Forum UPDATES and Disruptions

[AUbicycles]

Dear Forum Members and Guests,

The Brief Version
There have been technical changes to BNA to resolve performance issues - you may notice:
- A captcha which you may be required to complete once
- You may need to log in again
- You may spot an error or bug, in which case please report to BNA on Facebook or post details here


The Longer Version
In the last week or so there have been performance issues with this site. While we have solid hosting and have taken all reasonable measures to improve the site performance and optimise, it is still at its limits. I don't have the option is to "throw money at the problem" and instead have made a spur-of-the-moment decision to use the Cloudflare service.

The aim is to reduce the load on the server - and cloudflare is a type of CDN (Content Delivery Network) that saves copies of content from the website in datacentres across the world and when you visit, it can deliver a copy of the pages more quickly - and spares the main server from doing as much work. We already use a CDN which is just for graphics and javascript, though cloudflare does a bit more. It will also reduce malicious traffic (so less hackers, spammers and known trouble-makers).

I will monitor facebook and this thread for replies and error reports (or anything you think I should know). If everything really goes crazy, you can also email.


Thank you for your understanding and patience
Christopher / AuBicycles / Admin

[boss]

Since last nights disruptions, my home IP address has been 'permanently banned'.

I have sent my IP to [email protected]

Any chance of getting my IP unbanned? No idea what I would / could have done to incur a ban!

[greyhoundtom]

Hi guys I'm unfortunately in the same situation.........in other words........... Permanently Banned

I'm having to post this via my neighbours computer.

Cheers,
Tom

Edit........my neighbours IP address just got banned as well.

[familyguy]

Was logged in last night, was rather slow, but that happens with my home connection periodically anyway. OK from office this morning. Remains to be seen if either IP gets banned during the day.

Best of luck Christopher! Being technically inept when it comes to issues like this, sadly I'm unable to offer any assistance.

Jim

[AndyTheMan]

My home IP address has also been 'permanently banned'. I noted that this morning I could not log in (which I usually do on the ipad whilst eating my weetbix).

I know I post some crap, and tend to get off topic...but geeezzzz ... banning me?!?!?

Luckily I can still log in through my work system!

[greyhoundtom]

All good..........my IP Address has been let out of jail......... all my past sins have been forgiven and I'm back on again.

[Gerry.M]

I had the same thing when I got to work this morning "Permanently Banned", but after restarting my pc (possibly getting a new ip??) I'm now in.

[greyhoundtom]

Bugger.............I have been locked out again on my own IP Address.

[Baalzamon]

Yep happened to me, shot an email off and I'm unbanned now tho

[AUbicycles]

On the IP bans, yes this is an error and I have a recent annoucement here: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=57699

It is likely that I have been able to now fix it - so in that thread happy for more confirmations that it is resolved.
By all means, if you are still receiving this ban notice, let me know.

[AUbicycles]

There was another hiccup, can't explain but hope we are back now.

[Sprocket]

Looks like we are
But looks like the forum database might have been rolled back to the DB before your tweeks this morning, ie posts between going offline earlier today and the hiccough have possibly been lost, including your update about the tweeks this morning.

[AUbicycles]

I see what you mean and can't explain it as I didn't roll back - weirdness. The site is running through Cloudflare which does cache, but I don't know if that is affecting it.

[AUbicycles]

So this wasn't a nice effect - I have purged the cache and session keys logging everyone out. Sorry, but I have to get on top of these problems.

[Baalzamon]

Thanks Christopher.
Up now after ghost login and not being logged in

[AUbicycles]

Still repairing various tables.

[Sprocket]

Thanks Christopher. We appreciate all your hard work!

[AUbicycles]

I have to head out - though also really appreciate reports.
Have checked the database (which is where the party has been happening) and all database tables look good now... so from NOW everything is going to work

[AUbicycles]

This is a test - just checking in to see if all is ok, including posting.