ISP Horror Stories

[Andrew]

Thought I'd create new thread instead of posting in firefox thread.

ROFL, they just blocked keyword "fark" in past two hours.

Guess they didn't like me visiting fark.com?

If I proxy fark.com, can they still see me visiting fark.com? I would think it would piss them off lots if they see I was still able to connect to the website. >:D

Even sadder today was I had to download 80mb file from FTP server to update farm software, but since I can not connect to FTP, I had to instant message a friend who was at work in another province to download it, then upload to yousendit, then I could download it and install it so I could do my work...

It took about 2 hours from the time I was told to download from ftp until I finished downloading it. I even had to tell tech support for the software over the phone I couldn't download from FTP, and the other option was a rush mail delivery on the software which would cost $40.

I havn't even torrented any since they implemented the last thing (block "tor"). I was waiting for their next move. Guess they made it with block all connections to high traffic websites.

Oh and the router they use is netgear. This is what shows up for blocked websites/keywords. Apparently it is possible for them to disable proxies and many other things. Here's what someone said who has one of those routers

Block Sites Help

Web Components

You can use these to block undesirable Web componenents or behavior. Select the desired options:

    * Turn Proxy filtering on - Block use of a remote Proxy Server. A Proxy Server can be used to hide the real name or address of the site which your LAN users are connecting to. By enabling this option, you force LAN users to connect directly, so their activity can be logged and/or blocked.

    * Turn Java filtering on - Block Java applets.

    * Turn ActiveX filtering on - Block ActiveX components (OCX files) used by IE on Windows, and by Windows Update.

    * Turn Cookies filtering on - Block all cookies.

Warning !  Many Web sites will not function correctly if these components are blocked.

Keyword Blocking

If you want to prevent access to certain sites on the Internet, you can use the router's Keyword Blocking feature. You can specify up to 32 words that, should they appear in the website name (URL) or newsgroup name, will cause the site to be blocked by the router. When users try to access a blocked site, they will get a message: "Blocked by NETGEAR".

To block keywords or Internet domains:

  1. Select the Turn keyword blocking on check box.

  2. Type a keyword or domain name in the Add Keyword box.

  3. Click Add Keyword.

      The word or domain name appears in the list below.

  4. Continue adding names and keywords until you are finished.

  5. Click Apply.

To delete a keyword or domain name:

  1. Select the word or domain name in the list.

  2. Click Delete Keyword.

  3. Continue selecting and deleting names and keywords until you are finished.

  4. Click Apply.

Note: You may select more than one keyword or domain name at a time by pressing the Shift key as you select individual entries.

To delete all keywords and domain names:

  1. Click Clear List.

  2. Click Apply.

Trusted IP address

To allow one computer to have unrestricted access to the Internet:

  1. Type the IP address of the computer in the Trusted IP Address area.

  2. Click Apply.

Note: The Web Components settings always apply to all PCs.

So it seems a week ago they tried the "Turn Cookies filtering on", which must have failed miserably because it didn't last 24 hours (I presume other customers bitched them out).

EDIT:

I think they just blocked normal access to MSN messenger, so now I have to connect via http gateway again.

Kinda scary having ISP spy on me.

[erjin999]

Yeah, I use netgear lots at my last job, and that is exactly what happens when keyword blocking is on. Its not the worlds most reliable thing (getting confused at times and blocking when no keyword is present) but it is functional, as you are finding out.

I would say tell them to move they connection over your land unless they stop playing silly buggers with your access. Internet access means ability to access the internet, and if they filter it and you are not able to access it properly then they are messing around. Imagine a telco doing that !

You are talking too much so we will block certain numbers you use a lot !! Kick 'em out !!

[Andrew]

Within the last hour they blocked keyword 'blog'

BLOG?? They are f'ing crazy. They don't want me going to anything with the word blog in url??

The one website with blog in url I go to often shouldn't take up any bandwidth since it is mostly text only. At least I figured out that proxies can bypass their stupidity.

Only 8 more days until new ISP!

[gryphon]

Use an SSL or VPN tunnel to get out, then you are free to go. :)

[erjin999]

Until they block those ports ?

[Andrew]

Interestingly I do not need to use a proxy for web browsing anymore.

I can get to the sites normally. Although now they disabled something that screws up the websites. Some websites including cnn.com, fark.com and several others have something disabled (CSS, java?).

Any guesses what is wrong? or how I would get by it?

EDIT:

They still block keyword 'blog'. But fark and 'tor' seem ok for now.

EDIT:

Oddly they are all back to normal now.

Doing a ctrl+shift+R makes them all normal again.

[erjin999]

Forced refresh...

Looks like the CSS is messed up. I dont know a whole lot about webpages though :P.

[Andrew]

New ISP came today but said they couldn't get a signal at my house, there is too much interference. They are going to do more tests. Seems like I may be stuck with my current ISP. Oh the horror. :)

[erjin999]

Blow up previous ISP transmitter and resolve the interferrance issue  ;).

[Andrew]

A political debate is occurring right now and is streaming audio live. Sadly it connects through port 8000. I am trying to get winamp/windowsmedia /mplayerclassic to use a proxy, but nothing is working yet. argh! (I sometimes get the error that the tor network is a socks and not http proxy when manually inputting proxy info).

Probably too late by now, it started an hour ago.

EDIT:

Unable to open item for playback (Tor is not an HTTP Proxy (501)):

Anyone know http proxies?

I'm trying httport, but still not able to connect using foobar and wmp

EDIT:

Hopefully they will just put the debate online for me to download.

[Andrew]

I think AVG free might be blocked. My antivirus database is 7 days out of date (I checked system time to make sure it was correct). When I try to update it gives me update server connection failed. I tried inputting proxy info but that doesn't work.

Yep googling "guru" gives me a netgear firewall block. guru is part of the avg update server url.

Funny, my ISP usage policy says that letting viruses in computer is reason to terminate service.

As an Stargem Wireless Internet customer, it is your responsibility to secure computer equipment so that it is not subject to external threats such as viruses and other methods of intrusion. Failure to comply with these or any other Stargem Wireless policies could subject your account to suspension or termination.

Maybe they are trying to backdoor me! Say I don't have adequate antivirus protection then terminate service. :P

At least now I can phone them up and say they are breaking their own usage policy.

I'm gonna phone them up. They say they will look into it.

[erjin999]

Reading through the post I Was going to ask them if you actually took any of this to them and asked them to explain themselves. How can they just decide what net access you are allowed ? >:(

[Andrew]

Looks like they got rid of all keyword blocks. Although the internet has been a bit sluggish today, which could be any reason.

EDIT:

On the downside, Fed2k and miranda forums don't seem accessible at times, but I just turned on proxy and it went right to websites. Yep, seem to be not accessible. Just giving me default firefox cannot reach page thing.

Hmm, odd without using proxy it is working again (this is all within 5 minutes). Seems miranda website is still unreachable though. Weird. Maybe it will sort itself out when I'm sleeping. Now miranda is working. Guess it all worked itself out.

[Timenn]

So... how many days left till you get a response on the tests from your new ISP?

[Andrew]

Probably no response.

Internet is still shitty today, think it is a network wide problem.

EDIT:

It was a network wide problem. They came today and replaced a box in the tower and everything seems to be working fine now

[Andrew]

Lol they went and blocked keyword "tor" again. No more links with story, realtor etc. I only downloaded 300 mb last night (another 300 before done with file). Dunno what they'd do when I try downloading lots of linux distros.

EDIT:

Blocking tor also blocks store, so it makes shopping online a lot worse.

[gryphon]

you can try anonymous browsing software, depending on the filter software your ISP uses it can 'trick' it and might not recognise the URL's.

[Andrew]

No, I use proxy to bypass any keyword url blocks.

Since I got home from shopping this morning they took the tor keyword block off. Guess someone complained.

[Andrew]

Hah, just now they blocked "guru" (avg antivirus server) again, and I witnessed them block "tor" within the last minute.

It's sad that they worry about me anonymously downloading 500mb between midnight and 6 am, a time when no one should be using the internet much. I even have it throttled so it doesn't screw up the network. I guess Tor does add more network activity, but that is their fault for blocking all ports.

I think I'll go download a couple copies of Ubuntu and see what they do.

Should only take 70 minutes to download each Ubuntu version. :)

EDIT:

Uh oh, my http proxy is not working. Foxyproxy isn't working. Maye they blocked port 8118.

I appear to get

un 05 11:15:44 Privoxy(000008b4) Error: write to: www.google.ca failed: WSAECONNABORTED - Software caused connection abort.

Uh oh, looks like Tor network is not working either. I'm screwed! Guess I'll download a terabyte of linux distros.

Damn, tor button doesnt work either, must have privoxy port blocked.

EDIT:

If anyone has any ideas as to how I can view the Canadian radar here, I would be grateful. I think the radar uses words such as animator (view html source) in which the tor gets blocked so I cannot see the radar at all.

[erjin999]

Haha, I had an idea to translate the page to another language where tor would not be in the page, like maybe french or italian. Well, that wont work as some of the tags in the html are "creator" with tor in there. SO...I search google for "bypass keyword blocking" and 4th link is: This thread ! Funny...:) that was google.co.uk by the way, on a web search, not a uk only search.

What you need is a http: based proxy for pages. So any pages with whatever word you choose will be replaced with other obvious words or even images. So basically, I run a webservice on my server, which you contact, enter the letters you believe are blocked, "t" "o" "r" and then enter a website address...the webservice can replace any instances of that sequence of letters with others, like ROR or something...

Alternatively it could be a browser addon for FF that does the replacing.

[Andrew]

Funny story.

Today I downloaded kubuntu, xubuntu, DSL, gparted livecd, and 25% of FEAR single player demo and they disconnected me (d/c while downloading FEAR). That is almost 1.5 gb in 2-3 hours. Seems they reconnected me just now, about 10 hours after my internet connection "died". Maybe they have a setting to disconnect anyone who downloads 1.5 gb in a certain amount of time. Or maybe they don't want me downloading large files in daytime.

I searched "bypass keyword blocking" at google.ca, but it is not listed there yet.

Proxy is still disabled.

I got to http://proxy.org/ but none of the sites seem to allow FTP connections (all try port 110).

Anyone want to download/upload my latest audio drivers? here get README and "Windows 2000, Windows XP/2003(32/64 bits) Driver only (ZIP file)"

Upload to http://www.mytempdir.com/

P.S. I need that radar imagery!

Anyway to figure out what ports are open? I've tried several things, but all of them say every port is closed etc (even port 80, 443, which are open)

Nice idea Re-erjin999

EDIT:

http://anonymouse.org/ allows FTP connections! Hurray! NOOOO it says it cant go to large files! I was able to get the readme, but the driver is too big :(

[erjin999]

Hang on, isnt that my idea in action :P

[Andrew]

Writing my ISP an email to complain about keyword blocks that are pointless. Tor keyword is not blocked right now, but guru still is. They make no sense at all.

Gonna try Ubuntu to see if internet works on it.

EDIT:

Sent email, Ubuntu internet doesn't seem to work, but I'll have to investigate it further.

[gryphon]

Writing my ISP an email to complain about keyword blocks that are pointless. Tor keyword is not blocked right now, but guru still is. They make no sense at all.

Check your contract first to see if they are within their rights.

[Andrew]

They must have got the email, since guru is not blocked currently.

They are not within their rights to block antivirus updates since having an up to date antivirus is a must in the terms of service. If they block antivirus updates it is impossible to abide by their terms.

Also blocking keyword 'tor' is stupid since that makes all news websites inaccessible, any websites with store urls, makes Toronto websites inaccessible and lots of other sites.

Excellent, FTP transfers is now possible. I guess my email was successful for now. Downloading my updated audio drivers.

usage policy

Doesn't say anything about them blocking websites (or at least a 3 letter keywords).

And if they are allowed to have all this crap blocked, then they should advertise it when selling to people. I don't think an ISP can sell a crippled product, while having 1/10 the internet inaccessible.

Also, if I purchase a $1000 software package that requires me to get updates on an FTP server, and my ISP blocks FTP wouldn't that piss you off? I do have $1000 software package on computer (an additional $300 a year for support). I had to contact a friend in another province while he was working to download/upload the update file because I needed it immediately to begin work. Going through all that crap wasted 4 hours.