn't, do it again until it does.
http://www.whatismyip.com/
 

aznguy

Member
Jan 31, 2009
249
4
18
aznguy, it isn't a matter of rebooting your computer, you have to disconnect your modem and reconnect. If you're on Videotron, or another cable ISP, that usually requires you to disconnect your modem from power because they usually don't have a power button, only a standby button which won't renew your ip. Unplug the modem, wait at least 5 minutes and then plug it back in. Go to this site before doing the reset and check your IP and then check it again after re-connecting to make sure it has changed. If it hasn't, do it again until it does.
http://www.whatismyip.com/

Thanks Techman, but I guess my complaint is more about why this is necessary at all. I can't think of another site that has the same protocol in trying discourage spammers. I use the modem (phone line) for my home business and have 3 people who are on the same modem. Imagine telling them that I have to bring the system down because I'm trying to get on MERB!
 

Techman

The Grim Reaper
Dec 23, 2004
4,199
0
0
In that case I'd suggest sending your ip address to a mod or to Fred and ask them if something can be done about it. It's pretty pointless blocking a dynamic IP address because the person you're trying to block will just reset and get a different one anyways.
 
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