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[TopCatGr58]

New tech problems 2018

Hey folks,

I learned from Jp/Webmaster/Owner that the Hosting company performed a SERVER MIgration a week or so ago, and NOW we are having technical problems. I can't log into the ADMIN CONTROL PANEL. When I get to it via a strange back door approach and then do a member search to do things like changing/Resetting passwords and such, it shows the same type of DATABASE error when it shows the member's profile, and doesn't show the SAVE CHANGES buttons.

The Hosting company is working on it, so for any members that are having trouble logging into the site, that's what's going on. Just an FYI. Stay tuned.

[MaximPhil]

Hi TC,
Thanks for looking after us and keeping us informed.
Phil

[Rasputin]

I can get in but only by a very curious route. Every time I hit the roadblock I just went back a page and tried something else. Was 10-15 steps to get here but I got it.
Normal entry was simply out of the question.

[motoman]

Only difference I've noticed is since this past wk., I've had to click the 'remember me' box if logging in.

[JeffH]

With some arm wrestling and some Hocus Pokus I was just able to get login. The login problem started for me on Saturday. Up until then my login was fine. NO ISSUES at all, ever.

As for getting on .com, during 2018 I have not had any issues at all with actually accessing the site. Click, click and there it is. Only issue was login were I was getting a Database Error / Contact System Administrator (which just started last Sat).

Jeff

[motoman]

With some arm wrestling and some Hocus Pokus I was just able to get login. The login problem started for me on Saturday. Up until then my login was fine. NO ISSUES at all, ever.

As for getting on .com, during 2018 I have not had any issues at all with actually accessing the site. Click, click and there it is. Only issue was login were I was getting a Database Error / Contact System Administrator (which just started last Sat).

Jeff

…..was exactly my computers situation and time it first happened till I started clicking on 'remember me' prior to log-in.

[Aches n Pains]

I'm on the site every day and have had no problems until this morning when I tried to log in to respond to the survey. First time. Will keep you posted if it happens again.

[Eastcoaster]

I have no Idea how I get in now takes several attempts and I get a weird data server message somehow after several attempts I do get in sometimes only from the home page

[madmax-im]

I too am here everyday..i already am logged in so i just hit the bookmark and here i am...maybe if i signed out and tried to log back in..but otherwise i havent experienced any difficulties...
Edit..I just logged out and tried to log in and did get the Error page..with the alternative link which did work ..so If you dont log out and just close the page..you wont have any trouble getting back on...

[3Phase]

The IP address changed

I used a free proxy site to log on and figure out what's happening.

There is a new address for the site: 216.37.42.101

I have a HOSTS file set up to handle xs11.com because there were DNS problems in the past. The IP address would connect but using the site name, xs11.com, was slow or it would time out and drop whatever you thought you were doing.

Very recently, someone changed the IP address for the site, update or remove the entry for xs11.com or it will always time out because the IP address has changed.

My HOSTS file
======================
# localhost
127.0.0.1 localhost
::1 localhost
209.151.89.187 xs11.com
209.151.89.187 www.xs11.com
======================

PING

C:\WINDOWS\system32>ping xs11.com

Pinging 209.151.89.187 with 32 bytes of data:
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.

Ping statistics for 209.151.89.187:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 0, Lost = 4 (100% loss),

C:\WINDOWS\system32>


Nope, that does not work.
+++++++++++++++++++++

PING result after disabling the HOSTS file:

C:\WINDOWS\system32>ping xs11.com

Pinging xs11.com [216.37.42.101] with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 216.37.42.101: bytes=32 time=88ms TTL=47
Reply from 216.37.42.101: bytes=32 time=88ms TTL=47
Reply from 216.37.42.101: bytes=32 time=89ms TTL=47
Reply from 216.37.42.101: bytes=32 time=86ms TTL=47

Ping statistics for 216.37.42.101:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 86ms, Maximum = 89ms, Average = 87ms

C:\WINDOWS\system32>

Yep, that does work.

+++++++++++++++++++++

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Scott and Xsives,

From what I heard, and I think posted in my first recent update was that the HOST site moved/migrated the site to another SERVER, and that is probably what changed the IP for the site. As you've informed us before, it can take a week or more for the DNS info to propagate across the "net" and the DNS handlers. But the problem goes deeper.

With the migration, they also have it running on what I understand is HARDWARE type PHP code, newer and the very old version of vBulletin that the site is running on is not fully compatible with the newer PHP on the server.

I have written/emailed/FB'd The Webmaster/Owner, so he's aware of the problem and the possible steps that will be needed to fix the site, most likely a major update/upgrade with a newer version of vBulletin, which might also fix other problems the site has had/HAS but I've just been working around ie. not being able to actually ADD any new members because the database is stuck at like 18,### member ID # but won't increment any farther to allow any new members. I've been recycling OLD unused/Inactive x 10+ yrs accounts and reassigning them to the new member's info!

SO...right now I can get into the ADMIN section, but it isn't working right, I can't EDIT and then SAVE any member changes/info, so NOW I can't add any new members AT ALL! I also can't RESET any members forgotten passwords, etc.!

Have no idea when any fix will be done??

T.C.

[Radioguylogs]

Pictures?

Good time to reconsider an easier way to post pictures?

(Can't blame us for trying. )

[3Phase]

Good time to reconsider an easier way to post pictures?

(Can't blame us for trying. )

LOL! Good thought!

Thank you for the update, T.C.!

I was remembering trying to walk a few folks through a basic HOSTS file when the DNS system was flaking out and the site would appear and disappear, hiding in plain sight unless you plugged the IP address into the HOSTS file and bypassed the DNS. If they haven't updated or removed the old HOSTS file then they'll never see this site again.

Sadly, unless there's extra money to the hosting service then the site's IP address will be dynamic, not static. The IP address may remain the same for years but it may change when someone trips over a cord or just doesn't like the way the coffee tastes one morning.

Right now, it's working again.

[ekim]

Dont use HOST file approach

Scott,

A broken DNS is it's own problem. Putting an entry in a HOSTS file shifts the maintenance burden to the end user. Once we identified the issue years ago when we had the problem it was simple to fix.

In the current situation the web provider did an upgrade to the server "machine" and this usually creates a new static IP address. If you use DNS it is transparent to the user. The HOSTS file folks become broken with no clue to a fix.

My $0.019

Mike

[3Phase]

Yes, thank you, Mike. I'm well aware of how DNS is supposed to work and I did mention the advantages/drawbacks of a HOSTS file at the time I had to create it so it would be a matter of memory, not ignorance nor user cluelessness.

The public DNS and the site's hosting service itself were totally borked and failed badly, a couple of HOSTS file entries fixed it but since the site owner is not paying for a static IP address, stuff occurred and the IP address changed as I had mentioned would happen at some point in the future with a dynamic IP address.

Here's your $0.001 change along with a snapshot of the site's current log-on database failure page for anyone that's interested. With Google's Chrome browser, the log-on is actually successful but has to be manually redirected to the site's Home or Forum page to continue.