Banning IP Addresses

[Mark Goldstein]

Hi,

I get a handful of spam messages every day. Usually I delete the message and user and add their IP address to the ban list. It's just occurred to me that unless they have a fixed IP address, this won't be very useful.

Is it really worth banning IP addresses in this way, or should I just clear my ban list now, and if not, what is the best way to deal with the spammers?

[Jimmy S]

In my opinion, ip is not the best way to ban. If they are using a proxy, banning the ip will do nothing. The best thing as far as banning goes, is to ban the email address. Do something like this - *@email.com which will prevent anyone registering with that email address.

[Mark Goldstein]

OK, thanks for the advice!

[Strange_Will]

IPs are horrible ways to ban due to dynamic IPs, someone that wants to come in my show up on that IP, then they can't get in. ><

[U2 Fan]

The best thing as far as banning goes, is to ban the email address. Do something like this - *@email.com which will prevent anyone registering with that email address.

I understand the problem with dynamic IP addresses, so I use the email address banning option as a preference. However, there's one thing I've always needed to clarify... What happens to existing (legitimate) members' accounts if their email domain is banned after they've registered?

For example, I have a few legitimate members using the web.de domain for their email accounts... but I'm getting up to 20 spammers a day registering new accounts using that domain. If I was to ban the domain outright by using *@web.de, would that only ban all new registrations trying to use that domain, or would my legitimate web.de members suddenly find that they're banned, too?

[Mat Barrie]

They would be banned also, yes.

[U2 Fan]

Hhmm. Okay, thanks.

What are my options, then? I suppose I could ask all my legit web.de members to find an alternative email domain to use, and then ban it. I know one thing's for sure... I just can't keep spending so much time each day deleting *@web.de accounts! I'm fed up with it!

[Mat Barrie]

I guess you could get a mod put together, or you could use one of the Anti-Spam mods on IPSBeyond, but I think that banning it and asking your members using it to change email is perhaps the "easiest" or "path of least resistance".

I've linked a few of the anti-spam mods on IPSB for you to look at:
http://www.ipsbeyond.com/forums/index.php?...mp;showfile=595
http://www.ipsbeyond.com/forums/index.php?...mp;showfile=559 (this one is apparently REALLY good)
http://www.ipsbeyond.com/forums/index.php?...mp;showfile=586

[U2 Fan]

Thank you! :)

[shakerz]

One thing that would be nice is the option to add a comment when you ban a IP address. I have banned lots of them but I cant remember who used which address so I cant delete any of them.

[CynicalFrost]

There is a modification for that as well by FuSoYa.

You would need to go to his site or IPSB to get it.

Edit: It's called (FSY21) Ban Filter Reasons OR (FSY22) Ban Filter Reasons if you plan to use it on IPB 2.2 :)