Trouble with Optus.

Discuss various technical topics not related to Mozilla.
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LIMPET235
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Trouble with Optus.

Post by LIMPET235 »

Hi Guys,

(I have to mention, this situation has been going on for at least 8 + weeks.)
Firefox v20....My preferred version, as I have it configured exactly how I like it.
Cannot do the same with the later versions.

I've been having intermittent results when I try to log in to My Account page & others at Optus.com.au
Now, some times I can....at other times I cannot. I just get a blank page.
For ref; My posts from the Optus, "Yes Crowd" forum...
Well, according to "them at the Tech centre", I cannot use Firefox version 20, as "they" do not know anything about Firefox. "They" just read their scripts.
Really! I didn't think that "they" cared which browser you used.
Another well... After they sent another temp P/W, (Approx. ~15 now), I WAS able to use Firefox v20 but only for a few hours.
This was from around 8.00 PM, (Saturday 25th March,) till I checked again at 11.30 PM & nope, not able to log in to MY ACCOUNT.

Strange thing though, Web Mail, Members Services & Yes Crowd were all O.K. using my original PW which I reverted to via Members Services.
All "they" suggested was to install Chrome or Safari & use either or IE 11.
I told "them" I did not want yet another browser on my PC.
I have 4 now! 3 Firefox versions + IE 11.

The kicker...
I opened Firefox version 50.x.x & it was able to log in no probs, Bob.
Then, "they" tell me to only use that version.

Wowser, here's another well,
I asked, why did Firefox v20 work for a few hours & then stop?
Surprise, surprise, surprise!!!...
"They" did not have an answer.
I'm still not able to log in to My ACCOUNT with Firefox v20.

What are "they" "sniffing?"
More from the "Yes Crowd" forum...
Tuseday, 28th March.
Well, it's now nearly 10.15 PM here & once more, I cannot log in to My Account. Back to getting a blank page, as usual.
Web mail is fine.
Members Services is fine.
"Yes Crowd" is fine. (Wouldn't be posting this otherwise.)
Why for does this happen?

I'm still using the same browser that I normally use & did use with the previous post.
Does anyone have any idea on why this happens, intermittently?
Are they browser sniffing & why should it matter which browser or version anyone uses?
I have changed my UA to a much later version, all to no avail.

Apologies for the long post.
Thanks.
[Ancient Amateur Astronomer.]
Win-10-H/64 bit/500G SSD/16 Gig Ram/450Watt PSU/350WattUPS/Firefox-115.0.2/T-bird-115.3.2./SnagIt-v10.0.1/MWP-7.12.125.

(Always choose the "Custom" Install.)
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Grumpus
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Re: Trouble with Optus.

Post by Grumpus »

It's time for you to become Zorro, put on the Linux mask.
Open Linux and go on-line without opening Firefox.
Install Synaptic if you haven't already, install iptraf.
Look at the configuration files for iptraf, set it up the way you need to.
Open the site and see what shows up in the iptraf panel.
Directions in case????
Open a terminal and type "sudo iptraf"
Give your password.
When screen opens hit any key or enter.
Configuration is second from the bottom.
Top of list is IP Traffic Monitor.
This will monitor all connections on your system in real time (hint: look at the time settings in configuration) when you connect to the site and show all IPs which make or try to make a connection. Platy aro0und with it a bit first so you can see what's going on.
You might also want to install gnome-nettools and whois for more info. Whois was recently updated.
Any questions just ask.
Idea is if you don't have any issues with the updated Linux distribution and 52 it could be something else which might show in the iptraf panel which will affect older versions. Note Optus appears to be solely in the hands of Akamai so blocking some things may have an affect, particularily if they made changes at Akamai, but this is assumption, a vile disease. ;)
Doesn't matter what you say, it's wrong for a toaster to walk around the house and talk to you
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LIMPET235
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Re: Trouble with Optus.

Post by LIMPET235 »

Hi Grumps,
The "trouble" (not really), is, that I cannot run Mint unless I re-boot the PC & go into the bios & change it, so that it boots from the Flash drive.

Thanks anyway.

I shall await "their" response/s.

L..
[Ancient Amateur Astronomer.]
Win-10-H/64 bit/500G SSD/16 Gig Ram/450Watt PSU/350WattUPS/Firefox-115.0.2/T-bird-115.3.2./SnagIt-v10.0.1/MWP-7.12.125.

(Always choose the "Custom" Install.)
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Grumpus
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Re: Trouble with Optus.

Post by Grumpus »

If they are shopping browsers and you still don't get an acceptable answer, another brain wheeze . . .
Install Midori (available for several OSs) which can spoof a half dozen User agent strings at the click of a button and also allow creation of a custom one.
Might be something to play with.
Good Luck.
Doesn't matter what you say, it's wrong for a toaster to walk around the house and talk to you
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mightyglydd
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Re: Trouble with Optus.

Post by mightyglydd »

Grumpus wrote:Midori
Which hasn't been updates since August 2015...
#KeepFightingMichael and Alex.
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Grumpus
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Re: Trouble with Optus.

Post by Grumpus »

@Mightyglydd - it's been updated more recently than you bucko.
mightyglydd is right, it hasn't been updated since 2015.
Wasn't suggested as a keepsake just something to help see what was going on.
Doesn't matter what you say, it's wrong for a toaster to walk around the house and talk to you
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LIMPET235
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Re: Trouble with Optus.

Post by LIMPET235 »

Thanks for the suggestions.
I've already tried 4 different UA's & none will let me log in.
Usually, the other 3 sites work fine but My Account page will not.
Strange thing....When I go to those 3 sites, the sites that flash by in the Status Bar, (bottom left) all start at & go through the My Accounts, sign-in page.
:)
[Ancient Amateur Astronomer.]
Win-10-H/64 bit/500G SSD/16 Gig Ram/450Watt PSU/350WattUPS/Firefox-115.0.2/T-bird-115.3.2./SnagIt-v10.0.1/MWP-7.12.125.

(Always choose the "Custom" Install.)
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Grumpus
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Re: Trouble with Optus.

Post by Grumpus »

Could it be you unintentionally are blocking a url or ip address?
When opening the Opus home page, looking around a little, some normal looking Akamai ips showed up but also got what looked like a cloudflare or cloudfront IP ranges.
104.64.0.0 - 104.127.255.255 which were identified as Akamai.
If Akamai is using cloudflare or cloudfront there was a quip in the Register a couple of weeks ago of a security breach in accounts.
Tried Midori, changing Useragent string a few times and the site was less revealing than with Firefox.
Had images with Firefox.
Looks like the IP for the page rotates or is rotating through different IP ranges.
Initially got the IP range abaove and now had the ip range172.224.0.0-172.239.255.255 also IDd as Akamai.

There was this one time script??? part page failure after changing UAS -
<iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-V5VX" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe>
Doesn't matter what you say, it's wrong for a toaster to walk around the house and talk to you
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LIMPET235
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Re: Trouble with Optus.

Post by LIMPET235 »

Thanks Grumps.
Almost all of what you posted went "Wheee" straight over my head. :)

I cannot see anything that would "un-intentionally" block the site, unless AVAST! has added another "feature"
to their damn great big bloated A/V program.

Nothing has changed on my PC since all this started a'happenin'.

I do not see or get any kind of warning from either my Comodo firewall or AVAST, free.
(Note: Comodo just updated it's program, today, Friday, 7th, so it ain't that. It popped up a couple of times, wanting me to
verify what AVAST wanted to connect to. So it's doing exactly what a good firewall should.)

I shall see what "they" come up with.

Thanks again.
[Ancient Amateur Astronomer.]
Win-10-H/64 bit/500G SSD/16 Gig Ram/450Watt PSU/350WattUPS/Firefox-115.0.2/T-bird-115.3.2./SnagIt-v10.0.1/MWP-7.12.125.

(Always choose the "Custom" Install.)
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Re: Trouble with Optus.

Post by Grumpus »

Makes sense to leave it up to them, might cut down on embarrassing 45 html code errors.
Possibly restructured or edited site to use only IE (edge)
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LIMPET235
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Re: Trouble with Optus.

Post by LIMPET235 »

I copied both of the URL addresses that v20 & v50 went to.
They are both the same, AFAICT.

Are they just "sniffing" for old/er browser versions or is it down to something else?
[Ancient Amateur Astronomer.]
Win-10-H/64 bit/500G SSD/16 Gig Ram/450Watt PSU/350WattUPS/Firefox-115.0.2/T-bird-115.3.2./SnagIt-v10.0.1/MWP-7.12.125.

(Always choose the "Custom" Install.)
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Grumpus
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Re: Trouble with Optus.

Post by Grumpus »

Have you tried accessing with the later (FF50) version with firewall and avast off? . . . safe mode?
. . . a clean profile?
Did you see where I suggested they might be forcing the IE use from the html code of their main page?
Doesn't matter what you say, it's wrong for a toaster to walk around the house and talk to you
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LIMPET235
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Re: Trouble with Optus.

Post by LIMPET235 »

Hi Grumps,
Perhaps I could have worded that a tad better.
I have no probs with v50 or IE11.....
It's just my good ol' v20, that has the intermittent faults/errors at log in to My Account page.
Why did it function for those few hours & then stop?

The other 3 sites I mentioned, usually/now work O.K.
I've just replied to another post by yet another mod/helper in the "Yes Crowd" forum & checked my web mail.
No probs at all..

I'd still like to know what "they" are sniffing?
What differentiates my old browser, even with a spoofed UA?

A quick [edit]
I decided to check out My Account page just a few Mo's ago & guess what?
This was plastered across the top...

Cheers for being so patient while we tinker under the hood!
We will be busy improving My Account from 8/04/2017 10:00PM to 9/04/2017 8:00AM AEST.
During this time you may encounter slows or errors.
So...They definitely know that they have probs with the page.
Way too many people complaining about it.
[Ancient Amateur Astronomer.]
Win-10-H/64 bit/500G SSD/16 Gig Ram/450Watt PSU/350WattUPS/Firefox-115.0.2/T-bird-115.3.2./SnagIt-v10.0.1/MWP-7.12.125.

(Always choose the "Custom" Install.)
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Grumpus
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Re: Trouble with Optus.

Post by Grumpus »

Might explain the rotating IP numbers, shifting page to another server while edited.
You have to realize some of us are reading on the 3rd grade level and using more than one syllable is confusing. ;)
Doesn't matter what you say, it's wrong for a toaster to walk around the house and talk to you
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LIMPET235
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Re: Trouble with Optus.

Post by LIMPET235 »

Here's another one to ponder.
I tried to answer a Q? in the "Yes Crowd" forum & was unable to log in.

Got a 403 error message.
Similar to what I've been struck with a few days/weeks ago.
Description: Access to the specified resource has been forbidden.
&.....This was with Firefox v20 AND v50.
So.....What are OPTUS doing?
[Ancient Amateur Astronomer.]
Win-10-H/64 bit/500G SSD/16 Gig Ram/450Watt PSU/350WattUPS/Firefox-115.0.2/T-bird-115.3.2./SnagIt-v10.0.1/MWP-7.12.125.

(Always choose the "Custom" Install.)
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