Unable to Access Excel Forum Website Intermittently

[smuzoen]

Hi Guys and Gals,
Over the past 2 weeks I have had problems accessing the entire Excel Forum website - I cannot reproduce the error. The strange thing is that at home I may be unable to access the website (trying with Chrome/IE/Firefox) however I can remote into a work PC and access the website fine. This says to me that it is not my username that is causing the problem but rather my IP (both work and home have fixed IP addresses). Then the reverse will occur - I cannot access the website from work however I will be able to access it at home. The reason I believe it is IP based is that I have multiple devices at work/home to try so it is not just one machine that cannot access the website but rather my iPhone, laptop and PC cannot access the Excel Forums as they all have the same WAN IP. I can ping the website and tracert and resolve the IP address however the browser says cannot find www.excelforum.com. I can browse other websites with no problems - it is just Excel Forums that will not load. Dropping firewalls and antivirus software makes no difference.
Has anyone else had problems with access to the website? As I say I cannot reproduce the problem, it occurs intermittently and usually within 24 hours the problem disappears and I am able to resolve the website no problems.
I am not expecting a solution (although one would be great) however just interested if anyone else is experiencing the same problems.

[romperstomper]

I've had similar issues and I know others have too. I assume the tech team are doing something with firewalls or settings and, erm, misjudge it. I just go and play somewhere else and check back periodically. I think four days is the record for me so far.

[smuzoen]

four days is the record for me so far

LOL - I have not had to wait that long but I heard whispers there were others in the same boat. I like playing here as the people are nicer and there are a few stalkers on my other favourite wesbite that will go un-named. Unfortunately he plays here as well. Ding Dong.

[arlu1201]

Could you PM me both your IP addresses? I will send them over to the tech team for a check.

[jeffreybrown]

@Arlette,
I do not think getting their IP addresses will help as this happens to me also and I'm sure others. As RS says, I just go play elsewhere for a spell.

@All,
A friend provided me with this website to see if its you or EF.

[arlu1201]

Jeff,

It does seem to be the issue with the IP sometimes. I had sent over your IP to the tech team and they got it cleared.

I have forwarded smuzoen's issue to them as well. Hoping to hear from them soon.

[jeffreybrown]

Okay, sounds like a winner...thanks

[xladept]

I also have often to wait to access the site.

[romperstomper]

I'd be intrigued to know why the address was being blocked in the first place especially as I'm not on a fixed address except at work, and I don't think I've had the issue from there. Blocking addresses is pretty pointless anyway, IMO.

[arlu1201]

Its not that its being blocked by the tech team. They do get blocked, by ways not known to me (since the only technical part i know is VBA )

But let me pose that question to the tech team to know the various ways in which an IP can get blocked.

[smuzoen]

I originally theorised that I initiated the problem whenever I included in a post a link to another site (within Excel Forums and external sites as well) - whenever there was a link in the post then when I saved the post the problem would start from that point on and access is lost straight after I try to post a response with a hyper-link.

[royUK]

Why does this issue only arise on this forum? I've never experienced it anywhere else.

[smuzoen]

I believe it is definitely related to the IP as I said previously I cannot access to the website (when problems occur) on 4 different devices all with same WAN IP however when I remote into another site such as work I can log in fine under a different IP. I have even tried logging in with my iPhone using 3G rather than connecting via wireless to my router and I can access the site as over 3G I will have a different IP than my laptop for example.
I also think that it is related to when I include in a post a link to an external website (e.g. people ask where can I find out more about abc) and (may God not strike me down) I provide a link to Ozgrid. I remember one OP asked where can I find out more and I listed 4 external websites - as soon as I tried to post this I could not get access for about 2 days. I assumed my post was seen like a spammer posting garbage links to websites that have nothing to do with the forum. I thought it might me an anti-spam initiative as I have noticed more and more we are getting idiots posting on the forums ad's for various garbage/products/services.

[royUK]

1. I'm sure that it is not possible to stop spamming this way, maybe the "tech team" are trying this. Simon & I set as many controls up to reduce spam available with vBulletin when we were admin, butspammers soon find wats around them.

2.You are seeing more spam because no-one is around to delete it. I've seen spam this morning & moderators present after the spam was posted. So it should have been deleted., despite the fact that the spam had already been reported.

[perrja4]

I am experiencing the same thing. I can access fine from my cell phone but not from my laptop or desktop. Please help. I'm desperate.

[arlu1201]

Please try now. Your IP was blocked.

[MarvinP]

My IP was blocked a few weeks ago. I thought the site was down. I found other things to do with my time and have been answering a lot less questions since. I guess I work for "appreciation points" and found my IP being blocked drove me away from the site.

It would seem to me, people who help the site by answering questions shouldn't be blocked. Just my two cents...

[arlu1201]

You are not being blocked on purpose Marvin. The IPs just get blocked randomly. I got blocked too.

[TMS]

Hi Arlette

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Just get blocked? Why would that be? How does it happen? Why should it happen to a Veteran like MarvinP? What could he have done, albeit inadvertently, to cause this? I'm not convinced that "random events" are random, especially in this case. There is a reason, there must be, we just don't know what it is. And something like that, that we don't understand the cause, is a bit of a worry.

Like MarvinP, I enjoy the thank you's and the rep and that makes me come back. If, because I couldn't access RF and I had to go elsewhere and start to build my reputation there, I might just have an incentive to go play elsewhere.

Seems to me that "random" blocking of IP addresses is something that needs to be investigated and resolved.

Regards, TMS

[JBeaucaire]

You're right, something is triggering the blocking, of course. "Random" in this discussion simply means "it happens to individuals here and there and the reasons haven't been discovered yet." That's all.

This has happened to me 2 times in the past 3 years. After the 3rd time I realized it had happened because I had had trouble logging in and the multiple attempts must've triggered some sort of safety thing like I was a hacker. The 4th time it was that EXACT thing because I did it again without thinking. It's still a mystery if that is what happened the first couple of times.


Frustrating yes, but having it be OVERLY frustrating is a second choice, one I didn't and won't make. I've reported the times it happened then back to Excel-ling.