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+--- Thread: Banned from Kodi forum (/showthread.php?tid=341501)
Banned from Kodi forum - steve1977 - 2019-03-02
I am using Astrill VPN (Switzerland). Unfortunately, this prevents me from accessing the Kodi forum. I am receiving error message below when trying to access forum.kodi.tv
*** I'm sorry, but you are banned. You may not post, read threads, or access the forum. Please contact your forum administrator should you have any questions.
RE: Banned from Kodi forum - Karellen - 2019-03-02
It is likely that the person before you that used that IP Address was a spammer.
RE: Banned from Kodi forum - steve1977 - 2019-03-02
So, what to do? Possible to unblock Astrill (Switzerland IP) again?
Alsternatively, I seem to have an option to define domains to exclude domains from being routed through the VPN. I tried to exclude "forum.kodi.tv". This didn't seem to work and Astrill support shared with me that I'd need to know the full IP range that the Kodi forum is using.
RE: Banned from Kodi forum - Karellen - 2019-03-02
No, we won't unblock it. You may have that IP address today, then what happens tomorrow when you are assigned another IP Address? Can you force change the current IP Address?
Plus we have no idea which IP Address they are allocating you.
RE: Banned from Kodi forum - steve1977 - 2019-03-02
I don't really know how the Astrill VPN service works, but it has been blocked for quite some weeks now (and I'd assume I'd have different IPs all the time). It's only Astrill's Switzerland IP that is impacted, other country IPs will work.
I can configure Astrill VPN not to use VPN when accessing forum.kodi.tv. To do so, I'd need to know the Kodi forum IP range / domain. Somehow excluding "forum.kodi.tv" does not do the trick. Can you help share? This way I should be able to keep using Astrill VPN, while accessing the Kodi forum.
RE: Banned from Kodi forum - Karellen - 2019-03-02
(2019-03-02, 07:30)steve1977 Wrote: it has been blocked for quite some weeks nowAh, right. I thought it was just blocked for a few hours or a day. You either have a static IP Address, or quite a lot of spammers are using that same service.
If you provide the IP Address you are currently using, I will unblock it, and you can see how long it lasts.
(2019-03-02, 07:30)steve1977 Wrote: To do so, I'd need to know the Kodi forum IP range / domain.I don't have that info, but maybe @ronie or @Kib do.
RE: Banned from Kodi forum - steve1977 - 2019-03-02
That's also what surprised. I thought that it works that I get a new IP address assigned every time I log in / out from the VPN. And basically impossible that all are blocked (and none of the IPs from other Astrill countries). Anyhow, let's see how this works when you unblock me. I'll report back over the next days.
RE: Banned from Kodi forum - Karellen - 2019-03-02
Sure, but I can't unblock anything until you provide an IP Address. I have no idea what IP Astrill VPN has given you.
Thanks. Got it.
RE: Banned from Kodi forum - Karellen - 2019-03-02
Ok, found it and removed the ban.
RE: Banned from Kodi forum - teamviewer - 2019-03-04
so if I got flagged under the spammer's IP on the forum - my account will automatically closed/get banned? or I get it wrong?
I found such rules are not so wise if I get it right
RE: Banned from Kodi forum - Klojum - 2019-03-04
(2019-03-04, 10:39)teamviewer Wrote: I found such rules are not so wise if I get it rightEvery ban system has its flaws. But we usually get it right.
RE: Banned from Kodi forum - teamviewer - 2019-03-04
Ok, but what if the case when the user used some sort of VPN, forget to turn it off, comes at the forum, at getting banned accidentally?
In such a case, the only contacting the admin may help to get unbanned?
RE: Banned from Kodi forum - Klojum - 2019-03-04
Using a VPN to visit a forum and get a ban message, the user in question should have smarts enough to know what is happening.
RE: Banned from Kodi forum - Karellen - 2019-03-04
@teamviewer
Don't confuse a banned IP with a banned account.
If you use a banned IP, your account is not banned. But you cannot access your account until you change IP address.
RE: Banned from Kodi forum - DarrenHill - 2019-03-05
If you must use a VPN to access the site for whatever reason and you hit that issue, then you need to either switch off the VPN or select a different exit server so you get a new IP address.
As @Karellen said, we don't block or ban accounts here without good reason, but if the IP address is a known source of spam then it can be blocked. So if that IP address happens to be one that is a VPN outlet which someone in the past has used to spam us, then unfortunately you're going to inherit their ban whilst you're also using that IP address.
By all means if you hit something like this then report it here and we'll consider it, but our actions in guarding against this place being spammed (which does happen) will mean that offending IP addresses will continue to be blocked, whether they are fixed private ones or public VPN ones. And unless proof can be supplied that the thread of spam from that IP address is no longer there, the block will stay in place for the safety of our site and the convenience of our general user population.