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European network issue preventing users from accessing forum

Posted: 19 Mar 2008, 17:33
by Keith Robinson
I thought I'd better mention this, as it's quite alarming and very annoying. Over the past few days we've become aware that some of our regulars, in particular poor Julie2owlsdene, cannot access the Society forums or website, or my own websites, or indeed any websites hosted on the same server.

The server host is Modwest, located in America, and there's no problem with Modwest whatsoever. But it seems that certain users in Europe, namely those on Aol internet connections, cannot get through. Julie is on an Aol connection and can't reach the site, but her daughter (using a BT connection) can. Julie even contacted Aol, who said they can't access the site either. The problem is not just in the UK:
We have recently heard from a handful of customers in Iceland, England, and Israel who are unable to reach Modwest-hosted sites.
Modwest went on to say:
We're told that a Tiscali network engineer has configured a workaround for their issue which may re-establish connectivity to Modwest.
But a day later reported:
We have heard from a small number of customers in the UK who still cannot reach Modwest from AOL (UK) connections. The problem seems to be located in the Global Crossing (glbx) network.
Unfortunately there's absolutely nothing Modwest can do to fix this other than continue to report the issue to the problem server. At least the source of the problem has been identified; hopefully it'll be resolved soon. In the meantime, if you're wondering about the odd absence of users like Julie, then just imagine how frustrated they are right now!

Re: European network issue preventing users from accessing forum

Posted: 19 Mar 2008, 18:51
by Petermax
May I suggest that as a temporary measure, affected users access the Forum by means of a proxy server ie http://www.megaproxy.com/" target="_blank This will enable them to view only but not post. The only trouble is, those affected are currently unable to read this!

Re: European network issue preventing users from accessing forum

Posted: 19 Mar 2008, 18:57
by Keith Robinson
Thanks, Petermax. I'd already emailed Julie a while ago with a different proxy site for her to try (one of many). Just waiting to hear back. Your link is good though, certainly a clean, fast connection (although you have to use the "try me" link unless you want to pay).

Thing is though, as you say, posting the address of the proxy site here is pointless as the people who need it can't access the site to get it! :D :?

But it's useful information anyway, for sure.

Re: European network issue preventing users from accessing forum

Posted: 19 Mar 2008, 21:17
by Julie2owlsdene
Sent you an email Keith, and as you can see I managed to tunnel my way into this secret passage by the link you sent me. It's good to get back to the site, and read up on what I've missed.

Cheers

Julie (the only thing it won't allow me to do is post my cool smilie)

Re: European network issue preventing users from accessing forum

Posted: 19 Mar 2008, 22:08
by Keith Robinson
Excellent! Welcome back!

Re: European network issue preventing users from accessing forum

Posted: 19 Mar 2008, 22:30
by Lucky Star
Good to have you back with us Julie. :D We were just about to send Timmy out on a rescue mission as we thought you might have got locked in the boot of a car while escaping from your house. :wink:

Re: European network issue preventing users from accessing forum

Posted: 20 Mar 2008, 00:08
by Julie2owlsdene
That really made me laugh LS.

I feel as though I am locked in the boot of Perton's car, with this server issue. It's not easy creeping in through these dark passages to get to the site, thinking that any minute now Rooky is going to jump out of the darkness.

Re: European network issue preventing users from accessing forum

Posted: 20 Mar 2008, 12:52
by Ming
Hurrah! Good to have you back Julie. Cool smilie? Easy. Just type "8 )" without the space. 8)

Re: European network issue preventing users from accessing forum

Posted: 20 Mar 2008, 13:32
by Julie2owlsdene
Thanks Ming, I'll give it a whirl.

That's sad, it won't work for me Ming. It just prints the number 8. I can't even see any photo's through this link. I guess I'll have to wait until AOL sort this problem out for me.

(a cool smilie)

Re: European network issue preventing users from accessing forum

Posted: 20 Mar 2008, 13:38
by Anita Bensoussane
Hope the problem is sorted out properly soon, Julie, and that you don't encounter any more major obstacles/roof-falls.

Anita

Re: European network issue preventing users from accessing forum

Posted: 20 Mar 2008, 14:22
by Moonraker
Julie2owlsdene wrote: Julie (the only thing it won't allow me to do is post my cool smilie)
That's a blessing in disguise! Welcome back Julie - I didn't think you'd be able to post - how have you got round that?

Re: European network issue preventing users from accessing forum

Posted: 20 Mar 2008, 18:48
by Julie2owlsdene
Moonraker wrote:
Julie2owlsdene wrote: Julie (the only thing it won't allow me to do is post my cool smilie)
That's a blessing in disguise!
You don't like my smilie Moonraker? (a crying smilie)

Somehow its allowing me to post and sign on. Though it is very slow, and I do get cut off occassionally. So its a mystery to me Nigel how it works.

Thanks Anita, I hope its sorted soon.

(A cool smilie just for MOONRAKER!!!!)

Re: European network issue preventing users from accessing forum

Posted: 21 Mar 2008, 05:05
by Keith Robinson
Hmm, an analogy is called for here. :)

Think of Julie's computer as her home, and the EBS site as her place of work. She goes every day, taking the same route. One day she stops dead in horror, as a large pothole has opened up before her in the middle of the road -- and she's unable to go any further. Everyone else can get to work just fine and can't see what her problem is, but Julie is at a loss because her normal route is her ONLY route -- she can't go to work until this great pothole is fixed.

While Julie is waiting for the workmen to arrive, she realizes that she can still visit other buildings -- shops, other places of work, and so on -- it's just that the road she takes to work is blocked and there's just NO way around for her.

But she has an idea. You see, she can still get to a building that stands on the other side of the river. This is the building that she can normally see from her desk at work. So she parks her car, asks permission to go to the top floor, and there is able to look out the window across the river to her own office building. She can see right into her workplace! There's her desk, all lonely and forlorn. And there's the person who sits near her, looking bored.

Julie waves frantically, and after a while her colleague spots her and brightens up. The pair spend the next fifteen minutes using hand signals to talk to each other, and through this slow means of communication, Julie learns all that has been happening in her absence. Furthermore, Julie is able to get a bit of work done -- not much, but a little -- and she vows to come by every day until the hole in the road is fixed.

And that's the story of Julie's predicament. Clear as mud now? :? The "other building" is a proxy website, which allows you to view websites through the proxy website, like peering out a window at another building. It's not the same as really being there, but it's better than nothing.

(I like Julie's tunnel-crawling version better though!)

Re: European network issue preventing users from accessing forum

Posted: 21 Mar 2008, 14:47
by Moonraker
What a fantastic way of describing it, Keith! Once again, I am left marvelling at the talent that "goes to work" on these forums. Leaving aside the immense wealth of Blyton-related knowledge, it seems that one of us has the answer to almost every question!

I did chuckle though, I was imagining how our friend Michael would have described it! :wink:

Re: European network issue preventing users from accessing forum

Posted: 21 Mar 2008, 17:55
by Julie2owlsdene
Explained like that Keith, I now understand. Hubby's been trying to explain, but it's just gone right over my head. (I've a sneaky feeling he was a bit confused himself).

You should be a teacher Keith, lessons in your class would be fun.

Cheers
Julie