Reason as to why our site and countless others were down last night

CKKeung

Well-Known Member
Jun 17, 2011
3,053
3,172
1,410
Hong Kong
Post your IPs which don’t work. The geo IP data can be queried. Maybe these networks are not in the geo IP databases and the hosting provider of WBF is blocking networks with no location?
It seems that the IP in Hong Kong which don't work are PCCW and 3.
My android phone via Smartone works.
 

djsina2

Well-Known Member
May 30, 2019
1,125
964
213
From a computer that doesn’t work Google “what’s my IP” and post or PM the number it returns.
 

CKKeung

Well-Known Member
Jun 17, 2011
3,053
3,172
1,410
Hong Kong
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Folsom

VIP/Donor
Oct 25, 2015
6,024
1,490
520
Eastern WA
I haven't thought of a solution yet, but the problem is mostly because routing for the traffic won't always avoid China/blocked routes. Because the traffic can move all the way up to the server before it gets a no-go, the switching isn't learning to route avoiding China. (traffic tends to stabilize by learning the better routes, this is why ping settles with certain apps)

djsina2's solution is probably the best for now.
 

adyc

VIP/Donor
Jan 5, 2013
873
399
973
Using direct IP address won't solve the routing through China issue. I can't access WBF with this method. I can only login now through my office PC as they route through Singapore.
 

Folsom

VIP/Donor
Oct 25, 2015
6,024
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Eastern WA
Changing DNS can help by avoiding Chinese DNS, but it's not a sure-fire way.
 

adyc

VIP/Donor
Jan 5, 2013
873
399
973
No luck. I already use DNS 1.1.1.1. Actually, I do no think traffic routing has much relation to DNS server.
 

Folsom

VIP/Donor
Oct 25, 2015
6,024
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Eastern WA
If the DNS is in China, you may get the initial request going through China till the network learns it isn't as fast. (only if it isn't)
 

djsina2

Well-Known Member
May 30, 2019
1,125
964
213
Routing has nothing to do with this. The WBF server only has knowledge of your source address, not any path you have taken to get there. If your source address is said to be from China according to the geo IP databases then you would be blocked. I checked an IP of a user which is still having issues and it seems to be because their ISP is operating services in both HK and China. Two of the geo IP databases listed the location as “Hong Kong SAR China”.
 

Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
No luck. I already use DNS 1.1.1.1. Actually, I do no think traffic routing has much relation to DNS server.
Routing has nothing to do with this. The WBF server only has knowledge of your source address, not any path you have taken to get there. If your source address is said to be from China according to the geo IP databases then you would be blocked. I checked an IP of a user which is still having issues and it seems to be because their ISP is operating services in both HK and China. Two of the geo IP databases listed the location as “Hong Kong SAR China”.
]

Anthony. Bottom line is changing your DNS will not help as your IP address is likely China is somehow involved and you are blocked in all likelihood at the firewall
 

Folsom

VIP/Donor
Oct 25, 2015
6,024
1,490
520
Eastern WA
Routing has nothing to do with this. The WBF server only has knowledge of your source address, not any path you have taken to get there. If your source address is said to be from China according to the geo IP databases then you would be blocked. I checked an IP of a user which is still having issues and it seems to be because their ISP is operating services in both HK and China. Two of the geo IP databases listed the location as “Hong Kong SAR China”.

So they're basically randomly assigning dynamic IP's from two locations? o_O
 

djsina2

Well-Known Member
May 30, 2019
1,125
964
213
So they're basically randomly assigning dynamic IP's from two locations? o_O

Not necessarily. Geo IP is not an exact science at all and it's up to the ISP to maintain their entries in the various 3rd party geo IP databases. It has no bearing whatsoever on where the actual end user is located. As an example, my Verizon IP shows Maryland but I am in Michigan.
 
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Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
Well I have pursued this all day because of our Hong Kong members who apparently have IP addresses from China

With a lot begging they have lifted the ban on China. Anthony and others should be able to log in
djsinas2 ...... is there anything they need to do re DNS concerns before logging in.


I got this answer from my ISP

Hello,

The CIDR blocks are generated from the MaxMind GeoLite2 Country database at:
https://dev.MaxMind.com/geoip/geoip2/geolite2/
At this time we have removed the block from China on temporary basis to see if this opens it up for them.
Please let us know...
 
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djsina2

Well-Known Member
May 30, 2019
1,125
964
213
I downloaded the MaxMind databases and looked up the IP we were focusing on last night. The numeric code associated with that IP block is cross referenced to HK country code, but it it listed in a file called CN. So it seems like even though the geo IP data is correct (HK) it's being lumped into the China file. There are other non-China IP blocks in there too from various countries.

Not sure why that one user had the DNS issues, may have been an anomaly. I guess it's possible their HK nameservers were blocked from getting the DNS update from the authoritative nameserver (the one in Glendale) but I don't know where the block was put in place or the relationship between the ISP, hosting provider, DNS provider.
 
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Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
It's been a bit of an up hill struggle but now that they lifted the block on China my hope is that those members from Hong Kong who are here on a daily basis should be able to access WBFwithout incurring any charges such as a VPN.

They said they lifted the block on China on a temporary basis. I don't know what that means but can Anthony and any others affected log back in and if success post an all's well in this thread. By the same token if all is not well I want you to post what you are still having issues with. That's why try pinging the site with our IP address. If successful it is a DNS issue and reset your router
 
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Folsom

VIP/Donor
Oct 25, 2015
6,024
1,490
520
Eastern WA
They may need to do a hard re-cache refresh in their browser. For FireFox it's ctrl+shift+R . Other browsers maybe ctrl+F5 or ctrl+R. (the issue is some do, and some don't truly recache) If you're having trouble you can manually redo the cache on most browsers (and skip everything else in the options) as seen here for example https://refreshyourcache.com/en/cache/ .
 
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