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IP Problems?

WindChill
Hooked
Posts: 7
Registered: ‎27-08-2016

IP Problems?

So I'm afraid I'm not very tech savvy so you might have to bear with me. And I'm sorry if this is in the wrong place!

I've just moved to Plusnet from another provider. Set everything up last night and it's been going well so far. That is until a few members of my family have tried to access some forums. It seems that we've been IP banned from a few (through no fault of our own, as we could get on them yesterday and everything was fine).

I've tried resetting the router. I left it off overnight and tried to access a sports forum this morning when I turned it back on. I could load the page just fine on my phone, but when I went to load the same page on my laptop, both devices immediately went back to showing the ban notification.

How is this happening? Surely logging on using my laptop shouldn't have influenced the IP on my phone? I doubt the new IP was banned again within the minute or so it took me to put my phone down and boot up my laptop. Now I can't get on the site using either device. I'm at a loss.  

15 REPLIES 15
SpendLessTime
Hero
Posts: 3,000
Thanks: 928
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Registered: ‎21-09-2009

Re: IP Problems?

Hi @WindChill

Welcome to the forums.

You may have an Plusnet IP address which is not been seen as UK based. Go to https://www.iplocation.net/ and see if all the locations are shown as UK. If not then there is a thread to report IP's not returning UK locations here https://community.plus.net/t5/Plusnet-Feedback/IP-addresses-not-UK-Can-customers-please-report-any-p...

Ex - Plusnet Customer (2009 - 2023) now with BT
WindChill
Hooked
Posts: 7
Registered: ‎27-08-2016

Re: IP Problems?

Thank you for the welcome!

Just had a quick look. All of the IPs are UK based - even if they're not correct as to where I'm located. I did have a different IP address last night though because I had a new sign in alert on one of my devices. I think it was 55 something? 

I just tried restarting my router again but I seem to have kept the same address. Is there any way to "force" it to find a new one?

SpendLessTime
Hero
Posts: 3,000
Thanks: 928
Fixes: 86
Registered: ‎21-09-2009

Re: IP Problems?

It sounds like you maybe on the Plusnet new network. If so then IP addresses are very sticky as they are issued from a small pool of addresses at the exchange and it is very hard to get a different IP address.

To verify if you are on the new network, you can perform a gateway checker (it says which server you connect to at Plusnet's data centre) at http://users.plus.net/@gateway/ . If the name contains the letters "-IR" then that is the new network unfortunately (however we will all be transferred to it at some point so it will not be new by then).

Ex - Plusnet Customer (2009 - 2023) now with BT
SpendLessTime
Hero
Posts: 3,000
Thanks: 928
Fixes: 86
Registered: ‎21-09-2009

Re: IP Problems?

I would be careful about constantly rebooting your router as it may cause the line to be seen as in error and cause the cabinet to try to stabilize the line by decreasing your speed. 

Ex - Plusnet Customer (2009 - 2023) now with BT
WindChill
Hooked
Posts: 7
Registered: ‎27-08-2016

Re: IP Problems?

Yup. It's got IR in it, unfortunately. Is there no way of asking for it to be changed? I know it's just a few forums and it's not massively important in the grand scheme of things, but I'll miss being able to read them. 

Mustrum
Community Veteran
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Registered: ‎13-08-2015

Re: IP Problems?

If you get on to Chat, or the phone, other customers with similar issues have been given a static ip to solve the problem.

SpendLessTime
Hero
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Registered: ‎21-09-2009

Re: IP Problems?

Well currently, static IPs are routed differently. And are taken from a different number range (mostly starting 81.x.x.x) so it MAY solve the issue.

It  has a one off cost of £5 and can be bought from the member centre.

It doesn't seem to take long to be processed after purchase and involves a router reboot or preferably just a log on to the router ( click disconnect, wait 30 seconds and click connect) once you have had confirmation.

Ex - Plusnet Customer (2009 - 2023) now with BT
WindChill
Hooked
Posts: 7
Registered: ‎27-08-2016

Re: IP Problems?

I'm not sure if it's important enough to pay £5 for it, to be honest. 

I'm still confused as to how I managed to load the site on my phone this morning and then loading up my laptop got both devices banned. Does it reassign IPs or something? (Just curious now, more than anything!). 

SpendLessTime
Hero
Posts: 3,000
Thanks: 928
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Registered: ‎21-09-2009

Re: IP Problems?

The router's IP address are assigned when the router logs into the Plusnet network so unless you rebooted the router or it did it itself, then the IP address will not have changed it that time.

So it would be down to some other unknown cause Sad

Ex - Plusnet Customer (2009 - 2023) now with BT
WindChill
Hooked
Posts: 7
Registered: ‎27-08-2016

Re: IP Problems?

Nope didn't touch it. Like I said, I was reading a post on my phone, put it down to boot up my laptop (I can't type as well on my phone!) - loaded the page on my laptop and it was blocked. I thought it was odd so I went back to my phone, reloaded the page and it was blocked. 

I sent a tweet earlier to Plusnet support and they had a look at my logs. They said that I'd been through four different IPs that morning... actually is that something I need to keep an eye on? Could it have re-assigned me a new address?

SpendLessTime
Hero
Posts: 3,000
Thanks: 928
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Registered: ‎21-09-2009

Re: IP Problems?

The system will assign an IP address with each disconnection/reconnection. However that IP may not be different to the previous one due to the limited pool of addresses at each phone exchange.

So if you have had 4 different IP address this morning and that is happening automatically then that suggests some other issue is at play here. 4 line drops without your actioning any of them seems excessive in the space of a morning. So it looks like you have a fault of some description.

The ADSL fault guide starts here at https://community.plus.net/t5/Broadband/Broadband-Fault-amp-Order-Support-Guides/m-p/1042331#U104233...

Ex - Plusnet Customer (2009 - 2023) now with BT
Mustrum
Community Veteran
Posts: 3,554
Thanks: 1,055
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Registered: ‎13-08-2015

Re: IP Problems?

Could it be that you connected to the site on our phone via 3/4G and not WiFi?

 

As mentioned above, the PlusNet staff may assign you a static IP, its not worth paying for it via the member centre at this stage.

WindChill
Hooked
Posts: 7
Registered: ‎27-08-2016

Re: IP Problems?

I thought of that, but no unfortunately not. Most of the 3G providers have been banned anyway (as you can probably tell, this site has a really staunch ban policy). I seem to remember it happening in reverse last night (could get on via my laptop but not via my phone) but I'm not sure if I'm misremembering as it was incredibly late and I was tired. Thank you for the advice, though! 

WindChill
Hooked
Posts: 7
Registered: ‎27-08-2016

Re: IP Problems?

I just refreshed the page (more habit than anything) and the forum loaded? I haven't done anything different in the last hour. Haven't disconnected or anything. How strange...? Should I keep a note of this IP address or something?