Forbidden and 403 error pages

[stormchaser]

It may interest you all to know that apparently, after being unable to access my main www.ambilacuk.com site, I eventually received a reoply from my host provider in US tripod and lycos, that Virgin media are blocking all tripod hosting sites to UK viewers - may be some of you can check this.

I spent much time yesterday on the landline trying to find out which section of Virgin media I could deal with - eventually i had to resoert ot tech line...which i rang several times as they never got back to me...eventually a supervisor said he would look into the problem and call me back...which they did not of course.

All the support team I spoke to were foreign and had difficulty in explaining the situation...the supervisor was more coherent, but still no feedback
In essence, this would mean thousands of tripod websites would be unavailable

[Dai]

I'm seeing the same thing. I tried visiting a random selection of tripod member sites and got a 403 on every one.

[cimt]

Hmmm, the site's the same for me. What reason do they have to ban them type of sites?

[amateurfool]

I have tried to access your site as well as a few others that are hosted by Tripod, and get the same thing. The strange thing is, the error message is generated by the host server, as if VM connections are being blocked by the host, not by VM, especially as this is also affecting NTL:Telewest business customers.

[stormchaser]

I have run that site as well as many sections of that site for 6 years with no problem.. it is an archaeology and preparedness site

Here is the message I received from my website provider lycos...

Quote
Thank you for contacting Lycos support. We have identified the cause of
this problem: Virgin Media is blocking our UK customers from accessing
their Tripod sites.

We are doing our best to correct this issue but you can assist us by
contacting Virgin Media directly to report this issue to them.
Unquote

[amateurfool]

I have run that site as well as many sections of that site for 6 years with no problem.. it is an archaeology and preparedness site

Here is the message I received from my website provider lycos...

Quote
Thank you for contacting Lycos support. We have identified the cause of
this problem: Virgin Media is blocking our UK customers from accessing
their Tripod sites.

We are doing our best to correct this issue but you can assist us by
contacting Virgin Media directly to report this issue to them.
Unquote

I cannot see VM blocking sites for business users, i am on a rather expensive business connection, and i am affected.

The 403 forbidden error is a server generated security error, caused when the person accessing the page does not have permission to, so Lycos are actually blocking access to the site from VM connections.

[Chris]

Methinks Lycos has blacklisted the entire VM network for some reason ... possibly as a result of a hacker attack?

[amateurfool]

Methinks Lycos has blacklisted the entire VM network for some reason ... possibly as a result of a hacker attack?

That's the way it looks to me.

[stormchaser]

As this is a major issue affecting many thousands, I have contacted tripod support yet again asking them to look at their end of the network to ensure it is not their issue..
As soon as I receive a reply I will let you know.
In the meantime, no reply from Virgin media... what a nightmare trying to track anyone down :erm:

[tweetiepooh]

It's server sided. Since the forbidden messages I am seeing on various sites are all different it suggests they are from different sources not.

Often ISP's block proxies or blocks of IP's if hit. They are often unable or unwilling to focus just on the users that really cause problems, some of whom my spoof addresses effectively creating a DOS.

[stormchaser]

So basically it is a Virgin media issue?

Tripod are still insisting it is this end via Virgin media - who I have found very difficult to contact, talk to and get any sense - present company excepted - I also understand if you write to Swansea for e.g (where I happen to be located) they post all mail off to India to input on database before replying some weeks later?

[amateurfool]

As this is a major issue affecting many thousands, I have contacted tripod support yet again asking them to look at their end of the network to ensure it is not their issue..
As soon as I receive a reply I will let you know.
In the meantime, no reply from Virgin media... what a nightmare trying to track anyone down :erm:

As it is most likely a server permissions problem, there is very little that VM can do about it.

---------- Post added at 10:14 ---------- Previous post was at 10:13 ----------

So basically it is a Virgin media issue?

Tripod are still insisting it is this end via Virgin media - who I have found very difficult to contact, talk to and get any sense - present company excepted - I also understand if you write to Swansea for e.g (where I happen to be located) they post all mail off to India to input on database before replying some weeks later?

It is an issue affecting VM customers, however it is a Lycos problem as it is the Lycos servers that are blocking VM connections.

[stormchaser]

OK - many thanks

Weird, however, as I am able to log on and edit my site via http://www.tripod.lycos.com/ but of course cannot see the finished product if I attempt to access my website URL -
Don't you just love mysteries? not ;)

[amateurfool]

OK - many thanks

Weird, however, as I am able to log on and edit my site via http://www.tripod.lycos.com/ but of course cannot see the finished product if I attempt to access my website URL -
Don't you just love mysteries? not ;)

No mystery, different servers.

www.tripod.lycos.com = 209.202.226.20

rockgtabs.tripod.com (for example) = 209.202.226.100

[stormchaser]

Yes of course - :dozey: as soon as across the pond have woken up I should receive a reply and let you all know any outcomes :erm:

[simbr]

I'm almost certain that Tripod are blocking Virgin Media - and this includes both the ex-ntl and ex-Telewest networks.

The headers being returned are as follows:

wget -S members.tripod.com
--14:47:22-- http://members.tripod.com/
Resolving members.tripod.com... 209.202.226.100
Connecting to members.tripod.com|209.202.226.100|:80... connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response...
HTTP/1.0 403 Forbidden
Date: Fri, 17 Aug 2007 13:47:23 GMT
Server: Squeegit/1.2.5 (3_sir)
Content-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1
Age: 1
Connection: keep-alive
Via: HTTP/1.1 ntl-site (Traffic-Server/5.7.0-59568 [cMsSf ])
14:47:23 ERROR 403: Forbidden.

The 403 error is definitely being generated by the Tripod server, identified in red above. The bizarre thing is the line in blue - this would normally indicate that I had accessed the site via one of the ex-ntl proxy servers (specifically one of the older Inktomi ones, possibly Hersham by the signature, and manually rather than transparently as indicated by the capital 'M'). The complication being that, where I am at the moment, I definitely am not.

[amateurfool]

I get a similar response...

wget -S members.tripod.com
--14:48:10-- http://members.tripod.com/
=> `index.html'
Resolving members.tripod.com... 209.202.226.100
Connecting to members.tripod.com|209.202.226.100|:80... connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response...
HTTP/1.0 403 Forbidden
Date: Fri, 17 Aug 2007 14:20:27 GMT
Server: Squeegit/1.2.5 (3_sir)
Content-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1
Age: 0
Connection: close
Via: HTTP/1.1 ntl-site (Traffic-Server/5.7.0-59568 [cMsSf ])
14:48:11 ERROR 403: Forbidden.

And i am not on an exNTL network.

---------- Post added at 17:06 ---------- Previous post was at 15:25 ----------

All now working ok from here.

wget -S members.tripod.com
--16:31:41-- http://members.tripod.com/
=> `index.html'
Resolving members.tripod.com... 209.202.226.100
Connecting to members.tripod.com|209.202.226.100|:80... connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response...
HTTP/1.0 301 Moved Permanently
Date: Fri, 17 Aug 2007 16:03:59 GMT
Server: Squeegit/1.2.5 (3_sir)
URI: /adm/redirect/www/
Set-Cookie: CookieStatus=COOKIE_OK; path=/; domain=.tripod.com; expires=Sat, 16-Aug-2008 16:03:59 GMT
Location: http://www.tripod.lycos.com/
Content-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1
Age: 0
Connection: close
Via: HTTP/1.1 ntl-site (Traffic-Server/5.7.0-59568 [cMsSf ])
Location: http://www.tripod.lycos.com/ [following]
--16:31:41-- http://www.tripod.lycos.com/
=> `index.html'
Resolving www.tripod.lycos.com... 209.202.226.20
Connecting to www.tripod.lycos.com|209.202.226.20|:80... connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response...
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Date: Fri, 17 Aug 2007 16:04:00 GMT
Server: Squeegit/1.2.5 (3_sir)
URI: /bin/index
Set-Cookie: CookieStatus=COOKIE_OK; path=/; domain=.tripod.lycos.com; expires=Sat, 16-Aug-2008 16:04:00 GMT
Vary: *
X-Server-IP: 209.202.226.28
P3P: policyref="http://www.lycos.com/w3c/p3p.xml", CP="IDC DSP COR CURa ADMa DEVa CUSa PSAa IVAa CONo OUR IND UNI STA"
Connection: close
Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1
Length: unspecified [text/html]

[ <=> ] 10,395 47.18K/s

16:31:42 (47.08 KB/s) - `index.html' saved [10395]

[kenseaton]

I've just clicked through on your link after being intrigued... and got through to see you message about the site being blocked. I'm on ntlworld in Glasgow and got through to see the Quest Project and Katrina... your message is stuck in the middle of the page...

Ken

[stormchaser]

We appear to be back on now!! for now anyway - they did not explain what EXACTLY the issue was, but here for all your ref is their reply..

Quote

Thank you for reporting this issue to us. We appreciate the feedback
and data you have provided to us concerning the issue with Tripod and
Virgin Media customers.

Because of these reports, we have had discussions with Virgin Media in
an effort to resolve the issue. Virgin Media was very helpful in
resolving the problem that existed within both Tripod and Virgin Media.

Thankfully, the issue has been quickly resolved and we are happy to
report that there is no longer a problem. Please do let us know if you or
your customers continue to experience any further issues and we will
look to investigate further.

Thanks,
Lycos Customer Support Team

Unquote

[Hom3r]

Before I read the above post I could access all the links

[stormchaser]

LOL - today - *August 26) I received a reply from my email of August 17 informing me to contact the tech line to sort this issue out - what a hoot...shows how very effective their communications are within departments...NOT!
I replied informing them how utterly disappointed I was with their service ..and of course all I received was an auto message telliung me to ring tech line again... hysterical..
Not sure if I am ever going to get a refund on the original calls made to the tech line, as this issue was none of my doing...
BTW - it appears it was the responsibility of Virgin Media who caused this issue in the first place - would love to contact the many 1000's of tripod site users in UK to hear their experiences and reactions..

[Knotty]

Hi hi,

I recently got this message whilst trying to get on a website:

Forbidden

You don't have permission to access / on this server.

Additionally, a 403 Forbidden error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.
Apache/2.2.6 (Unix) mod_ssl/2.2.6 OpenSSL/0.9.7a mod_auth_passthrough/2.1 mod_bwlimited/1.4 FrontPage/5.0.2.2635 PHP/5.2.3 Server at lostpower.com Port 80

Any idea's how i could fix it?

Many thanks!

[Peter_]

Hi hi,

I recently got this message whilst trying to get on a website:

Forbidden

You don't have permission to access / on this server.

Additionally, a 403 Forbidden error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.
Apache/2.2.6 (Unix) mod_ssl/2.2.6 OpenSSL/0.9.7a mod_auth_passthrough/2.1 mod_bwlimited/1.4 FrontPage/5.0.2.2635 PHP/5.2.3 Server at lostpower.com Port 80

Any idea's how i could fix it?

Many thanks!Click this link and try the instructions there for setting a proxy.

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/34773822-post18.html

[Knotty]

I tried your IE proxy thing and got this after i did it:

Forbidden
You were denied access because:
Access denied by access control list.

[Peter_]

I tried your IE proxy thing and got this after i did it:

Forbidden
You were denied access because:
Access denied by access control list.
OK try this in IE



Tools > Internet Options
Click on content tab
Disable the content advisor
Click on connection tab
Remove the dial-up connection if not required or select never dial a connection
Click on LAN Settings and confirm all options are unticked.
Click on OK buttons to save changes.

[Knotty]

I tried that, but the content advisor is off, the dial-upis not required as im on broadband

And all the LAN settings are all off.

But I got the same message again:

Forbidden
You don't have permission to access / on this server.

Additionally, a 403 Forbidden error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Apache/2.2.6 (Unix) mod_ssl/2.2.6 OpenSSL/0.9.7a mod_auth_passthrough/2.1 mod_bwlimited/1.4 FrontPage/5.0.2.2635 PHP/5.2.3 Server at lostpower.com Port 80

---------- Post added at 16:08 ---------- Previous post was at 16:04 ----------

I tried the one for Firefox too, I also got the same mesage for as I did for IE:

Forbidden
You were denied access because:

Access denied by access control list.