Android Forums is now blocked in China.

[mikedt]

And I can't access it unless I'm using a VPN.

 

[psionandy]

And I can't access it unless I'm using a VPN.

Was it something I said?

 

[lvt]

Maybe it's your IP that has been blocked by the forum's hosting server.

 

[kate]

Seems like an odd site to ban, have you tried accessing it from different IPs?

 

[mikedt]

Several IPs, cellular and WiFi.

 

[mikedt]

Maybe it's your IP that has been blocked by the forum's hosting server.

Is AF on shared hosting or on its own IP address and server?

Does AF use CloudFlare?

Something in P&CA triggered the Chinese censoring?

@Phases & @Rob, I think this might need your attention.

 

[AZgl1500]

Hmmm, what an odd thing to do, as our resources can't do anything but help the people in China.

Must have been another service that ruined things for the host of AF.

 

[dan330]

how about trying to use tapatalk app.. to access this forum and others.

 

[Member243850]

Wow... and I thought we had problems!

Have you perhaps tried using the not so well known "back door bomb parliament" method?

 

[lvt]

Is AF on shared hosting or on its own IP address and server?

Does AF use CloudFlare?

Something in P&CA triggered the Chinese censoring?

@Phases & @Rob, I think this might need your attention.

I think China didn't ban AF but the other way around.

If you are accessing AF from an IP address that has been blacklisted, you can't access the site because the server won't let you in.

Do you someone located in different city in China who could help you to make a test ? Give that person the link to AF to see if he / she can see the site.

 

[Slug]

I think China didn't ban AF but the other way around.

If only @Rob was that influential.

If you are accessing AF from an IP address that has been blacklisted, you can't access the site because the server won't let you in.

No such IPs have been blocked recently afaics. It's possible that a block of addresses have made it onto one of the centralised blacklists that is used by AF for routine anti-spam checking, if this is implemented; maybe the [USERGROUP=3]@Administrative[/USERGROUP] staff can answer that?

Do you someone located in different city in China who could help you to make a test ?

As various wifi and cellular services have been tried with no success, I suspect the reason is more complex than a simple IP ban.

 

[Xyro]

If it were the case of us banning a certain IP address, Mike would be able to view the site - it would just show him a message saying he was banned. So it should be easily discernible from the great firewall of China keeping him out, where the page would (presumably) be redirected, or not load at all.

 

[Camp Smith]

Something got their attention. Is it the hosting provider that have banned IPs?

 

[mikedt]

Couldn't get AF at all last night except through my VPN. However this morning I can access it via cellular 4G with China Unicom. However still inaccessible via the home network, which is China Telecom cable Internet. And this is both using a browser and Tapatalk. When a site is blocked by the GFW, usually it either doesn't load at all, nothing is responding, AF is doing this, or there's an immediate connection reset and "page cannot be displayed" message, Facebook, Google, Amnesty International, etc. does this.

I'm sure if I was IP address banned by AF server, it would tell me wouldn't it. That's what some CloudFlare sites do, basically any IP address that originates from China, and sometimes Russia are automatically blacklisted, because of hacking attempts, spamming, etc.


I can't really use a VPN all the time, because it causes problems for the Chinese apps I use regularly, like Wechat can be very slow when it's in China, pinging the servers in China, while routed via the United States or Canada. Same with streaming music and videos from Chinese sites, things like QQ Music and Baidu Music..."Sorry, this service is only available in China", when I'm using the VPN.

 

[lvt]

Can you use some proxy server instead of the VPN ?

 

[touringhaggis]

I can't really use a VPN all the time, because it causes problems for the Chinese apps I use regularly, like Wechat can be very slow when it's in China, pinging the servers in China, while routed via the United States or Canada. Same with streaming music and videos from Chinese sites, things like QQ Music and Baidu Music..."Sorry, this service is only available in China", when I'm using the VPN.

Perhaps overkill, but you could install a small machine on your network that connects to your VPN. Then simply add static routes on your machine (using the VPN host as a gateway) for AF and anything else that needs VPN access. Of course you can also use the VPN host as your default gateway and add static routes (using your router as a gateway) for anything within China. Choose whichever would result in the least static routes.

I just don't know how much admin work you are willing to do.

Regards,
Eric.

 

[CenturionB]

Now it's a shock, communism, and there is nothing to say

 

[Phases]

Well, our hosting provider blocks some countries. Here are some blocked due to sanctions:

https://knowledgelayer.softlayer.com/faq/softlayer-network-wide-ip-blocking

If this is the cause they should be updating that soon.

If china or his range were blocked from AF, by me... yes he'd get to AF and see a banned message - if its a server or network style block he'd never make it this far.

 

[mikedt]

Seems to be clear now, all back to normal.

 

[lvt]

Seems to be clear now, all back to normal.

Glad to hear it, maybe it was a network glitch.

 

[Bg260]

Good. Seems like everytime I put my nose to the grindstone on a project something big happens here and I'm always late to the show. I'll wrap up all my thoughts from the thread. In that order.

 

[Andrew Cole]

Glad you're back. Our little Android TV box family needs you!

 

[Shotgun84]

Nah China probably had enough of AF slating their shit sorry rubbish impersonations of phones so blocked the site so China won't see how bad they actually are Although I guess the whole country getting slated was worse