I'm a member of WHT for about a year and couple weeks ago I found that I cannot read forums because my ip is blocked.

It was quite strange since I have not posted for a previous month just read from time to time.

I have dropped a letter to the mods explaining that I'm using a sattelite broadband network bizarnet.ro which are resellers of xantic.com and 62.41.25.* - the network they blocked is belong to that provider. Since they use VPN thousands users surf with the same ips in 62.41.25.* range.
It is unacceptable to block the whole provider because of one customer who violated some rules.

On the other hand ip blocking doesn't stop offender from accesing forums. They can use anonymous proxy or other provider, etc. For example being blocked by ip I'm writing this letter :)

Somy suggestions are:

1. DON'T BLOCK YOUR VISITORS BY IP. ip is no longer an unique indetifier of computer or visitor and as in my case it just makes problems for valid users and cannot stop offender.

2. Mods, please dedicate some time for reading your mail. I would not need to write this if you do.

Thanks.

So far I have blocked many individual IPs, but they were repeat offenders. However, if my site keeps being harassed by 209.*.*.* I'll block all 209.*.*.* :dgrin: . Heck half of my "deny from" list all begin with 209.

The fact I'm going to tell you cannot stop a user from accessing a site even when you blocked ip as he can still access it through anonymous ftp or from some server on the net with differ ip etc.

By blocking the ip you just prohibits access from the ip, but doesn't stop an offender if he is aimed on you.

Well, I am an experienced Forum Admin and my approach is this:

My sites often are visited by the occassional idiot, including people that have been at the site for a while and then flip out. We have had a few of them that after banning, they reregister, etc. I will continue to ban their username, IP and whatever else I get my hands on from them. If I make them use one more ID... one more IP, I am giving them a little more hastle and not making it easy for them to do something that is wrong. Some of these people forget that a community is "private property." If I tell you to leave, you leave. Its like my lawn. :)

Anyway, didn't mean to get ranty, just wanted to give my 2 cents on the issue.

Its normal practice to ban ISPs....

Since they usually offer dynamic IPs it is almost impossible to get rid of an abusive user....

I banned 2 entire class B's lastnight because a person's ISP had them... Oh well :D

Originally posted by aurorac
2. Mods, please dedicate some time for reading your mail. I would not need to write this if you do.
We read the mail, however some IPs need to be blocked from time to time. Depending on the severity and how recent the problem was, it may or may not be removed. In this case, it will not be removed. Please connect via another IP block for the time being.

IP bans are implemented sparingly. We realize that it blocks a certain amount of users, however in this case, it took care of a reocurring problem, dead away. I realize this may make it sound as if you aren't important, however that's not intended, nor is it at all true.

It is unfortunate that board spammers can sometimes be so relentless that we'd even have to block an IP, but some are. 6 usernames were banned and the URL censored before the IP block. At a certain point, we have to do something else besides constantly banning users and blocking their URL(s) over and over. It is also unfortunate that some of these things affect innocent users.

Chicken,

I cannot disagree with your comment above. However, may I suggest that y'all lobby the Jelsoft folk and request an enhancement to the vBulletin software.

It seems to me that the ability for the mods to allow a certain, specific userid to override being kept out by the IP blocks would be useful when the mods are forced to implement a broad brush block.

Originally posted by Mike the newbie
Chicken,

I cannot disagree with your comment above. However, may I suggest that y'all lobby the Jelsoft folk and request an enhancement to the vBulletin software.

It seems to me that the ability for the mods to allow a certain, specific userid to override being kept out by the IP blocks would be useful when the mods are forced to implement a broad brush block.

That sounds good, but checks like that slow things down. Vb has too many bells and whistles like that as it is.

Originally posted by lightnin


That sounds good, but checks like that slow things down. Vb has too many bells and whistles like that as it is.



Once the user is authenticated, the check would not need to be made again for the duration of that session. And since the check would need to be made only if the originating IP address is one of the blocked ones, the check would occur quite infrequently. So the overhead of such a check would be quite minimal.

Additionally, by your logic, no new features should be added to vBulletin because it already has too many. If that is actually the case, then perhaps some of the current features should be removed to make room for more important new features? :D

Originally posted by Mike the newbie
Once the user is authenticated, the check would not need to be made again for the duration of that session. And since the check would need to be made only if the originating IP address is one of the blocked ones, the check would occur quite infrequently. So the overhead of such a check would be quite minimal.




Sooooo... The abuser uses a proxy to signup and then just a normal session with his banned IP to abuse the forum again?? :D

Sooooo... The abuser uses a proxy to signup and then just a normal session with his banned IP to abuse the forum again?? Most abusers are barely smart enough to post let alone masquerade themselves...

Seems that having ID precedence over IP blocks is a reasonable, easily implementable fix.

Note to self, implement that, self. (in my own code)

Originally posted by The Prohacker




Sooooo... The abuser uses a proxy to signup and then just a normal session with his banned IP to abuse the forum again?? :D


Not quite. Here's a scenario:

There's a member who has participated here for a while. Then, for whatever reason, his IP is blocked because of the actions of someone else who shares an IP address. Now that member and the unwanted member cannot access WHT, correct?

OK, vBulletin is enhanced to give the mods the capability to flag specific pre-existing members as being allowed to log in, even though the IP address is on the block list.

The logic is rather simple: a valid user/password combo that has been OK'd by the mods can override the IP block.

That would appear to resolve the issue that prompted this thread and, unless the "allowed member's" password has been compromised, would continue to keep the unwanted ex-member out of the forums.

Mike 200% agree with you. This way vbulletin would allow valid users to still participate.

BTW it is the pain to switch off VPN each time I want to see WPN :(

Originally posted by aurorac
... This way vbulletin would allow valid users to still participate....


Taking this one step farther... When the mods block an IP address or range of IP addresses, vBulletin could present the mods with a list of members who have logged in from those addresses recently. Next to each member would be a checkbox to allow the member to bypass the IP block check.

It might even work... :D

aurorac, I think we are all familiar with IPs, no explanations needed as to how they work, and we all know how to access a site if your IP is blocked, but thanks for pointing it out ;). I think that, when the moderators ban an IP they are 99% sure that it should be blocked...

It is a legit concern, however some of the suggestions should be made to vB developers, and maybe they will be implemented in future releases.