Foo - Explain this to me #4: why was I banned this morning?

I asked this in user assistance, but nobody responded, so I'll ask it here.

When I tried to log on this morning, I was informed that my IP address was banned. This afternoon before my class, I emailed Joe, who told me he knew nothing of what was going on. I then managed to access my account from the colleges library computer. I didn't get so much as a PM or email as to what was up, and I know of no reason why I would have been banned. Needless to say, this combined with the fact that Koffee assured me when I asked that warnings were issued before banning would take place has got me quite pissed.

Both times a forum banned me for a reason I didn't agree with, I simply quit going to them. If a BF moderator banned me without so much as saying why I would consider that equally offensive and simply quit posting here. But it does appear that something else is going here, because I had thought typicaly bans lasted at least 24 hours.

Bottom line is, I want an explanation of what happened, or you can look for me on cyclingforums.

An IP is an Internet Protocol address. My usual hangout, the AnandTech Forums, blanket-bans the entire AOL network by their IP address block, point-blank, doesn't matter who you are (and for a good reason, not out of spite for AOL users). So don't get in too big of a hurry to take it all personal-like :) It might've been that they banned a certain range of IPs for a reason and you happened to take splash damage.

Have you been naughty? :rolleyes: ;)

Feel free to look up my posts and tell me.

I have no clue.

I really do resent the implication that I've automatically done something here- first, mentioning my name in public and implying that I've done something WITHOUT sending me a PM isn't kosher with me. I am rarely online these days, and I'm usually around sporadically and offline for a few days. Plus, I have no idea who you are anyway.

Regardless, if you have a problem, contact Maelstrom. He is around bikeforums a lot more than Joe, and he can get to the bottom of this. But if you are unsure as to why you were banned, go back over your old posts under whatever your other username is (and when I do get the chance to check out your story, please don't be surprised when this name is banned, as members are allowed only ONE username per person).

I'll check into your story sometime in the next few days, and one of the moderators will contact you.

Koffee Brown

Forum Moderator

Without looking at our posts...I'd say MechBgon's reply is completely plausible. Or something similar to it. It may not be a personal affront to you Michigander. My advice is, take a deep breathe, give it a couple of days and see what Joe/the mods say about it first.

Breath, man breath....."It's All Good."

O.K. at the same moment Koffee posted right above me. So it's possible that there is more to this. But I think my original assesment is sound. Let them look into it first, before you get all bent out of shape.

What's your IP address?

I wasn't implying that you did anything Koffee, just pointing out that you had said when I asked in the old P&R forum warnings were issued before banning, and I appologise if I was being offensive. I am not sure what you mean by this second username, because I only have one. I would not bother creating a new username, because if a mod finds it nessasary to ban me to the extent that I can't return under this one, I won't be posting. Period.


What's your IP address?

I haven't got the slightest clue.

Ok, so I'm not sure what's up.

Apparently, you were banned this morning under the username you're using right now. But now, you're unbanned and you're back on the forums wondering why.

Ok. I'm checking into it, but I'm offline now.

Koffee

I wasn't implying that you did anything Koffee, just pointing out that you had said when I asked in the old P&R forum warnings were issued before banning, and I appologise if I was being offensive. I am not sure what you mean by this second username, because I only have one. I would not bother creating a new username, because if a mod finds it nessasary to ban me to the extent that I can't return under this one, I won't be posting. Period.



I haven't got the slightest clue.This will let you find your IP: Gibson Research SHIELDS-UP firewall-testing site (https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2), click the Proceed button at the bottom. If you're in the mood to test whether your computer is running nekkid through the IntarWeb with its skimpy firewall revealing its private parts, then run the "All Service Ports" scan too :)

Ok, so I'm not sure what's up.

Apparently, you were banned this morning under the username you're using right now. But now, you're unbanned and you're back on the forums wondering why.

Ok. I'm checking into it, but I'm offline now.

Koffee

sounds like it was the IP that was banned, not the username. other people have already explained why.

You probably have a dynamic IP address (new address everytime you login). Someone else was probably banned using that address (or range of addresses). Hopefully it will be straightened out quickly

This will let you find your IP: Gibson Research SHIELDS-UP firewall-testing site (https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2), click the Proceed button at the bottom. If you're in the mood to test whether your computer is running nekkid through the IntarWeb with its skimpy firewall revealing its private parts, then run the "All Service Ports" scan too :)


where do i have to go to school to be smart like you?

It's all about the gun and knife thing you've got going on.

;)

What's your IP address?

Hacker?!?!

DO NOT post your IP address......any hacker will use it to target you ASAP.

This will let you find your IP: Gibson Research SHIELDS-UP firewall-testing site (https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2), click the Proceed button at the bottom. If you're in the mood to test whether your computer is running nekkid through the IntarWeb with its skimpy firewall revealing its private parts, then run the "All Service Ports" scan too :)

The funny thing is, I just tried going to that site, and my firewall stopped me.

If you really want to know your computer's ip address, you can go to a dos prompt and type "ipconfig" and that will give it to you.

However, if you have a firewall, then a different ip address is what "the world" sees. There are many websites that report it. I helped a friend recently write a script so he could automatically get his external IP address and then dynamically create a webpage that dipslayed it (he was doing it for a game server he was starting up).

It's all about the gun and knife thing you've got going on.

;)

+1 for cleaning your guns while posting(rule #3477-b)...:D

DO NOT post your IP address......any hacker will use it to target you ASAP.


That's just Brillig's brand of humor.

DO NOT post your IP address......any hacker will use it to target you ASAP.

Oh please, if you have a firewall you have nothing to worry about posting your IP Address. And if you don't have sufficient firewall, you'll last about ten minutes before being hacked whether you post you IP address or not.

(I set up a Linux server a couple years ago. I brought it up once to first check that the network connections were ready, then it brought it down and configured the firewall. In the two minutes that it was up on the Internet without the Firewall, a script kiddie had already installed a trojan. Take a look at your firewall logs, you're probably getting hit with scans nearly every minute.)

That's just Brillig's brand of humor.

I was being slightly facetious. But it's not like posting your social security number or anything. (You can PM that to me to be secure).

Heh some people in this world are so freaking clueless its both funny, sad and sickening at the same time.

I was being slightly facetious. But it's not like posting your social security number or anything. (You can PM that to me to be secure).
:roflmao:

where do i have to go to school to be smart like you?LOL, I hope you're being sarcastic, because I'm not very smart or very well-trained, and what I do know didn't come from going to school :D

*keeps studying for my Reality+ certification*


And if you have a router, you can log into it (usually at http://192.168.0.1 or http://192.168.1.1) and look at the Status info to see your present external IP address too. The GRC site is just a simpler method for people who don't normally mess with their routers and stuff.

where do i have to go to school to be smart like you?LOL, I hope you're being sarcastic, because I'm not very smart or very well-trained, and what I do know didn't come from going to school :D

*keeps studying for my Reality+ certification*


And if you have a router, you can log into it (usually at http://192.168.0.1 or http://192.168.1.1) and look at the Status info to see your present external IP address too. The GRC site is just a simpler method for people who don't normally mess with their routers and stuff.

where do i have to go to school to be smart like you?LOL, I hope you're being sarcastic, because I'm not very smart or very well-trained, and what I do know didn't come from going to school :D

*keeps studying for my Reality+ certification*


And if you have a router, you can log into it (usually at http://192.168.0.1 or http://192.168.1.1) and look at the Status info to see your present external IP address too. The GRC site is just a simpler method for people who don't normally mess with their routers and stuff.

Oh please, if you have a firewall you have nothing to worry about posting your IP Address. And if you don't have sufficient firewall, you'll last about ten minutes before being hacked whether you post you IP address or not.

(I set up a Linux server a couple years ago. I brought it up once to first check that the network connections were ready, then it brought it down and configured the firewall. In the two minutes that it was up on the Internet without the Firewall, a script kiddie had already installed a trojan. Take a look at your firewall logs, you're probably getting hit with scans nearly every minute.)
Yup, did this too with a WinXP machine. Time from turning off firewall to getting hit? (45 seconds)

You have an unreal number of ip's associated with your name. I would assume your isp has a very short lease on your ip and you got one, potentially, from a member previously that was banned. The chance is slim but its the only viable explanation without someone actively banning you.

Either that or you have multiple people living in your house and the ip was in face banned for a reason.

Regardless of firewall your communication when you connect via html is opened up to the site you are connected to. I can see your ip ;)...

Thanks very much for figuring this out Maelstrom. I certainly don't have anybody else living with me, so if in the furure by some fluke this happens again, could I probably log off the web and log back on to solve the problem?

Maelstroms conclusion is probably correct. Do you log onto bikeforums with many different computers?

Or use different wireless hotspots. Or use a modem connection. Or a laptop that gets moved around to multiple sites (work, home, friend's place, etc). Lots of ways to end up with multiple IP addresses.

Just one computer, but as many of you have seen me say, I don't know jack **** about computers, and my buddy set up my virus protection and stuff, so whatever he did, as was previously said, I must use a ton of IP addresses.

Oh darn. So the excitement is over. I thought you were naughty.......:p ;)

Could be that a Firewall between you and the bikeforums website blocked you and sent that message. Maybe so that you would spend more time working?

Could be that a Firewall between you and the bikeforums website blocked you and sent that message. Maybe so that you would spend more time working?
Blasphemy.

Could be that a Firewall between you and the bikeforums website blocked you and sent that message. Maybe so that you would spend more time working?


I should probably point out that this happened again last night. Oh well, if I restart my computer I get a new IP address and problem solved. Anyway SJ, about your smartass comment, starting on monday, I will be working 60-80 hours per week. How much do you work every week?

Michigander, sorry for the problems and lack of support from myself. Maelstrom's respons is spot on. You may want to contact your ISP and see if a static IP is an option.

Thanks again Joe. My theory is, if all that happens is once a week or so I have to restart to log on, no big deal. I am a computer ignoramous, so if it becomes a bigger problem, I'll have one of my computer literate friends "contact my ISP and see if a static IP is an option." But again, if it doesn't become a bigger problem, I'm done complaining.

Gosh and I get pissed that my ISP rotates my IP every couple of days/weeks :p

I should probably point out that this happened again last night. Oh well, if I restart my computer I get a new IP address and problem solved. Anyway SJ, about your smartass comment, starting on monday, I will be working 60-80 hours per week. How much do you work every week?

Looks like banning an IP isnt the most effective way to stop a hacker. Maybe Michigander's PC is pwned. One could term into that, then do the naughty stuff while posing as Michigander or ?

Sorry about the comment, I didnt really think that you where a slacker only that employers are snoopy.

40 -- at work
14 -- bfs
40 -- wife and kids
20 -- biking

Sorry about the comment, I didnt really think that you where a slacker only that employers are snoopy.



Stupid me! Only now do I realize that you thought I had an office job. Just so everybody that didn't know knows, I do construction.