Optusnet blocking a news site. What to do? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 06, 2016, 10:54:04 pm
content: There are many news sites on various topics that I visit now and then.One of themhttp://iceagenow.infohas seemed to be unreachable for months.No response at all. I'd thought it must be offline.On 20160225 I got around to seeing if I could find out what happened to it.http://www.isitdownrightnow.com/says it's up, no history of problems.http://web.archive.org/web/20160305060935/http://iceagenow.info/Archive.org sees it, and the site is and has been continuously active.ping iceagenow.info 184.168.42.1 times out. Saved results:Tracing route to p3nlhg274c1274.shr.prod.phx3.secureserver.net [184.168.42.1]over a maximum of 30 hops:1 <1 ms <1 ms <1 ms 192.168.0.1 my cable modem2 10 ms 11 ms 12 ms 10.64.0.1 something optusnet.3 * * * Request timed out.4 * * * Request timed out.5 * * * Request timed out.6 * * * Request timed out.7 11 ms 22 ms 11 ms 210.49.109.148 mas6-fe0.gw.optusnet.com.au [211.29.138.8] reports: Destination host unreachable.Trace complete.who.is 184.168.42.1NetRange: 184.168.0.0 - 184.168.255.255CIDR: 184.168.0.0/16NetName: GO-DADDY-COM-LLCwho.is iceagenow.infoRegistrar Info: Name GoDaddy.com, LLCExpires On July 24, 2017ns65.domaincontrol.com 216.69.185.43 (pings OK)ns66.domaincontrol.com 208.109.255.43Registrant Contact Information:Name: Robert FelixCity: BellevueState: WashingtonZip: 98009Country: USPhone: +1.4254447467Email: rwfelix@juno.comwho.is 210.49.109.14inetnum: 210.49.0.0 - 210.49.255.255netname: OPTUSINTERNET-AUwho.is 211.29.138.8inetnum: 211.28.0.0 - 211.31.255.255netname: OPTUSINTERNET-AUSo, apparently the Australian carrier Optusnet (who are my cable ISP) is blocking iceagenow.info.But why? It's just a minor 'climate change' focused news site. Nothing special at all. I don't encounter access problems with any of the other news aggregator sites I read, and many of them are far more radical than that one.-------------------------------------------------20160226https://who.is/whois/optusnet.com.auRegistrant Contact Email: Visit whois.ausregistry.com.au for Web based WhoIswhois.ausregistry.com.auTech Contact Name Domain Administrator IT-WebTech Contact Email domain@optus.com.auName Server ns1.optusnet.com.auName Server IP 203.2.75.2Name Server ns2.optusnet.com.auName Server IP 203.2.75.12----------------------------20160226Sent a complaint email to optus domain management. No response, as expected.Also an informing email to rwfelix@juno.com (this bounced)That pretty much exhausts my web-fu. Can anyone suggest what to do next?I want to find out WHY Optusnet are blocking it, and if possible get them to stop doing it.Also is anyone in other countries seeing it blocked?Edit to add: Or perhaps the iceagenow server has an IP-block list that includes the Optusnet IP range? Perhaps due to obnoxious crawler behavior. I know I have such a list on my own site's server.How to find out?

author: MK14
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 06, 2016, 11:04:56 pm
content: I can see it, now, just fine. (UK).

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 06, 2016, 11:06:32 pm
content: Use a proxy to go around these kind of blockades but do install an adblocker to keep virusses out!

author: MK14
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 06, 2016, 11:12:19 pm
content: Actually the website says this on one of the pages:(There are a large bunch of other comments on the page)QuoteSource, for those that can get it:http://iceagenow.info/contact/EDIT: It's your own fault for deciding to live in North Korea/Iran etc.Come to the West, for free and open, freedom of speech!

author: Muttley Snickers
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 06, 2016, 11:19:30 pm
content: No go for me either even that last contact one posted above, I'm with Optus Cable as well.One's in red indicated unavailable if that's any help.

author: HAL-42b
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 06, 2016, 11:34:48 pm
content: Option #1 - Install DNSSec and DNSCrypt and use an independent DNS server (google has one). Verify manually that your browser actually uses DNSSec. Permanent solution, requires a bit of reading.Option #2 - Enter Google Translate and enter the url you are trying to see. Translate from English to UK English

author: cimmo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 06, 2016, 11:57:21 pm
content: I am using Telstra as my ISP and the website loads OK.

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2016, 12:07:09 am
content: Quote from: HAL-42b on March 06, 2016, 11:34:48 pmNot sure that would help. Optus and the DNS system are not blocking DNS lookup of iceagenow, since I can get the IP address correctly. They are blocking the actual site IP address.QuoteAh ha... um... wait, google translate only has one English version. And it won't let me select 'translate from English to English'. I guess because if it did then everyone would use it as a proxy, precisely for situations like this.Mutters: I wonder if Trump survives to be president, and actually hangs the 0.001 percenters from street lamps, whether there'd be any ripple-on effect in Australia? We have a more than a few deserving of nooses too.

author: edavid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2016, 12:09:55 am
content: How do you know the website isn't blocking Optusnet users? Seems just as likely (actually more likely).

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2016, 12:19:13 am
content: Quote from: edavid on March 07, 2016, 12:09:55 amI don't. And did ask that (down the bottom or original post), as well as does anyone know how to find out?Edit: Though the post quoting an iceagenow reader saying it's been blocked is pretty suggestive.Quote from: nctnico on March 06, 2016, 11:06:32 pmWell, it's a matter of priorities. Firstly I don't like installing extra crap on my PC, for maintainability reasons. But yes, free proxies are pits of rubbish/risky advertising. So this isn't an appealing solution.And I can live without iceagenow, but experiencing abusive censorship like this (if that's what it is) really bothers me. So my primary interest is to figure out who is responsible, and why. Fixing the problem is secondary, and not necessarily purely a technical issue.

author: edavid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2016, 12:29:21 am
content: Quote from: TerraHertz on March 07, 2016, 12:19:13 amCall the website owner and ask him?

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 07, 2016, 12:41:56 am
content: I checked other domains on the shared server as well as checking for blacklisting. Nothing shows up as a problem.I'm on Optus cable - and I, too, cannot get to it.

author: AntiProtonBoy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2016, 01:08:00 am
content: I would ditch optus if I had a choice. iiNet is a good alternative.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 07, 2016, 01:17:23 am
content: ADSL vs Cable?

author: jeremy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2016, 01:35:50 am
content: Have you tried calling Optus?Edit: or perhaps tweeting them? I'm not a fan of twitter, but damn do the vodafone support people respond fast on there.

author: Muttley Snickers
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 07, 2016, 01:43:26 am
content: Quote from: AntiProtonBoy on March 07, 2016, 01:08:00 amYep agreed but what do you do, better the devil you know and you are then compelled to change all your email addresses and have to notify everyone of the change including a number of Government departments for some of us, the stuff of nightmares and they know it.I understand that this is not the pissed off with Optus thread but my biggest grievance is that we are receiving frequent blank phone calls at all hours from 0011976000, possibly some type of automated war dialler which appears to be originating from or routed through a university in India, last year we notified Optus to put a stop to it and shortly after the calls did cease.Recently the calls started again so I notified Optus to put an end to it and after a two hour conversation explaining the situation and relaying to them the call logs which they had previously asked us to record over a period of time they notified us that it was an overseas source which we already knew and they couldn't do anything about it, yet I explained that they had managed to put a stop to it before and then after pulling up our history they indicated that they never did anything about it in the first instance because they couldn’t and if it stopped then it was purely a coincidence yet we didn’t know any better and took it for granted that they were on the job.I then informed the Optus supervisor that we did not wish to receive calls from overseas at all and never did, he said that they can only bar local and national calls so we will simply have to put up with it, we are already on the do not call register but I might have to write a letter of complaint to a greater authority, It would seem that they can readily block certain IP addresses but have big trouble when it comes to restricting overseas calls and when it relates to assisting loyal customers Optus are pretty bloody useless.Quote from: jeremy on March 07, 2016, 01:35:50 am

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 07, 2016, 07:41:31 am
content: Log a fault with Optus? If you don't get satisfactory answers or a response from them, lodge a complaint with theTelecommunications Industry Ombudsman(TIO). It may be the case they aren't deliberately blocking the site at all. The site may have blocked Optusnet due to abuse from other Optus users?

author: Rerouter
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2016, 10:18:04 am
content: Ok found this, and believe its relevant, It could be a non dedicated server meaning another site hosted on the same machine may be what triggered optus,https://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/2131349The furthest i get is 211.29.138.8 before it returns host unreachable, which is optus's DNS which pretty clearly points at optus blocking it,For location sake, that is the Sydney DNS, it may not be blocked in another state,

author: Stupid Beard
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2016, 10:46:45 am
content: The quick and easy way around it is to just download theTor Browserand use Tor. It's pretty painless and doesn't affect your normal browser(s) at all.

author: Rerouter
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2016, 10:52:21 am
content: Oh i really couldn't give a toss, its easy to get around, and if your after a site in particular and its not responding most will immediately try a cached or archived copy, Its both a blessing and a curse how robust the internet is on the short term,

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2016, 11:07:34 am
content: Big Brother knows what is good for you. If he blocks the site, it is good for you.Optus is owned by the Government of Singapore. I dumped Optus after their owners executed Van Tuong Nguyen.Get rid of them and go to Telstra. Telstra has improved greatly. I get 120 Mb/s download (not a typo), 500GB per month, free phone rental, free phone calls... $80 per month. Almost no downtime in many years.

author: Muttley Snickers
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 07, 2016, 11:30:18 am
content: See Wilfred pointed it out earlier and I happen to agree, I just despise Telstra for a number of reasons but have also come to hate Optus as well, a $59 dollar plan costs on average $69 and there are additional costs for a paper invoice and paying the account at a post office instead of granting them access to our business account for direct debit, a compromise on that account could put us out of business and we don't risk it for anyone.Also we have a particular mobile for incoming calls from customers which has been on a ten dollar mobile plan since 1990 and Optus sent me some nasty letters indicating that the plan was no longer available and that the next one up was $29 so I sent them a two page letter with all sorts of hollow threats, a fortnight later I get a reply indicating that they are going to dump the ten dollar plan and put me on a nine dollar plan, FFS.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 07, 2016, 11:37:29 am
content: Quote from: Muttley Snickers on March 07, 2016, 11:30:18 amI can understand that.Just an idea ... Run a separate account for DD's. I know it's a hassle, but it isolates that problem from the critical account.I have a totally separate account for internet payments - my trust in PayPal being one reason.

author: Muttley Snickers
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 07, 2016, 11:48:47 am
content: We already have multiple accounts and that particular business account is for wages and outgoings, yes I fully understand that if funds went astray from that account we would be reimbursed by the bank at some point in time, in the interim period as director I would have to wear the outgoings from personal funds as we don't have nor ever needed an overdraft facility, simply not interested in granting any more people access than need be particularly a mob that I neither like or overly trust.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 07, 2016, 11:56:10 am
content: I hear you.

author: Mechanical Menace
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2016, 05:45:41 pm
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on March 07, 2016, 11:07:34 amWTF? I thought it was expensive here at £30 a month for an unmetered 90meg connection. 42 quid for a few days bandwidth is ridiculous.

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 07, 2016, 10:22:18 pm
content: Quote from: Mechanical Menace on March 07, 2016, 05:45:41 pmTelstra are expensive, but you get what you pay for in terms of quality of service. There are cheaper providers out there who can provide unlimited ADSL2+ for $60/month, some even cheaper, but just hope you don't have to call customer service for anything.

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2016, 09:42:05 am
content: Quote from: Stupid Beard on March 07, 2016, 10:46:45 amOthers may like to know: that I downloaded and installed the Tor browser, and it works. It's a Firefox adaptation. Has no problems reaching iceagenow. Yes, the site is still blocked via normal browsers.Tor Browser is a fully portable install, which is great for me since I try to avoid using 'windows registry-evil/DLL-hell' non-portable utils wherever possible. I keep all my portable utils in one tree, that also contains folders of shortcuts to them. So the entire thing, shortcut screens and all, can be replicated by simply copying the tree. (Except that the icon arrangements in folders are still entangled in the damned registry, so new instances need to be manually arranged.)I've also left a message on iceagenow letting the site owner know about the problem, and asking if perhaps he has blocked some IP range that Optus uses.

author: MK14
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2016, 10:03:34 am
content: Quote from: TerraHertz on March 08, 2016, 09:42:05 amCongratulations, on relatively solving the problem for now.I hope my joke about North Korea, did NOT offend you.I was just trying to be funny!Your solution is potentially a useful tip for others, if they have a similar problem.

author: sleemanj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2016, 10:15:41 am
content: The fact that your traceroute dies in a couple of hops indicates that the block is closer to your end than the website's end.I'd say that most likely it is your ISP blocking it, maybe that same IP is used by another less savoury website, or has been in the past.

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2016, 01:06:47 pm
content: Quote from: MK14 on March 08, 2016, 10:03:34 amIt's a workaround, not a solution. Assuming it's censorship (whether by Optus deliberately, or due to some deceptive complaint to Optus makes no difference, still censorship) then the problem is the existence of the system implementing such blocks.QuoteHa. Takes a *lot* more than that to offend me. Even if meant literally, it's a fair comparison. The whole world is becoming Nth Korea.But it's nothing new. Back when 'the web' was a brand new thing and in Australia virtually everyone was still using dial up modems to access BBS, I visited a friend at his office in a Telstra building in Sydney. He was a programmer. I'd never seen a web browser before, and for a while he left me alone in an office adjacent to his, to play with NCSA Mosaic. I think this was around 1993 or 4. Fun. But I also had a look at the papers on that desk, which belonged to a colleague of his who was away on holiday. They were the research work for a system Telstra was developing, to allow imposing total surveillance on the blooming public modem networks. This system would monitor all telephone lines, using signal analysis to identify, in order:- What lines were being used by modems.- For such lines, what modem protocol was in use (to the point of being able to capture the carried data.)- Whether that data was using some encryption scheme.- Attempting to identify _which_ encryption scheme was in use.The purpose seemed to be specifically to identify who was using encryption, and what kind.Just what you'd want if you were planning to criminalize use of encryption. Which there was talk of then, as now.There was also some talk then of licensing/restricting/charging more for modem use.I've always wished I had a chance to photocopy that stuff. Would have caused quite a drama. Also would have lost my friend his job. But then, he died a couple years later anyway.To all those saying "carriers don't have legal permission to tap phones" yes they do. There are clauses that allow them to monitor ALL traffic, for purposes of 'system quality assurance'. And they do. Not just as part of Echellon and its descendants. But for all sorts of use. Not to mention the 'foreign allies' intercept rooms.Any idea of privacy in electronic communications is an illusion; a public fable to keep fools happy.Oh, and all that FBI wailing about how they can't decrypt an iPhone, and really want to? That's bullshit too. Big act, designed just to get more powers and pretend they currently can't do it. Go take a google at what John McAffee has to say about that.

author: Delta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2016, 01:29:50 pm
content: So have you complained to your ISP in order to find out why your tinfoil hat sounding website is blocked?

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2016, 01:33:46 pm
content: Quote from: TerraHertz on March 08, 2016, 01:06:47 pmHe's a fruitcake.

author: MK14
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2016, 01:34:20 pm
content: You have just set me thinking. How could all this lack of PRIVACY in the west go horribly wrong ?I guess one of the possible answers, is that one or more Western countries could be taken over by a dictatorship.Then the capabilities to control and suppress information as to what is REALLY going on (there are claims that countries like Russia, are already doing stuff like that, and especially China which definitely IS).This will NOT only allow the hostile dictatorship to hold onto the seized country. But might (indirectly), help it sieze further countries.tl;drSooner or later, another Hitler could be born again, and try to do similar things. We (the West), may have already created mechanisms, which can speed up and aid, the hostile dictatorships activities.But life and the world is TOO complicated, for us to try to predict stuff like that.On the other hand, counties like Greece, in recent times, have NOT been that far away, from somewhat total disaster (government wise).In the old days, we use to have "Freedom of the Press", and other "safety valves". Their apparent removal, and lack of proper replacements, could lead to bad things, further down the line.Recently I heard that countries like Germany and Sweden, were surpressing information about migrant attacks, just to keep things nice and quiet. So much for freedom of speech in the west.Outside of actual war times (I can see that being a reasonable exception), we should just about NEVER, have news supressed like it was in Germany and Sweden (if I understand, correctly).I guess on the other hand, modern technology allows so many complicated ways of bypassing attempted blocks and stuff, that people like us on the forum, can fight back, and make everything right, again.Such as how you have managed to get at least partial access to that website again.

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2016, 09:34:23 pm
content: Reply from the site owner:Quote@ Delta & Monkeh. Only two of you? Btw,http://www.whoismcafee.com/and ask youtube about John McAfee.@ MK14. or three. Much better job there. Quite subtle. Or perhaps you are genuinely a sleepwalker just now starting to crack one eye very slightly open? Yet have somehow never encountered any news sources outside the 6-corporation rigidly controlled Western media, so have no idea that the things you mention as faint hypotheticals have all been happening (except worse, and with massive force) for decades.This is the wrong venue to address each of your points in detail, so I'll just refer you to a list of non-MSM news aggregators and commentaries:http://everist.org/archives/links/http://everist.org/archives/links/__News_Links.txt

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2016, 10:19:54 pm
content: Quote from: TerraHertz on March 08, 2016, 09:34:23 pmI know who he is. He is not the soundest of mind.

author: Artlav
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2016, 10:55:49 pm
content: Quote from: TerraHertz on March 06, 2016, 10:54:04 pmIn Russia we use Tor to get around government blocks on sites.Should work for you too, i would guess.EDIT: Ah, just noticed you found it already. Great!Quote from: TerraHertz on March 06, 2016, 10:54:04 pmWorks fine here.

author: Artlav
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2016, 11:01:45 pm
content: Quote from: TerraHertz on March 08, 2016, 01:06:47 pmIs that a secret elswhere?Here in Russia it's official public knowledge that everything you do on the internet is being recorded by service providers.The blocked site list is also public.Funny part is, it's not illegal to go around the blocking, for some reason.

author: Delta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2016, 12:55:37 am
content: So you haven't bothered to ask your ISP why you can't access that site?

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2016, 07:20:04 am
content: Quote from: Delta on March 09, 2016, 12:55:37 am"Ask" and "Optus" do not go together in a sentence. I generally avoid wasting time on completely pointless and aggravating pursuits.From what I read about their block list, others have had zero success. I doubt I'd encounter any difference.I did send an email to their Tech Contact Email: domain@optus.com.au because that was quick to do.No reply, not even an auto-response or bounce. If I go sit in Optus tech support phone queues for hours the result is likely to be exactly the same, just with talking, call costs, lots and lots of listening to hold music , infuriating Optus self-advertising, and connections dropped after ages on hold.But what the hell. You're going to make a point of this aren't you? Perhaps I'll try, for a laugh. I'm busy tonight and all tomorrow. Friday maybe.Quote from: Monkeh on March 08, 2016, 10:19:54 pmI wonder if you'd be so kind please, to link to even one thing that demonstrates McAfee being anything other than sharp and wide awake? Maybe you just don't have a sense of humor, and don't get jokes of his like 'How to remove McAfee Anti-virus'. Do be aware, that people who do look for themselves are now judging you, for your ad hominem methods.