DARK SHADOWS FORUMS

General Discussions => Testing. 1, 2, 3... => Topic started by: ProfStokes on January 28, 2003, 06:32:54 AM

Title: Problems Accessing the New Board?
Post by: ProfStokes on January 28, 2003, 06:32:54 AM: I don't know if this goes along with what Patti mentioned earlier, but since the board transfered to its new server, I've had trouble viewing the topics and reaching the board itself. Several times while trying to move from one post to another or jumping from one board to another, the link will fail to respond, and no matter how many times I click it, the page will not change. Also, my screen will occasionally go blank after I've tried to do any of the above, or if I'm trying to reach the board from my bookmark. Refreshing doesn't help; after it's finished loading, I still see only a blank white page. I've cleared my cache repeatedly, but the problems keep happening. Is it my computer, or are other people experiencing the same thing?

ProfStokes

P.S.--In an unrelated matter, I'm curious as to when/if the board will be able to accept new members. Any idea, moderators?
Title: Re: Problems Accessing the New Board?
Post by: Mysterious Benefactor on January 28, 2003, 08:12:51 AM: Quote
Also, my screen will occasionally go blank after I've tried to do any of the above, or if I'm trying to reach the board from my bookmark. ... Is it my computer, or are other people experiencing the same thing?

This was a problem that was happening after the move to the new server but before I opened access back up again. I wasn't able to access any pages except for the error messages that come up whenever someone tries to access the forum using an Url longer than http://www.dsboards.com/ or http://www.dsboards.com. It was caused by the fact that the compression method that was supported by our old host isn't supported by our new one. However, as soon as I realized what was happening and changed the forum's setting to no compression, all pages became accessible again. I even made a point of having both Midnite and Dom navigate around the forum on their own to make sure that there weren't any other problems I wasn't aware of. They found none. So unfortunately, I can't honestly explain why you should be getting blank pages. Sorry. :(

Quote
Several times while trying to move from one post to another or jumping from one board to another, the link will fail to respond, and no matter how many times I click it, the page will not change.

On the other hand, this sounds like a connection issue. It could be a bottleneck somewhere along the path from your ISP to the server. Or it could be that due to excess traffic on the Web your throughput drops drastically to the point that your browser isn't receiving/sending a response from/to the server. I can't say how many times I've been frustrated by that very thing happening to me on any number of different sites I regularly visit. I usually log out of my ISP, log back in, and then the sites respond normally again. You might try to see if that works for you too.

Quote
P.S.--In an unrelated matter, I'm curious as to when/if the board will be able to accept new members. Any idea, moderators?

Funny you should bring this up because Midnite, Dom and I have been discussing that very subject tonight. Our interim host's default bandwidth per month is five times what it was on our old host, so I'm happy to report that guest access and registration to be reopening very soon. :)
Title: Re: Problems Accessing the New Board?
Post by: Patti Feinberg on January 29, 2003, 03:35:26 AM: Quote

....whenever someone tries to access the forum using an Url longer than http://www.dsboards.com/ or http://www.dsboards.com.

Now you know I've gotta ask:
What difference does the / make in the address(s)?
Patti
Title: Re: Problems Accessing the New Board?
Post by: Mysterious Benefactor on January 29, 2003, 03:54:38 AM: Quote
What difference does the / make in the address(s)?

None. But some browsers (like Netscape) add it automatically. ;)
Title: Re: Problems Accessing the New Board?
Post by: Mysterious Benefactor on January 29, 2003, 07:59:45 AM: We've discovered tonight from a member that their Norton Personal Firewall software has been causing the forum to behave screwy. Are any of you running a firewall on your computers (other than ZoneAlarm, because I run that one and it doesn't seem to affect the forum in any way)? If so, perhaps it might be to blame for your problems...

And BTW, all of you should be running a personal firewall whenever you're connected to the Internet. I don't want to make paranoid those of you who don't, but you really have no idea just how often your computer is possibly being probed when you're online.

If any of you are interested in installing a good free firewall, check out the ZoneAlarm Home Page (http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/home.jsp)[/url]. You can also purchase the feature rich pro version there (though the free version is adequate for most people's needs).
Title: Re: Problems Accessing the New Board?
Post by: Mark Rainey on January 29, 2003, 08:05:06 AM: I'm using the Sygate firewall, and haven't experienced any problems at all. Things seem to be running very smoothly for me.

I do notice that when I check new messages, the lines of text are double-spaced instead of single-spaced, which is a little harder on the eyes. Know why that is?

--Mark
[/color][/b]
Title: Re: Problems Accessing the New Board?
Post by: Patti Feinberg on January 30, 2003, 03:40:30 AM: Quote
We've discovered tonight from a member that their Norton Personal Firewall software has been causing the forum to behave screwy.

I just installed Norton...is it me you're talking about (paranoid Patti).... ?!? :o
Actually, this is the first time in 3 weeks I've not been having problems.

MB...uh...as far as the firewall you mentioned...uh, is free good...like, don'tcha kinda get what you pay for (no disrespect to our MBenefactor), but does anyone know what I mean?? ?!?

BTW...for anyone purchasing XP..when I bought the above mentioned Norton firewall, their book mentions that :
"Windows XP includes a firewall (italics theirs, not mine) that can interfere with Norton Personal Firewall protection features. You must disable the Windows XP firewall before installing Norton Personal Firewall".

(natch...mine WASN'T highlighted/clicked off to firewall).

So, even if you're getting the two different firewalls mentioned AND you're running XP...see if you can get info about XP's firewall interfering.

Patti

PS...my daughter had been on 'puter earlier...when I just went back on (had been online the whole time), I saw an exclamation mark on firewall icon, I clicked it and it told me a computer w/trojan horse...whatever, so I'm very glad I got it :D
Title: Re: Problems Accessing the New Board?
Post by: Carol on January 30, 2003, 06:15:48 AM: Quote
BTW...for anyone purchasing XP..when I bought the above mentioned Norton firewall, their book mentions that :
"Windows XP includes a firewall (italics theirs, not mine) that can interfere with Norton Personal Firewall protection features. You must disable the Windows XP firewall before installing Norton Personal Firewall".
I've got a Dell with Windows XP and with all this talk of firewalls, I checked to see what I had. My brother had to help me find out HOW to find out what I had. Mine just says Internet Connect Firewall.
Quote
(natch...mine WASN'T highlighted/clicked off to firewall).
Mine wasn't clicked "ON" either so I clicked that I wanted firewall in use. And, as my brother says, I don't use the computer for personal financial use or for work, so there would be no need to get another firewall. He said what came with the computer was good enough for what I do.

Carol
Title: Re: Problems Accessing the New Board?
Post by: Mysterious Benefactor on January 30, 2003, 12:07:33 PM: Quote
MB...uh...as far as the firewall you mentioned...uh, is free good...like, don'tcha kinda get what you pay for (no disrespect to our MBenefactor), but does anyone know what I mean?? ?!?

Not in the case of the free version of ZoneAlarm. I have it and I'm quite pleased with the way it works. In fact, when I first installed it, I ran the port security scan tests provided on broadbandreports.com (http://www.dslreports.com/scan) to see if it was as good as the ZoneAlarm Web site claims it is, and was very happy to receive these results for the short test:

(http://www.dsboards.com/images/firewall.jpg)
and these for the long:

(http://www.dsboards.com/images/firewall2.jpg)

What more could I possibly ask of a firewall? ;)
Title: Re: Problems Accessing the New Board?
Post by: Patti Feinberg on January 31, 2003, 04:23:01 AM: Okay...I think I've got a handle on my problem w/access.

If I'm on, then click on the home icon, it gives me a sorry Patti, no go, new address is www.dsboards.com/ (hello, this IS the address).
Plus, since this kicks me out, I'm not logging out w/in my 60 minutes, so....
I have to wait to come back.
Again, this is if I'm logged in, accessing, but click home.

Any suggestions?

Anyone else?

Patti
Title: Re: Problems Accessing the New Board?
Post by: Midnite on January 31, 2003, 04:44:43 AM: Quote
If I'm on, then click on the home icon, it gives me a sorry Patti, no go, new address is www.dsboards.com/ (hello, this IS the address).
Plus, since this kicks me out, I'm not logging out w/in my 60 minutes, so....
I have to wait to come back.
Again, this is if I'm logged in, accessing, but click home.

Patti,

Not being able to return to the Home page and having that same error message come up, after already being logged onto the forum, is exactly what the other poster described before discovering that the problem was caused by their firewall.
Title: Re: Problems Accessing the New Board?
Post by: Patti Feinberg on January 31, 2003, 11:28:10 PM: But this started happening BEFORE I had any firewall installed :(

Patti

Hey...can you run a ??thing?? to see when I'm on and how I'm logging out...okay,,,it's 3:28pm eastern time now; I'll try doing the thing/home.

Patti
Title: Re: Problems Accessing the New Board?
Post by: Raineypark on February 01, 2003, 06:53:19 AM: What Patti's been describing just happened to me.
But I was able to get right back in at once.
And I'm told that we have no firewall here right now.
?!?

rainey
Title: Re: Problems Accessing the New Board?
Post by: Mysterious Benefactor on February 01, 2003, 09:23:38 AM: Quote
...can you run a ??thing?? to see when I'm on and how I'm logging out...okay,,,it's 3:28pm eastern time now; I'll try doing the thing/home.

The log reports the same info that I e-mailed to you earlier. Unfortunately, there really isn't any more info that I can provide you. :(
Title: Re: Problems Accessing the New Board?
Post by: Mysterious Benefactor on February 01, 2003, 09:29:15 AM: Quote
we have no firewall here

The MB shrieks in horror at that statement!!

(http://www.dsboards.com/YaBBImages/haironend.gif)

You should really consider installing one. But probably not Norton Personal Firewall. ;)

Quote
But I was able to get right back in at once.

Happily for you that means the same situation that exists with Patti isn't happening to you. :)
Title: Re: Problems Accessing the New Board?
Post by: Raineypark on February 02, 2003, 05:27:59 AM: Oh, give me a freaking break!.........shrieking at me like I'M in charge of this stuff.

The one you suggested has now been installed.

Happy now?

:P
Title: Re: Problems Accessing the New Board?
Post by: Mysterious Benefactor on February 02, 2003, 05:37:52 AM: Quote
The one you suggested has now been installed.

Happy now?

VERY. ;)

You'll thank me for shrieking once you've seen just how many attempts to probe your computer it blocks.
Title: Re: Problems Accessing the New Board?
Post by: MsCriseyde on February 02, 2003, 09:55:45 AM: Quote
You'll thank me for shrieking once you've seen just how many attempts to probe your computer it blocks.

Of course, if you had Norton Personal Firewall, then you could also block MB's nefarious attempts to access your pc via the DS Forums home page. ;-)
Title: Re: Problems Accessing the New Board?
Post by: Mysterious Benefactor on February 02, 2003, 10:04:23 AM: Quote
Of course, if you had Norton Personal Firewall, then you could also block MB's nefarious attempts to access your pc via the DS Forums home page. ;-)

Hey, that's not funny. [sure]

And BTW, have you ever checked the Symantec support pages for NPF? I browsed through them for Patti last night (trying to see if I could find a solution for her problem) and couldn't believe how many problems people can encounter using it. [shkdy]
Title: Re: Problems Accessing the New Board?
Post by: Connie on February 02, 2003, 12:04:35 PM: Quote
You'll thank me for shrieking once you've seen just how many attempts to probe your computer it blocks.

So...how does someone access your computer? AND, what do they do once they're in there?? Can they take files, or delete them, or can they put files on there??

If someone attempts to "probe" my computer, this is the screen they get.... LOL

(http://members.aol.com/clchalifoux/images/q-tongue.jpg)

;)
Title: Re: Problems Accessing the New Board?
Post by: Mysterious Benefactor on February 02, 2003, 12:24:27 PM: Quote
So...how does someone access your computer?

They can plant Trojan horses, keyboard sniffers, all sorts of programs that might report back to them over the Internet. There are a lot of twisted minds out there.

Quote
AND, what do they do once they're in there?? Can they take files, or delete them, or can they put files on there??

If your computer is vulnerable enough and allows them enough access, they might do just about anything. Gain access to your passwords and credit card numbers (if you've foolishly had that sort of info saved by your browser or AOL) - they can even disguise themselves as you and use your computer to attack another computer system, making it very hard for the attack to be traced back to them.
Title: Re: Problems Accessing the New Board?
Post by: MsCriseyde on February 02, 2003, 08:37:57 PM: Quote
And BTW, have you ever checked the Symantec support pages for NPF? I browsed through them for Patti last night (trying to see if I could find a solution for her problem) and couldn't believe how many problems people can encounter using it. [shkdy]

Yep, seen all of that. I've not encountered any problems using it except with this site, other than the fact that the pop-up ad blocker can mess up a few web sites that offer video, but it's easy enough to turn it off temporarily.

ZoneAlarm's firewall also has its share of complaints:

http://www.computergripes.com/ZoneAlarm.html

I have never seen the Norton software block access to a web page the way it does with the DS Forums home page. Face it, MB, the board is just special in more ways than any of us realized. :-)
Title: Re: Problems Accessing the New Board?
Post by: Mysterious Benefactor on February 02, 2003, 10:08:17 PM: Quote
ZoneAlarm's firewall also has its share of complaints

Almost all of those are for version 3. I upgraded to 3 when it was first released, didn't like it, and almost immediately went back to using 2.6. With 3, the core code of ZA has been rewritten to work best with WinXP (compatibility with Win95 has been completely dropped), and something about the new core wreaked havoc on my computer whenever I tried to play MP3s. But I've never had even the slightest problem with the way 2.6 works. And as I showed, I certainly can't complain with the results. ;)

However, once I completely switch over to running Linux as my main operating sysytem, I won't being using ZA anymore (except in the rare occassion when I'll want to check something in Windows). ZA doesn't offer a Linux version, and I'll miss using it regularly. But Linux comes equipped with several different firewalls of its own to choose from.

Quote
Face it, MB, the board is just special in more ways than any of us realized. :-)

[lghy]

Actually, YaBB released a major upgrade last week. I've downloaded it, but I haven't even had a chance to check out what changes they've made or whether or not I'll even want to install them.

Stay tuned... [wink2]
Title: Re: Problems Accessing the New Board?
Post by: Connie on February 03, 2003, 02:28:42 AM: Quote
Almost all of those are for version 3. I upgraded to 3 when it was first released, didn't like it, and almost immediately went back to using 2.6.

MB...
I went and downloaded Zone Alarm and installed it as per your suggestion. (I ALWAYS follow your suggestions) Uh oh.....lol.
It's version 3.1 something. Am I going to experience problems with this version??

-CLC
Title: Re: Problems Accessing the New Board?
Post by: Mysterious Benefactor on February 03, 2003, 03:00:50 AM: Quote
It's version 3.1 something. Am I going to experience problems with this version??

That will depend entirely on the software you might run on your computer. I didn't like 3.0, but 3.1 could be different.

ZA 2.6 runs very smoothly on Win98, so if you think you're experiencing a problem, uninstall 3.1 and then download and install 2.6. So far as I know it's still available on sites like CNet and PC Magazine.
Title: Re: Problems Accessing the New Board?
Post by: Patti Feinberg on February 04, 2003, 02:33:39 AM: Quote

And BTW, have you ever checked the Symantec support pages for NPF? I browsed through them for Patti last night (trying to see if I could find a solution for her problem) and couldn't believe how many problems people can encounter using it. [shkdy]

MB...in a nice, slow pace (in American, NOT English!), can you explain WHAT this means?
I'm trying to utilize my $50 worth of Norton...not too well (it keeps telling me I don't have e-mail blocked, I read their #$^ directions, not what they say).
If I ADDED the aforementioned firewall (yours), would it counteract with Norcaught in a bit of line and now, me and stereo and okay, I did not type 'and stereo and okay'.

Patti...who's confused, sick & mother of sick Tommy
I quit
Title: Re: Problems Accessing the New Board?
Post by: MsCriseyde on February 04, 2003, 08:36:23 AM: MB,

I've found the root of the problem with accessing the forums' home page and Norton Personal Firewall 2003. This might be useful for tracking down the root of any other problems folks are encountering accessing the main page.

By default, NPF is set up to block information about previously visited sites. If this operation is permitted for the DS Forums, then the home page is accessible either by entering the main URL or using the various navigation links throughout the site. (Having to wait for the initial login time to expire is no longer an issue.)

For an NPF user to configure this, s/he needs to open NPF, click on Options and Personal Firewall. Then click on the Web Content tab. On the bottom left, click Add Site, and enter www.dsboards.com. Then, with www.dsboards.com highlighted in the list of sites on the left, uncheck the box under "Information about visited sites" marked "Use default settings" and select the circle next to Permit. Then click OK in the bottom right.

Here's a screen grab:
(http://members.aol.com/mscriseyde/npfgrab.jpg)

Do I win a prize? ;-)
Title: Re: Problems Accessing the New Board?
Post by: Mysterious Benefactor on February 05, 2003, 01:40:22 AM: Quote
By default, NPF is set up to block information about previously visited sites. If this operation is permitted for the DS Forums, then the home page is accessible either by entering the main URL or using the various navigation links throughout the site.

Ah! Now the problem you were having with NPF makes perfect sense. The Perl script that creates the home page has a rountine that internally checks to see if someone has entered it using http://www.dsboards.com/, http://www.dsboards.com or another page on the forum. If NPF was blocking your browser from reporting the referring page, the error rountine would have triggered and kicked you out.

Quote
Do I win a prize? ;)

Well, maybe we can award you a lifetime's supply of Lee Press-On Nails and Turtle Wax. That would be two prizes. [wink2]
Title: Re: Problems Accessing the New Board?
Post by: Patti Feinberg on February 05, 2003, 02:36:25 PM: I tried to do this following MsCryseyed (always spell that wrong!)'s instructions...maybe (shoot, PROBABLY) did it wrong, cause as soon as I did it...got my Perl error message...pas de Patti :-[
Title: Re: Problems Accessing the New Board?
Post by: MsCriseyde on February 05, 2003, 11:09:18 PM: Hmm . . . ok, so I don't have it all figured out. I've been happily using the forum without a problem since I reconfigured Norton Personal Firewall until a few minutes ago when I got this message trying to access the home page:

Untrapped Error:
./Sources/BoardIndex.pl did not return a true value at /home/virtual/site25/fst/var/www/perl/yabb/YaBB.pl line 234.

The only way I managed to get in here was by clicking on New Postings and doing a search for this board. Home doesn't work for me again. :(
Title: Re: Problems Accessing the New Board?
Post by: Midnite on February 05, 2003, 11:18:26 PM: Quote
Untrapped Error:
./Sources/BoardIndex.pl did not return a true value at /home/virtual/site25/fst/var/www/perl/yabb/YaBB.pl line 234.

The only way I managed to get in here was by clicking on New Postings and doing a search for this board. Home doesn't work for me again. :(

That one's not the fault of your firewall. I used New Postings to get past the Home page too. It'll be fixed soon.
Title: Re: Problems Accessing the New Board?
Post by: Mysterious Benefactor on February 05, 2003, 11:34:14 PM: Quote
I've been happily using the forum without a problem since I reconfigured Norton Personal Firewall until a few minutes ago

You must have been writing this post at the same time I posted the reason behind the error. ;)

I'm working on it...
Title: Re: Problems Accessing the New Board?
Post by: MsCriseyde on February 05, 2003, 11:34:59 PM: Fine. Just dash my hopes of being special. LOL
Title: Re: Problems Accessing the New Board?
Post by: Carol on February 06, 2003, 01:47:38 AM: Quote
Hmm . . . ok, so I don't have it all figured out. I've been happily using the forum without a problem since I reconfigured Norton Personal Firewall until a few minutes ago when I got this message trying to access the home page:

Untrapped Error:
./Sources/BoardIndex.pl did not return a true value at /home/virtual/site25/fst/var/www/perl/yabb/YaBB.pl line 234.

The only way I managed to get in here was by clicking on New Postings and doing a search for this board. Home doesn't work for me again. :(

Same thing happened to me but I wasn't smart enough to go to New Postings. I tried Cousins and Profile with no problem. Had to write to Midnight for directions. Everything is ok now. Thanx, Midnight.
Title: Re: Problems Accessing the New Board?
Post by: Midnite on February 06, 2003, 04:51:14 AM: Quote
Fine. Just dash my hopes of being special. LOL

ROFL Oh you know we still think you're special.

You're welcome, Carol. And thanks, MB! :D