Rivals problem (Ongoing)

[richard1970]

1/3/24, still cannot get Rutgers.rvals site at home BUT can get it here at work on same iPad. At home, South Jersey, I have Verizon fios with the fastest router Verizon supplies. I get a message after a while that says something like “server not responding.” My iPad works on everything else at home, including, e.g., 247 Sports site. As like many others, my ability to log on to Rutgers.rivals stopped right around the time of the Pinstrip Bowl.


@Richard Schnyderite

 

[mildone]

1/3/24, still cannot get Rutgers.rvals site at home BUT can get it here at work on same iPad. At home, South Jersey, I have Verizon fios with the fastest router Verizon supplies. I get a message after a while that says something like “server not responding.” My iPad works on everything else at home, including, e.g., 247 Sports site. As like many others, my ability to log on to Rutgers.rivals stopped right around the time of the Pinstrip Bowl.

If your iPad has support for cellular data and it's on a cellular data plan, then switching off Wifi for it will cause it to use your cellular data plan provider's mobile network instead of the Verizon fiber network and then you should be able to visit rivals.com without problems from home.

If, OTOH, your iPad is Wifi only, you're screwed at home unless you use a VPN service (there are several free VPN services, including Google's, and you can turn it on only when visiting this forum if you want).

 

[richard1970]

If your iPad has support for cellular data and it's on a cellular data plan, then switching off Wifi for it will cause it to use your cellular data plan provider's mobile network instead of the Verizon fiber network and then you should be able to visit rivals.com without problems from home.

If, OTOH, your iPad is Wifi only, you're screwed at home unless you use a VPN service (there are several free VPN services, including Google's, and you can turn it on only when visiting this forum if you want).

Thank you; will give it a try.

 

[DJ Spanky]

I'm having trouble logging in through my Netscape browser on my EarthLink account.

 

[mildone]

I'm having trouble logging in through my Netscape browser on my EarthLink account.

Try your CompuServe account.

 

[DJ Spanky]

Try your CompuServe account.

I've got a 28.8 modem coming in next week, hoping that makes a difference.

 

[LETSGORU91]

Wifi through Optimum router not working for Android phone, tablet and Windows laptop. Wifi off, phone works on 5g. Phone and tablet also function on work wifi.

 

[mildone]

I've got a 28.8 modem coming in next week, hoping that makes a difference.

I’ve got a abacus on order from Amazon. Should help me do my taxes.

 

[DJ Spanky]

I’ve got a abacus on order from Amazon. Should help me do my taxes.

Abacus? I thought that's why we had fingers and toes!

 

[toby83]

Only works from my home if I turn my phone wifi off

 

[richard1970]

Thank you; will give it a try.

Your advice worked-I turned off Wi-Fi on my smart phone and I can get rivals at home. Still no luck with iPad at home but iPad gets rivals at work; a bit of a mystery but that’s ok since at least mobile works at home. Thanks again.

 

[mildone]

Your advice worked-I turned off Wi-Fi on my smart phone and I can get rivals at home. Still no luck with iPad at home but iPad gets rivals at work; a bit of a mystery but that’s ok since at least mobile works at home. Thanks again.

You’re welcome.

 

[redking]

Sounds like Rivals (Yahoo?) has the IP ranges for major US based ISPs going to a load balancer or firewall. There has to be a configuration issue at said load balancer or firewall.

 

[wheezer]

We've been discussing this issue on the premium board for a few days.

Current workarounds:

- Use your cellular network.

- Use a VPN.

Facts:

- Not related to a specific browser, OS, or Service provider.

- Affects access to all Rivals sites.

- Not related to one's location either. I'm currently in Africa and it happened during the Pinstripe Bowl. Currently using a VPN via Romania to access this site.

 

[Tango Two]

Yep nothing I can do at the moment, waiting to hear back from tech guys. Will update you when they answer.

Still not resolved

 

[Leonard23]

Day 9 of the Yahoo/Rivals hostage crisis...Still not working.... When will it end...

 

[mildone]

Day 9 of the Yahoo/Rivals hostage crisis...Still not working.... When will it end...

Might not end until whatever server's causing the issue gets a regularly scheduled update. I get the sense Yahoo doesn't much care given it's a localized issue w/a relatively small number of affected users and a couple common workarounds.

 

[Leonard23]

Running the basic Windows Network Diagnostics tool on a PC provided the following Troubleshooting Report:

Issues found

resources (rutgers.forums.rivals.com) is online but isn't responding to connection attempts.

The remote computer isn’t responding to connections on port 443, possibly due to firewall or security policy settings, or because it might be temporarily unavailable. Windows couldn’t find any problems with the firewall on your computer.

 

[yesrutgers01]

So- my iPhone still can’t connect at home unless I take Wi-Fi off(Verizon) out at a restaurant and on their guest network and no problems…

 

[mildone]

Running the basic Windows Network Diagnostics tool on a PC provided the following Troubleshooting Report:

Issues found

resources (rutgers.forums.rivals.com) is online but isn't responding to connection attempts.

The remote computer isn’t responding to connections on port 443, possibly due to firewall or security policy settings, or because it might be temporarily unavailable. Windows couldn’t find any problems with the firewall on your computer.

That fits with what I said about being able to ping, but not browse. Also fits with my speculation about the issue being related to a server between those of us having the problem and rivals.com having rivals.com blocked by their security software.

A new theory has been banging around in my head. The connection issue started right around when that troll who created like 20+ new user accounts (each subsequently being banned) was chasing around after Nuts.

Maybe rivals or yahoo or verizon enabled some sort of IP ban feature, intended to make it harder for banned users to connect and create new accounts, even with different IP addresses, based on some form of reverse route detection? That is, even though the primary visitor IP address changes, if the other hops involved between the visitor's device and rivals.com were the same or similar, the new IP would get blocked.

That would also potentially fit the known facts, particularly if the buttmunch troll and all of us experiencing the issue have a common pattern of intermediate server hops between us and rivals.

 

[Section124]

Looks like the troll is back because I just received a like on a post from a week ago. The user name was a give away that he is not a fan of Spanky. 😀 Nuts may be safe for now.

 

[mildone]

Looks like the troll is back because I just received a like on a post from a week ago. The user name was a give away that he is not a fan of Spanky. 😀 Nuts may be safe for now.

Yep, saw that too.

But hey, if he's gonna give us likes, I might have to ease up on him (sorry @DJ Spanky and @AreYouNUTS). 🤣

 

[AreYouNUTS]

Looks like the troll is back because I just received a like on a post from a week ago. The user name was a give away that he is not a fan of Spanky. 😀 Nuts may be safe for now.

BWAHAHAHA

Yeah it was “Spanky da DoucheBag” and instantly responded to about 40 of my posts with a sad or an angry face. Oh earlier it was “RU24.”

 

[Big East Beast]

That fits with what I said about being able to ping, but not browse. Also fits with my speculation about the issue being related to a server between those of us having the problem and rivals.com having rivals.com blocked by their security software.

A new theory has been banging around in my head. The connection issue started right around when that troll who created like 20+ new user accounts (each subsequently being banned) was chasing around after Nuts.

Maybe rivals or yahoo or verizon enabled some sort of IP ban feature, intended to make it harder for banned users to connect and create new accounts, even with different IP addresses, based on some form of reverse route detection? That is, even though the primary visitor IP address changes, if the other hops involved between the visitor's device and rivals.com were the same or similar, the new IP would get blocked.

That would also potentially fit the known facts, particularly if the buttmunch troll and all of us experiencing the issue have a common pattern of intermediate server hops between us and rivals.

Ping doesn’t tell you much. We know the servers are responding because many people are having no issue and the site works for the same user/devices that are connecting via cellular.

I think you are right there’s some kind of security/filtering issue - although it could also be a malformed certificate or a traffic shaper or load balancer blocking traffic based on heuristics.

It wouldn’t surprise me if the issue is at the DataCenter/ISP/Verizon which would mean rivals may be “right” it’s not on their end, but that doesn’t mean they can’t put resources into getting to the bottom of what’s going on.

These companies all have SLAs and someone is clearly failing. I wonder if this is only affecting the Rutgers site.

 

[DJ Spanky]

A new theory has been banging around in my head. The connection issue started right around when that troll who created like 20+ new user accounts (each subsequently being banned) was chasing around after Nuts.

42 accounts banned in December alone.

 

[mildone]

42 accounts banned in December alone.

Doesn’t get much more obsessive than that.

 

[colbert17]

Problem solved

 

[yesrutgers01]

Ping doesn’t tell you much. We know the servers are responding because many people are having no issue and the site works for the same user/devices that are connecting via cellular.

I think you are right there’s some kind of security/filtering issue - although it could also be a malformed certificate or a traffic shaper or load balancer blocking traffic based on heuristics.

It wouldn’t surprise me if the issue is at the DataCenter/ISP/Verizon which would mean rivals may be “right” it’s not on their end, but that doesn’t mean they can’t put resources into getting to the bottom of what’s going on.

These companies all have SLAs and someone is clearly failing. I wonder if this is only affecting the Rutgers site.

I cannot get to any rivals site. If I go into Yahoo, select NCAAF and then try to access any school- it times out

 

[Rutgers NJ]

 

[ClassOf02]

Traveled for work this week and site was fine over hotel Wi-Fi. Back home and problem persists here.

@Richard Schnyderite

 

[satnom]

Problem still going. Millions of websites work on Verizon wifi except Rivals.com

GO RU

 

[mildone]

Problem still going. Millions of websites work on Verizon wifi except Rivals.com

GO RU

It’s a little mystifying. I mean, maybe Verizon wants to force everybody to use their mobile data more.

 

[Section124]

Problem still going. Millions of websites work on Verizon wifi except Rivals.com

GO RU

It works for me and most here. I feel for all those affected but let’s not make it a broad brush statement.

 

[yesrutgers01]

@Richard Schnyderite
I’m going to just give it a break now until fixed…

 

[satnom]

It works for me and most here. I feel for all those affected but let’s not make it a broad brush statement.

Are you using Verizon wifi in NJ? I’m in central NJ.

This is the weirdest thing.

GO RU

 

[Tango Two]

Problem still going. Millions of websites work on Verizon wifi except Rivals.com

GO RU

Same here Optimum

 

[Richie O]

@Richard Schnyderite
I’m going to just give it a break now until fixed…

I'm sorry there's nothing I can do at the moment, our tech team has searched a million times and can't find the source of this issue as it's only happening to users on this site it seems. In the meantime, I ask that all of you contact support with the same issue to hopefully help escalate this further.

Help for Rivals

help.yahoo.com

 

[Section124]

Are you using Verizon wifi in NJ? I’m in central NJ.

This is the weirdest thing.

GO RU

Yes. I have Verizon / FIOS in Bergen County.

 

[Leonard23]

It’s a little mystifying. I mean, maybe Verizon wants to force everybody to use their mobile data more.

It's happening on Optimum and Xfinity too.

 

[mildone]

It's happening on Optimum and Xfinity too.

Verizon owns Yahoo who own rivals.