Access Problems

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Zambo
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Access Problems

Post by Zambo »

Some members have been reporting problems accessing the forum.

Various actions have been tried without success. These include:-

Clearing browser cache
Clearing DNS cache
Changing settings and extensions on Chrome

The strange thing here. is that variable error messages are being displayed

e.gs server IP address could not be found (ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED)

DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN

e.g It appears that for some users they can get in OK on phone, and say work PC, but not on home MAC
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kevin04
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Re: Access Problems

Post by kevin04 »

Yes, I have had some as well.

Thought my 6 beers on an empty stomach blethering pish in the music section on Monday night had got me banned :)

Seeming to work at my work, I'll try the lappy when home too. So better get those fools panel and NFL scores in!
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m4rkb
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Re: Access Problems

Post by m4rkb »

Me too. Nothing for nearly a week other than of my phone.I thought I'd been Ip banned or something.

I'm going to try changing DNS server when I get home and see if that makes a difference.
Also what is the direct IP address of talkforum to see if that works by inputting it directly

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m4rkb
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Re: Access Problems

Post by m4rkb »

OK. I'm back on. Problem solved - for me at least.

I changed DNS server from the one chosen for me by my ISP to one ran by OpenDNS - one I've used before. There are other advantages of this but it was clear the host name (talkforum.co.uk) wasn't being resolved into an actual numerical address.

It's dead easy - Here's how to do it:

https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-chan ... s-mac-osx/

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m4rkb
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Re: Access Problems

Post by m4rkb »

Here's the setting I used.
Image

The alternative is just another DNS server ran by Open DNS in the event the first one goes down.
Don't worry about setting IPv6 as suggested as the DNS server you're trying to access isn't on V6 it's still on IPv4.


Makes you wonder if TF has silently been 'selected' for shadowbanning though doesn't it?
Can't think why but you never know.

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m4rkb
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Re: Access Problems

Post by m4rkb »

Just to expand on the above for anyone who is not tech savvy and wonders what the fuck all those numbers are and what is going on, A DNS Server is a glorified Directory Enquiries which converts domain names like Google.com into web addresses similar to Directory enquiries converts addresses into landline numbers so you can phone them.

There are loads of them distributed around the world to keep the net working. Chances are you have a DNS Server pre-selected for you by your Internet Service Provider.

You do not need to use this one anymore than you need to use 118 118 as opposed to 192. They all result inyou simply landing on the website you clicked on.

But from the article by Cnet you may want to consider a couple of points. Your ISP tracks you and where you go so selecting a different version of Internet Directory Enquiries makes it a whole lot more difficult for them.
CNET wrote:By default, your computer probably reaches out to a DNS server controlled by your internet service provider (ISP), say Comcast or AT&T. That means they can easily see the websites you visit -- and because they've got your name and address, too, they could theoretically build a fairly complete profile of you.

If you use a DNS server provided by a different company, they might record that info too...but at least it'll be harder for them to figure out who exactly is browsing those websites, which could make the data less valuable.

And at least one DNS provider has sworn it won't keep a log: CloudFlare (1.1.1.1) says it'll open itself up to third-party auditors to guarantee they aren't collecting data from you.
So if you wanted to you could chose the non tracking Cloudflare version whose address is 1.1.1.1 while keeping a backup DNS server just in case it went down - such as the one I chose ran by OpenDNS.

In which case your settings would look like this:
I think I may actually keep this version
Image

Hope this helps anyone a bit unsure.

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kevin04
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Re: Access Problems

Post by kevin04 »

Top man, Mark!

Cheers.
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Sid Pervcat
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Re: Access Problems

Post by Sid Pervcat »

Dark forces!
05.02.2024

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kevin04
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Re: Access Problems

Post by kevin04 »

Any ideas for how to do it for an android, Mark?

Thank you once again.
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m4rkb
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Re: Access Problems

Post by m4rkb »

kevin04 wrote:Any ideas for how to do it for an android, Mark?

Thank you once again.


That's a very good question Kev.

I'm on Android myself and haven't had a problem connecting to TF with a normal mobile data connection so far. My connection is provided for me by my ISP - which coincidentally is the same ISP as I use at home and at work which both blocked me on landline connections and wifi. They appeared not to be able to resolve talkforum.co.uk into an actual IP address which connects you to the site hence why a change of DNS server seemed to solve the problem . Without this Talkforum appears not to exist at all.

I've got a Plusnet home connection and a Plusnet mobile connection. Both appear to be separate even though they are run by the same company and both are subsidiaries of BT.

I'm not sure at all whether you can change DNS providers on Android devices but I presume you can. If you can't, I'd find it highly suspicious why not as the natural extension to this is big tech providers choosing DNS providers who actively involve themselves with censorship of certain websites without most people even suspecting.

Without wanting to sound all conspiratorial, We are pretty much allowed to say what we want on here but the bots that scan our content with their new AI algorithms might - just might - deem us to be far right in some of the things said on here. There's an awful lot of this about at the moment.

I'll ask a few more tech savvy people I know if they can answer your question and come back.

Alternatively you can search youself for things along the line of how to change DNS provider on Android - which I'll also be looking at myself right now.

If anyone add to this and can speed things up, then great.

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m4rkb
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Re: Access Problems

Post by m4rkb »

kevin04 wrote:Any ideas for how to do it for an android, Mark?

Thank you once again.


Kev. Are you getting problems accessing talkforum when you're trying to connect via your home or office wifi connection or are you still getting the same problems with your standard data connection with wifi turned off?

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subsub
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Re: Access Problems

Post by subsub »

It worked!
*raises early-morning glass of beer to m4rk*

I tried a couple of the new DNS addresses - it was the Open one that worked for me.
Cheers, m4rk :D
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kevin04
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Re: Access Problems

Post by kevin04 »

m4rkb wrote:
kevin04 wrote:Any ideas for how to do it for an android, Mark?

Thank you once again.


Kev. Are you getting problems accessing talkforum when you're trying to connect via your home or office wifi connection or are you still getting the same problems with your standard data connection with wifi turned off?


Cheers, Mark.

I can access the forum, but when I try to sign in it comes up with the DNR ERROR stuff (on Android), but have no issues on the laptop though.
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Suhari
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Re: Access Problems

Post by Suhari »

I'll have a play later on.

Interesting that it suddenly became a problem when it hadn't been before.

Any reason why that would be the case?

(Presumably due to GCHQ/NSA monitoring all our Internet traffic)
I might have done one - not sure but possible.

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m4rkb
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Re: Access Problems

Post by m4rkb »

I haven't had a great deal of time today to get my head around changing DNS servers on mobiles devices and frankly some of the people I asked who I though would know have never even heard of it. To say the DNS settings are buried is an understatement in itself but with some digging it does appear we can get to them and change them. Unfortunately there seems to be one problem on top of another as you go.

While doing all this digging, I did not actually realise how prevalent it is that sites are made unavailable or restricted by various DNS providers who simply will not list them. To all intents and purposes most people will then tend to think those sites have been shut down, when they haven't and simply changing your internet directory enquiries provider (DNS) brings them all back up again. Needless to say this all happens when you let those in charge make all these decisions for you.

I don't have a problem with my mobile reaching TalkForum on it's normal data link when out and about but it still doesn't connect when it's connected to home or office wifi.

This video here is about the simplest I've found for Android devices but I haven't got a clue about iPhones.


NB: If you did manage to get into the Android settings in the video and your mobile device has first and second choice DNS addresses like 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 , then I should point out these are actually ran by Google which is no surprise on Android but unfortunately is now at the forefront of internet censorship so it would also be no surprise people are experiencing problems using their DNS servers to reach websites they consider inappropriate.

The bad news is some devices will not allow you to save any alteration made in this way so you my need to use a 3rd party App such as some of those listed on Google Play which claim to be able to make these alterations but to complicate things further you may also need to root your device to use many of these apps.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... edns&pli=1

At this point, many of you are probably thinking fuck me this is getting rather complicated and you'd be right. But it gets worse.

If you managed to get Talkforum back online by changing the DNS settings to those I suggested earlier but your mobile device still doesn't work straight through your wifi or router then you'll need to do one of two things.
1) either change your mobile / wifi settings as per the video above.
2) Access your router directly and make the changes to the DNS settings there. :roll:

I've looked at mine and frankly thought fuck it, there are no simple IP addresses to type into two fields - I've got to sign up to a DNS service provider and obtain a username and login from them to input into the various fields. So for the moment I'm happy with an ethernet cable connected straight into the router rather than piss about with wifi just so I can have the computer sat ten foot away. As for the mobile - it still works on the carriers data connection. OTHER ROUTERS MIGHT BE DIFFERENT

If anyone can shed any more light on this then please do. I can't help thinking there will be many who will need to resort to all this tech shit to keep their sites accessible in the future as they find more and more ways to monitor and censor. But we are where we are and it was inevitable huge tech would eventually take over the net from the little guy and make it their own plaything.

I'll keep trying to find out how to get everything working again but I'm not a full time tech geek. I just hope this is enough of a starting point to finally delve in and get the answer.

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