Author Topic: Forum issue - Permanent ban on mobile device as a guest  (Read 9288 times)

occamstazer

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Forum issue - Permanent ban on mobile device as a guest
« on: September 26, 2016, 09:40:12 PM »
If I go to forum.mrmoneymustache.com from my Windows Phone (Nokia 920) I see:

An Error Has Occurred!

Sorry Guest, you are banned from using this forum!
Circumventing forum ban.
This ban is not set to expire.


Just started happening late last week.  Same thing happens if I'm logged in.  Clearly I'm not banned and I'll bet Guest isn't either ;)

iluvzbeach

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Re: Forum issue - Permanent ban on mobile device as a guest
« Reply #1 on: September 26, 2016, 10:43:44 PM »
This has been randomly happening for a while. Clear your browser history and do a hard restart on your device. Thereafter, you should be able to login successfully.

Good luck!

occamstazer

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Re: Forum issue - Permanent ban on mobile device as a guest
« Reply #2 on: September 27, 2016, 11:19:27 PM »
Huh, I thought I tried that but I did it again and it cleared up.  Thanks.

FrugalToque

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Re: Forum issue - Permanent ban on mobile device as a guest
« Reply #3 on: September 28, 2016, 06:10:26 AM »
It will be based on the fact that someone from the same IP address has probably been spamming the forums (or, possibly, harassing other users or repeatedly violating other policies).

This has happened before, so it's possible for us to clear the IP address if it's clean now.  I suspect it's going to happen more often on Free Wi-Fi connections at coffee shops and what not.

Toque.

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Forum issue - Permanent ban on mobile device as a guest
« Reply #4 on: October 09, 2016, 09:10:47 AM »
It will be based on the fact that someone from the same IP address has probably been spamming the forums (or, possibly, harassing other users or repeatedly violating other policies).

This has happened before, so it's possible for us to clear the IP address if it's clean now.  I suspect it's going to happen more often on Free Wi-Fi connections at coffee shops and what not.

Toque.

Toque- this happens to me on my phone often, and NOT on public wifi. My home network (and I browse without trouble on my computer) and other private WiFi where I am quite positive no one has ever heard of MMM.

Restarting my phone helps about half the time.

arebelspy

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Re: Forum issue - Permanent ban on mobile device as a guest
« Reply #5 on: October 09, 2016, 06:55:43 PM »
It will be based on the fact that someone from the same IP address has probably been spamming the forums (or, possibly, harassing other users or repeatedly violating other policies).

This has happened before, so it's possible for us to clear the IP address if it's clean now.  I suspect it's going to happen more often on Free Wi-Fi connections at coffee shops and what not.

Toque.

Toque- this happens to me on my phone often, and NOT on public wifi. My home network (and I browse without trouble on my computer) and other private WiFi where I am quite positive no one has ever heard of MMM.

Restarting my phone helps about half the time.

It has to do with your ISP (your phone carrier, in this case) reusing IPs.  Based on your location, I'm pretty confident I can say which former poster you have to thank for that inconvenience.  =/
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
If you want to know more about me, this Business Insider profile tells the story pretty well.
I (rarely) blog at AdventuringAlong.com. Check out the Now page to see what I'm up to currently.

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Forum issue - Permanent ban on mobile device as a guest
« Reply #6 on: October 09, 2016, 07:20:46 PM »
It will be based on the fact that someone from the same IP address has probably been spamming the forums (or, possibly, harassing other users or repeatedly violating other policies).

This has happened before, so it's possible for us to clear the IP address if it's clean now.  I suspect it's going to happen more often on Free Wi-Fi connections at coffee shops and what not.

Toque.

Toque- this happens to me on my phone often, and NOT on public wifi. My home network (and I browse without trouble on my computer) and other private WiFi where I am quite positive no one has ever heard of MMM.

Restarting my phone helps about half the time.

It has to do with your ISP (your phone carrier, in this case) reusing IPs.  Based on your location, I'm pretty confident I can say which former poster you have to thank for that inconvenience.  =/

Ooooh. Yep, definitely the timing works out on that =(

Luckily I mainly just forum from my computer now!

radram

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Re: Forum issue - Permanent ban on mobile device as a guest
« Reply #7 on: October 09, 2016, 09:52:13 PM »
It will be based on the fact that someone from the same IP address has probably been spamming the forums (or, possibly, harassing other users or repeatedly violating other policies).

This has happened before, so it's possible for us to clear the IP address if it's clean now.  I suspect it's going to happen more often on Free Wi-Fi connections at coffee shops and what not.

Toque.

Toque- this happens to me on my phone often, and NOT on public wifi. My home network (and I browse without trouble on my computer) and other private WiFi where I am quite positive no one has ever heard of MMM.

Restarting my phone helps about half the time.

It has to do with your ISP (your phone carrier, in this case) reusing IPs.  Based on your location, I'm pretty confident I can say which former poster you have to thank for that inconvenience.  =/

Did you, by chance, ban him again today :)

arebelspy

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Re: Forum issue - Permanent ban on mobile device as a guest
« Reply #8 on: October 10, 2016, 01:01:19 AM »
Haha, nope.  Or at least I don't think so.  You never know, with some of these trolls willing to create a half dozen accounts to troll over and over.   :)
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
If you want to know more about me, this Business Insider profile tells the story pretty well.
I (rarely) blog at AdventuringAlong.com. Check out the Now page to see what I'm up to currently.

occamstazer

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Re: Forum issue - Permanent ban on mobile device as a guest
« Reply #9 on: October 27, 2016, 11:09:36 PM »
Something doesn't add up.

From my phone, with cellular data turned off and connected to my home wifi network, I can not access the forums.  I'm currently typing this from my laptop, also connected to my home wifi network so clearly you're not banning based just on network address.

With wifi turned off on my phone and with cellular data turned back on, and my cellular carrier is not the same as my home broadband carrier, I also can not access this forum.  My carrier is AT&T so there would be many others who can't access the forums in my area as it's a big tech hub with active readers.

My broadband WAN IP and cellular address aren't going to be in the same IP range.

I don't see how this fits... and clearly my browser cache doesn't resolve it, if that ever really fixed the problem before ;)
« Last Edit: October 27, 2016, 11:11:26 PM by occamstazer »

arebelspy

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Re: Forum issue - Permanent ban on mobile device as a guest
« Reply #10 on: October 28, 2016, 01:32:20 AM »
Once your browser has cached the ban, it'll remember it. That's why you have to clear the cache.

So say you login to forums via banned mobile IP. You now have a cookie stored that says "you're banned."

You now need to clear the browser cache and connect with a non-banned IP, whether that's your home WiFi, your cell carrier assigning a new IP to your phone (as they regularly do), your work or Starbucks WiFi, or whatever.

But connecting on your home network your desktop works on with a device that has a banned cookie, without clearing the cache, results in that.

Make sense? :)
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
If you want to know more about me, this Business Insider profile tells the story pretty well.
I (rarely) blog at AdventuringAlong.com. Check out the Now page to see what I'm up to currently.

occamstazer

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Re: Forum issue - Permanent ban on mobile device as a guest
« Reply #11 on: November 01, 2016, 10:39:19 PM »
Sure, makes sense, but clearing the browser cache doesn't work ;)  Ah well.

iluvzbeach

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Re: Forum issue - Permanent ban on mobile device as a guest
« Reply #12 on: November 02, 2016, 10:38:47 PM »
After I clear my browser cache, I then do a hard restart on the device and I can get in again. This happens to me periodically when I'm in a public area.

MarciaB

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Re: Forum issue - Permanent ban on mobile device as a guest
« Reply #13 on: November 15, 2016, 06:27:33 PM »
This process of clearing the browser history and then doing a restart just worked for me. I've spent a couple of weeks practically going through withdrawal because I couldn't access the forums when I had idle time (a train ride, brain dead moments winding down before bed, etc.). I have enjoyed scrolling through stuff...and then was banned...and now am restored to the light. Hyuk.

Paul der Krake

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Re: Forum issue - Permanent ban on mobile device as a guest
« Reply #14 on: January 17, 2017, 10:44:37 PM »
Can we politely ask for a ban to be removed? Someone was banned from my corporate network, so now I'm forced to do work.

arebelspy

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Re: Forum issue - Permanent ban on mobile device as a guest
« Reply #15 on: January 17, 2017, 10:49:20 PM »
You can request, with sufficient details, and it will be considered.  :)

EDIT: Oh, did you finish the move to Seattle?  I think I know who you have to thank, then.
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
If you want to know more about me, this Business Insider profile tells the story pretty well.
I (rarely) blog at AdventuringAlong.com. Check out the Now page to see what I'm up to currently.

Dicey

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Re: Forum issue - Permanent ban on mobile device as a guest
« Reply #16 on: January 18, 2017, 12:04:31 AM »
Can we politely ask for a ban to be removed? Someone was banned from my corporate network, so now I'm forced to do work.
Ooh, that is tragic. Another reason to keep pushing toward FIRE.

Note to ARS: Good to know.

westtoeast

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Re: Forum issue - Permanent ban on mobile device as a guest
« Reply #17 on: January 18, 2017, 06:42:47 AM »
Ah, this has been happening to me for a while! It started happening while I was visiting family in PDX for the holidays... I wonder if that location explains why? The problem has continued back in my current state.

I have not tried to fix it because it forces me to only read the forum at home...

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Forum issue - Permanent ban on mobile device as a guest
« Reply #18 on: January 18, 2017, 04:04:25 PM »
Ah, this has been happening to me for a while! It started happening while I was visiting family in PDX for the holidays... I wonder if that location explains why? The problem has continued back in my current state.

I have not tried to fix it because it forces me to only read the forum at home...

SIGH. Yes, PDX has this problem. Certainly one, at a minimum. Ahem. It fixed for me when I moved away from PDX, too.

arebelspy

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Re: Forum issue - Permanent ban on mobile device as a guest
« Reply #19 on: January 18, 2017, 04:10:36 PM »
Ah, this has been happening to me for a while! It started happening while I was visiting family in PDX for the holidays... I wonder if that location explains why? The problem has continued back in my current state.

I have not tried to fix it because it forces me to only read the forum at home...

It definitely shouldn't have followed you--try clearing the cache if you decide you want it working again.  :)
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
If you want to know more about me, this Business Insider profile tells the story pretty well.
I (rarely) blog at AdventuringAlong.com. Check out the Now page to see what I'm up to currently.

Paul der Krake

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Re: Forum issue - Permanent ban on mobile device as a guest
« Reply #20 on: January 18, 2017, 04:36:05 PM »
Note that you can just remove the cookies set by forum.mrmoneymustache.com and that will save you from clearing your entire browser's cache.

In firefox, it's Preferences -> Privacy -> History -> Remove individual cookies.

Optimiser

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Re: Forum issue - Permanent ban on mobile device as a guest
« Reply #21 on: March 08, 2017, 09:59:34 PM »
Glad I found this thread. Cleared my cookies and the forum works again. Sounds like it probably happened in PDX.