Thread: Indian Broadband Providers recently blocked IRC Undernet ?!!

Hi all,

Across India, since the last week of August, all IRC users of Undernet have been unable to sign on!!

Airtel users across all the cities (Bangalore, Delhi, etc) first noticed this. Then so did users of Hathway. All connection attemps to IRC Undernet network (eu.undernet.org/us.undernet.org/other undernet networks) timeout.

This looks to be a strange issue, since the Undernet servers are functioning fine according to the Undernet people at undernet.org. And they are indeed accessible from abroad! But now every Indian user of atleast two major providers are unable to access them!

My question:
Do users of other providers apart from Airtel/Hathway face a problem in signing onto IRC Undernet? if so, please complain and mail your service provider and also reply back on this thread. A complaint mail and complaint number is important since telephone calls are usually ignored, forgotten or mis-interpreted.

Please do not listen to their standard reason that port 6667 was blocked due to virus and security issue. This is a bald-faced LIE and is used to confuse the issue. TCP/IP Outgoing connections to port 6667 are not blocked - simply put the IRC server IP addresses are NOT reachable.

I am making a list of people who are users of Undernet and frustrated with our ISP's on this strange blackout. Please mail me at lenkite AT gmail DOT com. When the ISP's know that a large, vocal and united user base are not happy with their blocking actions, they might get around to fixing this problem instead of ignoring individual complaints from users.

Please mail me at lenkite DOT gmail DOT com. We need to band together, raise our voices and get this problem sorted!

Thanks..

good initiative

Hi folks,

Latest Info on IRC Undernet issue:

After 4 complaints and a gap of one month and >20 calls, my ISP Airtel finally reverted to me with the information that the IP address range associated with IRC Undernet network has been blocked on the basis of 'security' advice provided to them by their network carrier BTSOL. (Bharti Telesonic Ltd).

The ticket lodged by Airtel (Bangalore) with BTSOL awaiting confirmation of this blockade : 741477. They will only unblock the IP addresses if BTSOL replies back with a green light.

I would suggest everyone contacting their ISP's customer care department and provide them this information and ask their ISP's to follow up/create a separate ticket with BTSOL. (which is the network carrier for many Indian ISP's ).

This should also be done by Airtel users in other cities since the zonal administration and ticket numbers are different.

I also created a google groups irc-undernet-blocked@googlegroups.com on this issue. I would encourage all affected users to join this group and provide their experiences or any information.