17 March, 2006

More Etisalat blocking?


I was browsing to a URL just now and a different blocking message from the "normal" one came up. I typed in an IP-address and not a FQDN, ie. a number and not a "text-address", could that be the reason? I've not seen this blocking message before and Google only shows it mentioned on one other page. Have you seen this before and what are your thoughts on why IP-addresses would be blocked? Would it be to reduce viruses etc? Most regular users wouldn't type in an IP address for a URL, but it may happen, and I had good reason to do so.

Update: I guess we cannot connect to IPs. I tried http://17.112.152.32 (www.apple.com) which comes up as blocked for me.

9 comments:

samuraisam said...

You can connect to IP's, Etisalat just chose to do this, supposedly, so no one can get viruses, or some other half assed reason, anyway, fat lot of fucking good that did; I think it actually stems from the ability to access certain over-proxied websites.

Anyway, to bypass this, follow the IP address with either /index.htm, /index.html, or /index.php

Magnus Nystedt said...

Ok, so like they suggested, put an actual file in the URL.

Anonymous said...

is everything a threat to etisalat?

samuraisam said...

Did anyone notice thet Etisalat doesn't actually say it blocks it protect the customers from viruses, rather to protect Eat2salad from "high volume traffic"?

Man I hate etisalat.

Anonymous said...

They're fighting a losing battle. They can block all they want but we can get around it if we want to. If the UAE wants to be the business and tourism hub it says it wants to be, there will be no place for this kind of bs to go on.

samuraisam said...

Not really.

Short of paying for unproxied access it is increasingly difficult for UAE internet users to bypass restrictions.

It was easy as fk 5 years ago, it was easy 2 years ago, nowadays (last time I was in dubai = january) it was pretty difficult.

The UAE government will abolish censorship when they are ready and not a minute before.

You can bitch and moan all you like about it, but they really don't give a shit otherwise they would've already removed it.

Du will have internet censorship, probably governed by Etisalat, or at least in a similar manner to Etisalat, tough shit. They'll probably block VoIP too. Tough shit.

Either put up with internet censorship or go and wait in Etisalats office for 8 hours (not an exaguration) and cancel your account.

The least Etisalat could do if they don't plan on removing censorshit is being fair with what they do censor.

Of course, this is my view, I am a realist, you can whitewash your opinion of what they should and shouldn't do all you want, people say they're going to remove censorshit soon. I say, Don't count on it.

Anonymous said...

connecting to any IP addess can be done with a /? at the end of the IP.

eg: http://17.112.152.32/? will get you the index page, no matter it is index.htm; index.html; index.shtm; directory.xxx or whatever.

samuraisam said...

good point anonymous!

Mansour said...

My experiences with etisalat have been some of the worst I have ever dealt with.

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