How to solve a 'redirection' problem?

In the thread 'OT: Apple forums working?' I posted about getting
redirected from the Apple discussion forums to
https://discussions.apple.com/backso...stempaway.html

As it happens on my iPad and PC (both IE and Firefox) I have to agree with
Apple's conclusion on the phone this morning that it's caused by either:
- My BT Home Hub 2.0 router configuration (which I've not touched since
its installation many months ago)
- My Windows XP Firewall settings (never go near it)
- Or some settings by my ISP, BT Broadband. (Haven't a clue what they
might be.)

This stuff is largely a black art to me. So any help I can get would be
much appreciated please. Particularly if I have to mess with the router
settings.

But as a start I'm wondering if I could experimentally try the option in
Firewall settings to add another port? If that's even sensible, how would
I determine the relevant port number please?

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

Terry Pinnell wrote:
> In the thread 'OT: Apple forums working?' I posted about getting
> redirected from the Apple discussion forums to
> https://discussions.apple.com/backso...stempaway.html
>

Mmm. That must be a server side redirect.. so its almost total bullshit
to say its down to local client side stuff.


> As it happens on my iPad and PC (both IE and Firefox) I have to agree with
> Apple's conclusion on the phone this morning that it's caused by either:
> - My BT Home Hub 2.0 router configuration (which I've not touched since
> its installation many months ago)
> - My Windows XP Firewall settings (never go near it)
> - Or some settings by my ISP, BT Broadband. (Haven't a clue what they
> might be.)

Or Apple simply lying to you.

>
> This stuff is largely a black art to me. So any help I can get would be
> much appreciated please. Particularly if I have to mess with the router
> settings.
>
> But as a start I'm wondering if I could experimentally try the option in
> Firewall settings to add another port? If that's even sensible, how would
> I determine the relevant port number please?
>

Look if you can get to the target at all, its nothing to do with the
client end.


For some reason the apple site has decided it doesn't like you and is
pushing you away.

Possibly because they don't want to admit their support centre is
totally overloaded, the way one of their suppliers has quite simply
ignored my request for support altogether.

A redirect like that might well happen if a front end web server cant
connect to a back end process, and the normal reason is that it is
locked for maintenance.

But another reason might be its simply so busy the connection times out.
The front end server says 'default error: redirect'


The only think that might help is clearing all et cookies out of your
browser and going in clean. Or using a Mac to connect. Maybe they put
windows users at the back of a queue.

Macs are anyway a total abortion. Having out toyed Microsoft, you can
look forward to them being just as completely useless at any form of
support.

On 09/05/2011 12:09, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
> Terry Pinnell wrote:
>> In the thread 'OT: Apple forums working?' I posted
>> about getting
>> redirected from the Apple discussion forums to
>> https://discussions.apple.com/backso...stempaway.html
>>
>>
>
> Mmm. That must be a server side redirect.. so its
> almost total bullshit to say its down to local client
> side stuff.
>
>

I had a similar experience recently with another
US-based forum. It re-directed me to a Wikipedia page
on forum spam. From this, I deduced they were
blocking my IP (dynamic, but part of BT-PlusNet
allocation) as a shotgun-type spam block. I suspect
you're in the same boat. Complain to the forum
admins. You should be able to access some forum pages
through Google's cache, even if they're not quite up
to date.

Jim <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>On 09/05/2011 12:09, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>> Terry Pinnell wrote:
>>> In the thread 'OT: Apple forums working?' I posted
>>> about getting
>>> redirected from the Apple discussion forums to
>>> https://discussions.apple.com/backso...stempaway.html
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Mmm. That must be a server side redirect.. so its
>> almost total bullshit to say its down to local client
>> side stuff.
>>
>>
>
>I had a similar experience recently with another
>US-based forum. It re-directed me to a Wikipedia page
>on forum spam. From this, I deduced they were
>blocking my IP (dynamic, but part of BT-PlusNet
>allocation) as a shotgun-type spam block. I suspect
>you're in the same boat. Complain to the forum
>admins. You should be able to access some forum pages
>through Google's cache, even if they're not quite up
>to date.

Thanks both. Since my post, further tests seem to show that Apple were
indeed wrong. They were adamant this morning that my failure to get logged
in to the forums at discussions.apple.com (for over a week now) must be
due to my wireless router or my ISP (BT Broadband). I tended to agree with
their logic. At that stage I had not tried the 3G connection from my iPad.
But I have now done so and the problem remains exactly the same. I
switched WiFi OFF and switched Cellular Data ON. Then in Safari I got to
the Community page
https://discussions.apple.com/index.jspa
I clicked Sign In which got me to a page headed 'Sign in to Apple
Support'. It had a very long URL; here's an extract:
https://daw.apple.com/cgi-bin/WebObj...language=US-EN

(Note that US suffix; changing it to UK-EN made no difference.)

But when I clicked 'Sign In' on that page (either immediately or after
entering my password) I got the same old 'Back Soon' page.
https://discussions.apple.com/backso...stempaway.html

I repeated this several times with same result. Tried variations of
navigating to the Sign In, just as I had done with wifi on iPad and direct
from PC, but still no success. All of this now without using the router or
my ISP.

I thought maybe the cache or cookies might need clearing again, so I did
that. But still no change.

So it looks like there is after all some issue with my sign in at the
forum site.

I cannot use any of the Contact Support links because they require sign
in; Catch 22 scenario.

So I guess I have to get back on the phone to Apple again tomorrow, give
all my details to a 'customer service' person as I did today, who will
again pass them on to a 'technical support' person, and see if I can get
something actually done.

Does anyone here have an email ID for an Apple team or support staff
person or manager that might be able to sort this please?

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

Meanwhile, at the uk.telecom.broadband Job Justification Hearings, Terry
Pinnell chose the tried and tested strategy of:

> In the thread 'OT: Apple forums working?' I posted about getting
> redirected from the Apple discussion forums to
> https://discussions.apple.com/backso...stempaway.html
>
> As it happens on my iPad and PC (both IE and Firefox) I have to agree with
> Apple's conclusion on the phone this morning that it's caused by either:
> - My BT Home Hub 2.0 router configuration (which I've not touched since
> its installation many months ago)
> - My Windows XP Firewall settings (never go near it)
> - Or some settings by my ISP, BT Broadband. (Haven't a clue what they
> might be.)

It's not impossible for a third party to intercept or redirect your access
to an HTTPS website without a prominent warning in your web browser.
However, it takes a fair bit of work [including, getting a certificate
signed for the target site, trusted by your browser] so it's highly unlikely
to be something that happens accidentally.

--
<http://ale.cx/> (AIM:troffasky) ((E-Mail Removed))
19:46:57 up 2 days, 23:46, 6 users, load average: 0.15, 0.13, 0.17
"People believe any quote they read on the internet
if it fits their preconceived notions." - Martin Luther King

alexd wrote:
> Meanwhile, at the uk.telecom.broadband Job Justification Hearings, Terry
> Pinnell chose the tried and tested strategy of:
>
>> In the thread 'OT: Apple forums working?' I posted about getting
>> redirected from the Apple discussion forums to
>> https://discussions.apple.com/backso...stempaway.html
>>
>> As it happens on my iPad and PC (both IE and Firefox) I have to agree with
>> Apple's conclusion on the phone this morning that it's caused by either:
>> - My BT Home Hub 2.0 router configuration (which I've not touched since
>> its installation many months ago)
>> - My Windows XP Firewall settings (never go near it)
>> - Or some settings by my ISP, BT Broadband. (Haven't a clue what they
>> might be.)
>
> It's not impossible for a third party to intercept or redirect your access
> to an HTTPS website without a prominent warning in your web browser.
> However, it takes a fair bit of work [including, getting a certificate
> signed for the target site, trusted by your browser] so it's highly unlikely
> to be something that happens accidentally.
>
indeed. its Apple or your ISP most likely.

Or you are using an old link to get there that is stale.

The Natural Philosopher <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>alexd wrote:
>> Meanwhile, at the uk.telecom.broadband Job Justification Hearings, Terry
>> Pinnell chose the tried and tested strategy of:
>>
>>> In the thread 'OT: Apple forums working?' I posted about getting
>>> redirected from the Apple discussion forums to
>>> https://discussions.apple.com/backso...stempaway.html
>>>
>>> As it happens on my iPad and PC (both IE and Firefox) I have to agree with
>>> Apple's conclusion on the phone this morning that it's caused by either:
>>> - My BT Home Hub 2.0 router configuration (which I've not touched since
>>> its installation many months ago)
>>> - My Windows XP Firewall settings (never go near it)
>>> - Or some settings by my ISP, BT Broadband. (Haven't a clue what they
>>> might be.)
>>
>> It's not impossible for a third party to intercept or redirect your access
>> to an HTTPS website without a prominent warning in your web browser.
>> However, it takes a fair bit of work [including, getting a certificate
>> signed for the target site, trusted by your browser] so it's highly unlikely
>> to be something that happens accidentally.
>>
>indeed. its Apple or your ISP most likely.

Any practical suggestions on how to get it fixed please, as per my last
post?

>Or you are using an old link to get there that is stale.

No.

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

alexd <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Meanwhile, at the uk.telecom.broadband Job Justification Hearings, Terry
>Pinnell chose the tried and tested strategy of:
>
>> In the thread 'OT: Apple forums working?' I posted about getting
>> redirected from the Apple discussion forums to
>> https://discussions.apple.com/backso...stempaway.html
>>
>> As it happens on my iPad and PC (both IE and Firefox) I have to agree with
>> Apple's conclusion on the phone this morning that it's caused by either:
>> - My BT Home Hub 2.0 router configuration (which I've not touched since
>> its installation many months ago)
>> - My Windows XP Firewall settings (never go near it)
>> - Or some settings by my ISP, BT Broadband. (Haven't a clue what they
>> might be.)
>
>It's not impossible for a third party to intercept or redirect your access
>to an HTTPS website without a prominent warning in your web browser.
>However, it takes a fair bit of work [including, getting a certificate
>signed for the target site, trusted by your browser] so it's highly unlikely
>to be something that happens accidentally.

Thanks - hadn't even suspected that possibility!

Any way to check definitively?

--
Terry, East Grinstead, UK

Terry Pinnell wrote:
> The Natural Philosopher <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> alexd wrote:
>>> Meanwhile, at the uk.telecom.broadband Job Justification Hearings, Terry
>>> Pinnell chose the tried and tested strategy of:
>>>
>>>> In the thread 'OT: Apple forums working?' I posted about getting
>>>> redirected from the Apple discussion forums to
>>>> https://discussions.apple.com/backso...stempaway.html
>>>>
>>>> As it happens on my iPad and PC (both IE and Firefox) I have to agree with
>>>> Apple's conclusion on the phone this morning that it's caused by either:
>>>> - My BT Home Hub 2.0 router configuration (which I've not touched since
>>>> its installation many months ago)
>>>> - My Windows XP Firewall settings (never go near it)
>>>> - Or some settings by my ISP, BT Broadband. (Haven't a clue what they
>>>> might be.)
>>> It's not impossible for a third party to intercept or redirect your access
>>> to an HTTPS website without a prominent warning in your web browser.
>>> However, it takes a fair bit of work [including, getting a certificate
>>> signed for the target site, trusted by your browser] so it's highly unlikely
>>> to be something that happens accidentally.
>>>
>> indeed. its Apple or your ISP most likely.
>
> Any practical suggestions on how to get it fixed please, as per my last
> post?

Install Linux.
Change ISP.

Frankly the more I actually get involved with Macs the less I like them.

Terry Pinnell wrote:
> alexd <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> Meanwhile, at the uk.telecom.broadband Job Justification Hearings, Terry
>> Pinnell chose the tried and tested strategy of:
>>
>>> In the thread 'OT: Apple forums working?' I posted about getting
>>> redirected from the Apple discussion forums to
>>> https://discussions.apple.com/backso...stempaway.html
>>>
>>> As it happens on my iPad and PC (both IE and Firefox) I have to agree with
>>> Apple's conclusion on the phone this morning that it's caused by either:
>>> - My BT Home Hub 2.0 router configuration (which I've not touched since
>>> its installation many months ago)
>>> - My Windows XP Firewall settings (never go near it)
>>> - Or some settings by my ISP, BT Broadband. (Haven't a clue what they
>>> might be.)
>> It's not impossible for a third party to intercept or redirect your access
>> to an HTTPS website without a prominent warning in your web browser.
>> However, it takes a fair bit of work [including, getting a certificate
>> signed for the target site, trusted by your browser] so it's highly unlikely
>> to be something that happens accidentally.
>
> Thanks - hadn't even suspected that possibility!
>
> Any way to check definitively?
>
what was the URL you were having probs with?

First, take mobile device to a friend on a decent ISP and try again..

Second what kit have you got? a Mac? know how to use traceroute?