Problems with Fileserve

[kenydd]

I keep getting the following message and wonder if its just a UK problem or are others having issues and if anyone knows a way around it - and yes i am a premium member of fileserve.
Many thanks

Attempting to download failed.
The IWF has recently implemented changes that may affect your download ability on the site.
Please contact your local ISP or upgrade your account to a Premium account now

 

[yoyo888]

Yer Im getting the same error. For the past two days



Done a bit of research and looks like the IWF have added FileServe as well as a few other download places to their list. I guess it had been reposted as people sharing ILLEGAL stuff

I found this that might help explain what is going on

http://anonym.to/?http://community....ction-Issues/Is-Fileserve-Blocked/td-p/333643

So lets just hope they remove FileServe from the IWF list soon

 

[slimjim]

I've not had any problems downloading from Fileserve as a free user

 

[tomba]

My understanding is that an ISP block at the behest of the IWF would apply to all IWF member ISPs and affect us all? My ISP is on the IWF list. Like slimjim, I've been downloading from Fileserve without problem.

Edit:

Err....I didn't click on the URL yoyo gave. I should have. There's a response from BT.

Re: Is Fileserve Blocked?
Options

on 18-11-2011 19h25

Hi Guys

BT is not preventing access to the domain Fileserve. Fileserve can be contacted via www. fileserve.com/contact-us.php for further information.

I'm sorry we can't help with this situation.


Stuart
BTCare Community Mod

Much as I don't like to take BT's word for anything, the problem appears to be with Fileserve. Putting up notices about ISP blocking when they don't want to look like the bad guys and, helpfully, suggesting a move to a premium membership all appears to be part of the business plan.

 

[gb2000ie]

And this is why you can't have the government controlling the internet!

Pure insanity - block and entire server because some people use it to share child porn!

It's like killing a flea with a sledge hammer! Collateral damage? What collateral damage?

B.

 

[tomba]

There's a ZDNet piece saying it was an IWF block. It's here for those who want to read it.

http://anonym.to/?http://www.zdnet....ks-access-to-file-sharing-site-fileserve/1037

I'm cynical enough not to take anyone's word for anything. On too many occasions access problems are down to the companies themselves. On this one, hands up, I got it totally wrong. Sorry. But, using nothing more than mipony download manager, I was happily downloading from Fileserve without a single problem, so I didn't see how it could have been a block.

But for anyone to call this ISP blocking is simply wrong. It puts the blame solely at the feet of service providers. Much as I trust none of them, they shouldn't take the blame. The ZDnet piece suggested just one file might have prompted the IWF to impose a blanket ban on all Fileserve access. It makes as much sense as closing all schools and sending millions of children home because, somewhere, one child misbehaves. We wouldn't blame the schools. We'd blame the Minister or department responsible. But when it comes to the IWF we prefer to blame our ISPs. No-one takes the IWF to task because we are afraid of speaking out in case we are suspected of condoning abuse or of being abusers ourselves.

Click the hyperlinks in the ZDNet piece and the related links on The Guardian news pages. Read how this Government-backed foundation chooses to go about its business and the stupid decisions it has taken in the past.

A former chair of the IWF (which BT, AOL and other ISPs helped found by the way) had this to say back in 2006.

http://anonym.to/?http://www.rogerdarlington.me.uk/Internetregulation.html

It makes interesting reading. Clearly, Roger favours the idea of a regulated internet. If you can't access the piece or can't be bothered reading it all, he includes this:

'It is my view that currently there is Internet content that is not illegal in UK law but would be regarded as harmful by most people. It is my contention that the industry needs to tackle such harmful content if it is to be credible in then insisting that users effectively have to protect themselves from content which, however offensive, is not illegal or harmful.'

 

[gb2000ie]

The IWF is a deeply flawed organisation that seems to be accountable to no one, and is being used to force internet censorship by the back door.

They also blocked wikipedia once because of an album cover from the 70s that some prude reported as child porn. Because it was such a high-profile site that didn't last long, but it shows that this is an organisation that has a history of not caring about collateral damage.

As I understand it, this 'blocking' is done though DNS, so if you don't use your ISP as your DNS provider, but instead use Google's free DNS service (8.8.8.8), I imagine you'll sail right past this 'block'. If not, a combination of other DNS + SSL is bound to defeat it.

I feel really sorry for the ISPs here, they are being forced to use this stupid list against their wishes, and to take on the financial cost of doing so!

B.

 

[Stoic]

Yup, use google's public dns:

http://code.google.com/speed/public-dns/docs/using.html

I also heard using JDownloader would get your ip banned.

 

[superbad]

I also heard using JDownloader would get your ip banned.

I've used JDownloader for all my fileserve links, have never got my IP banned. (though I don't think I've stayed on the same IP for more than a few days)

I wouldn't assume the makers of JDownloader would be stupid enough to use HTTP headers that revealed its identity. Since they implemented captchas, I highly doubt they would ban IPs.

 

[Stoic]

They've been banning ips, ip ranges and user accounts because of public leeches. Even home users get banned when the Fileserve system detects they are using too many connections or is over the bandwith limit. There's much info about this on other forums.

 

[Stoic]

Interesting article about Fileserve:

http://filesonicxrapidsharexmegauploadxfileservexwupload.wordpress.com/2011/11/04/fileserve-banning-paying-clients/