Question About Spam Defense

[Afrodude]

A question about "Spam Defense" is it connected with "Ban Settings" in any way? 

[Randy Calvert]

No, it's not part of the Ban Settings.  

If you select "Register the account but immediately ban it", the account will be created, but immediately have the ban flag added to it.  The email address or IP address is not added to the ban settings.  The username itself does not need added to the Ban Settings because the account already (now) exists, but just is flagged as banned.  

 

[Afrodude]

Thanks @Randy Calvert I am aware of this process, but what I want to really know about is if there is any connection between these Settings. 

 

For example, my license is expired so the "Spam Defense" now is on and not really functioning only throwing errors. I used the "Ban Settings" to ban an IP address, would this IP address still have access to the site? Or it has a connection with the "Spam Defense" and that IP address still can access the site? 

So, the question is: Are they independent settings or connected together somehow? 

[Randy Calvert]

They’re independent. The ban settings can be managed independently without the Spam Defense. 

If you ban an IP, it has no dependencies for the Spam Defense service. Now you would not have the benefit of auto stopping bad accounts, but you still have tools to manually deny access via email/IP/username. 

[Afrodude]

@Randy Calvert this is what I am aware of too, yet then the "Ban Settings" doesn't really function or there is a bug causing this issue.

 

This is only one example this IP address is banned from the site using the "Ban Settings" since April 2022, yet the IP address still can access the site and post new comments. I have many IP addresses were banned and still can access the site. 

Edited August 20, 2022 by Afrodude

[Randy Calvert]

The ban settings prevents someone from registering an account.  My understanding is that does not to guest posting and it does not prevent them from browsing the site.  

If you don't want them using your site at all, you might want to use a WAF, or htaccess (https://htaccessbook.com/block-ip-address/)or something similar to just totally block them from your site.  

 

Edited August 20, 2022 by Randy Calvert

[Afrodude]

1 hour ago, Randy Calvert said:

The ban settings prevents someone from registering an account.  My understanding is that does not to guest posting and it does not prevent them from browsing the site. 

This is what IPS guide says. 

Quote

Members -> Member Settings -> Ban Settings

In this section, you can restrict access to your site from IP addresses

 

1 hour ago, Randy Calvert said:

If you don't want them using your site at all, you might want to use a WAF, or htaccess (https://htaccessbook.com/block-ip-address/)or something similar to just totally block them from your site.

Thanks, but I am also aware of how to ban an IP from accessing the site, and the main topic is about IPS "Ban Settings" and its relation to "Spam Defense" whether it's functioning or has a bug.

[Marc]

Ban settings and spam defence are not related in any way at all. So that can be completely ruled out here. If you believe there is an issue with Ban Settings, we would need a complete example. By this, I mean "x happened a this link, and I dont believe it should have because of y". We can then log in, take a look, and advise accordingly

[Afrodude]

@Marc Stridgen Cool, but a question in here to get things clearer. What happens whenever I ban an IP address? Does it ban this IP address from accessing the site entirely or only from registering?

[Marc]

If you ban an IP, when someone with that IP visits the site, they will see only the ban message

[Afrodude]

Then @Marc Stridgen there is a bug with it because I have banned many IP addresses, yet same IP addresses can visit the site and post as guest. I can give you many examples if you want to investigate this.

[Marc]

6 hours ago, Marc Stridgen said:

By this, I mean "x happened a this link, and I dont believe it should have because of y". We can then log in, take a look, and advise accordingly

As mentioned above, I would need this

[Afrodude]

I sent you a message in order to share more details with you.