topic Re: 403 Error - only a problem with plusnet in Everything else

403 Error - only a problem with plusnet

PippaRS — Mon, 17 Jan 2022 14:41:53 GMT

First of all, apologies if I dont explain this clearly, but I'm not very good at IT.

I have a website I access regularly, and when I tried looking at it last month, I got 'It appears you don't have permission to access this page. 403 error. Forbidden'. This has happened multiple times, whether I try to access it via a search or by typing in the address. I also tried my husband's computer & laptop & mobile and had the same problem.

The website owner has looked from his end and can't find a problem, and says he is still getting a lot of UK traffic to the site, so doesn't think the problem is his end. I tried a few suggestions (it was thought my virus protection might be responsible) but nothing helped.

I've just been away for a week, so I was using the internet of the place I was staying at - and I could access the website no problem on both my husband's mobile and my own laptop. Now I've come back, and I'm getting the same 403 error message. So I think it must be plusnet that is causing the problem.

Any ideas what I can do to fix this? It's really irritating.

Answers in very simple non-tech language please for this computer illiterate!

Re: 403 Error - only a problem with plusnet

MisterW — Mon, 17 Jan 2022 15:09:14 GMT

@PippaRS do you have PlusNet Safeguard enabled ? https://www.plus.net/help/broadband/how-to-use-plusnet-safeguard/

If so , it sounds like Safeguard may be blocking the site in question

Re: 403 Error - only a problem with plusnet

PippaRS — Mon, 17 Jan 2022 16:43:40 GMT

No, I had to turn Safeguard off when I first joined Plusnet as it was way too sensitive. I'm a gardener, and it ended up blocking a couple of plant biology sites because it thought they were porn!!!

I did check to make sure I hadn't inadvertently turned it back on again, but it's still set to off.

Re: 403 Error - only a problem with plusnet

MisterW — Mon, 17 Jan 2022 16:57:42 GMT

Does the website restrict access to only UK addresses ?

The reason I ask is that some PlusNet IP addresses were originally registered in the USA some years ago. They have been correctly reregistered in the UK by Plusnet for some years but some organisations still use 'out of date' geolocation databases and can 'think' these IP addresses are not UK. The website owner ought to be able to check your IP and their geolocation database to see if that is the problem.

Re: 403 Error - only a problem with plusnet

PippaRS — Mon, 17 Jan 2022 17:24:40 GMT

The site is an American one, but gets people accessing it from all over the world and he says he is continuing to get a lot of traffic from the UK, so I don't think that can be the problem.

I last accessed the site in November (while with Plusnet) and had no issues then, so it's a fairly recent issue. And as I mentioned, I had no issue in accessing it via another internet provider.

Re: 403 Error - only a problem with plusnet

MisterW — Mon, 17 Jan 2022 17:35:47 GMT

I last accessed the site in November (while with Plusnet) and had no issues then, so it's a fairly recent issue. And as I mentioned, I had no issue in accessing it via another internet provider.

that looks suspiciously like an IP problem. Your public IP address may well have changed since Nov.

Using another provider would give a completely different public IP..

Re: 403 Error - only a problem with plusnet

PippaRS — Mon, 17 Jan 2022 17:41:22 GMT

If this is the problem, how do I resolve it?

Re: 403 Error - only a problem with plusnet

MisterW — Mon, 17 Jan 2022 17:44:55 GMT

You get the website owner to check they are not blocking your IP

Re: 403 Error - only a problem with plusnet

PippaRS — Mon, 17 Jan 2022 17:52:02 GMT

Thank you. I will ask them to check.