Tech Help Sought - Can't Access Ab With My Ip

[Hagen]

Can some tech savvy person help me please? I can't really do a TL;DR version of this, though I'll try to be as brief as possible. I can always provide more detail later.
Since Monday (10/7) I can't access AB from my IP address. Both IE11 and Firefox give the "can't display this page" messages. I have no problem with any other sites I visit. I can access AB if I use a different IP provided by a proxy server (that's how I'm able to post this).
I've done the usual checks: restart, disable AV/firewall, flush DNS and use a different DNS server, turn router off and on again, scan for malware. I've tried using another device on my network to access AB and I've used a different router. No joy.
I can't ping AB and traceroute ends in a series of timeouts.
This started when I clicked on a HTTPS link from Google to an old AB thread. The AB team have confirmed that the link doesn't work (it should be HTTP). After attempting to open this link I am unable to access any AB pages at all with my IP – I have to use a proxy with a different IP.
It must be that somehow my IP has been blocked after trying to open that link (I'll provide that link if anyone thinks they can help, but I'm reluctant to do it now in case someone clicks on it and also gets blocked).
I have of course confirmed with AB that I haven't been banned – my posts may be boring, but they're not offensive!
Has anyone had a similar experience with this or any other site, and successfully resolved it? If you can help sort it I'll owe you several beers!

[Old_Geezer]

Just curious but: what happens if you put 64.237.61.68 in your browser ?

[Hagen]

Thanks for the reply. I did try using AB's IP rather than the URL and alas this doesn't work either!

[Old_Geezer]

Have you checked your HOSTS file for clues ?

[Tuvok]

Try switching your router off - then when it restarts it may get you a different IP address - unless you have a static IP address.

[Hagen]

Good point. I did check the hosts file and it is clean.

[Hagen]

Tuvok, I did leave the router off for a couple of hours in the hope that my IP would change. I'm fairly certain that I have a dynamic IP, but it doesn't change very often (this is normal I gather). A new IP is probably the only way to solve this unless the AB techies manage to remove the block.

I'm aware that apparently there are ways to force an IP change in the router settings, but I'm not confident enough to try this as I fear losing my connection altogether!

[Tuvok]

It may be that whatever IP address you get will be blocked - as it may be your ISP that is getting blocked (which is why your proxy is letting you in) - who are you with?

[Hagen]

You may well have a point. I'm with O2 Czech Republic. I found that if I clicked on the dodgy link I mentioned above using a proxy, that IP got blocked by AB for a while then was OK again after an hour or so. The block on my Czech IP appears to be permanent.

I have had slightly similar issues like this before, where a site's security is suspicious of ISPs and email servers from Central and Eastern Europe. Of course nobody in America or the UK ever spams or hacks...

[Togo]

http://whatismyipaddress.com/blacklist-check

Is your IP address is on this anti spam list.

[Togo]

https://www.spamhaus.org/lookup/

This site may help in resolving it.

[Hagen]

It's only on one - l2.apews.org. I think that individual sites can block IPs without using blacklists, though I'm not certain about this.

[Hagen]

My IP isn't blocked by the blacklists on Spamhaus either.

[Togo]

Have you tried emailing AB HQ? There does come a lot of early morning spam from Eastern Europe at times. Maybe it has been mistakenly identified or linked to those sources. I think that I would want to know if the AB server is blocking your IP before I went on a wild goose chase. You say it is only AB that is giving you issues and not if you use a different IP. Thee may be a big clue there Hagen.

[Hagen]

Indeed I have, Togo, that was my first port of call when the problem arose. I have sent them full details including the traceroute results. I had a couple of sympathetic mails back from them earlier this week, but despite providing them with the evidence that the AB server is very likely blocking my IP, the correspondence from their end has dried up. I suppose I should pester them again, but I posted here in case there was something I've missed. The replies I've had so far, for which I'm very grateful, suggest that this is an IP blocking problem that AB must resolve. I will mail them again and report back here when/if I get a response!

[Buenchico]

I note that you've already tried turning your router off and then on again, which is frequently all that's needed to change your IP address. However it's possible that when your router appears to be 'off' it's actually only in 'standby' mode, meaning that it's still connecting to your ISP (and thus retaining your current IP address).

Try the following:

1. Go here to see what your current IP address is:
http://whatismyipaddress.com/
(Write it down)

2. Disconnect the power from your router by removing the plug (rather than simply by switching it off) and also disconnect the phone lead.

3. Wait for a minute or two.

4. Reconnect the phone lead and power up your router again.

5. Wait until all of the lights on your router have stabilised to what they normally show.

6. Click the link again to confirm that your IP address has changed.

7. Try connecting to AB again. If it works then, obviously, you've fixed the problem. If it doesn't you'll know that there's something other than your IP address involved.

[Buenchico]

^^^ PS: You obviously want to check your IP address when you're not using a proxy server but you won't be able to view this page (and click the link) when you're using your normal IP address.

So you'll need to click on the link first (while using your proxy server), bookmark the page, disconnect from the proxy and then refresh (or return to) the page in order to see your 'real' IP address.

[Hagen]

Thanks for the suggestion. I tried that, but get the same IP. I think the router has to be off for a long time for this to work and to be honest, that's more of a hassle than using the proxy.

The good news is that I elicited an answer from the AB team and apparently the techies are looking into it. Fingers crossed...

Many thanks to all who offered suggestions. Have a good weekend!

[Hagen]

Well, after a week I have heard no more from AB and my IP is still blocked. I have written to express my dissatisfaction but have not had the courtesy of a reply. If it weren't for the crossword threads I'd give up on AB as a bad lot, but I suppose I'll just have to engage my proxy in order to read and post.

I strongly advise anyone, especially those with an IP address outside the UK, NOT to open any HTTPS links from search engines to AB. You may well find your IP blocked too, and if my experiences are anything to go by, the AB team will make absolutely no effort to sort the problem out. AB contributors 10, AB admin NIL.

[Hagen]

This thread's deader than the Norwegian Blue, but just for the record I should add that the IP block has now been lifted by the AB techies. I therefore retract some of the angrier comments in my previous post.

Once more I suggest that if you are using Google to track down old AB threads, you steer well clear of any HTTPS links that appear in the search results.

I reiterate my thanks to those who posted here to offer help.

[HansUrbancka]

I'll Not use Google for anything.

Hans.