Open Proxies and TOR

Due to increasing issues with abuse, we have been forced to ban open proxies and TOR nodes from connecting to our network.

While we respect the anonymity that TOR provides, it also prevents us from being able to keep the network free of spam and usable for everyone else.

We use the Blitzed Open Proxy Monitor System to intercept and ban incoming connections from clients whose machines are running open proxies (or are connecting by means of an insecure open proxy). This service protects NationCHAT Network from most bot attacks and many malicious users. Please be aware the proxy monitor tries to connect to ports on your system and may cause firewall notifications.

What this most likely means is that your computer is running some software called a proxy, which has been incorrectly set up so as to potentially behave in an exceptionally malicious manner. Such misconfiguration, known as an open proxy, can be used by anyone on the internet to abuse your computer to send spam, or launch attacks on an IRC server or network. Often, this software will have been installed as a result of your computer being infected by a virus or malicious software.

BOPM scans connecting clients for presence of such software, and if it finds it it has no option other than to immediately ban them from the server.

To regain access to the server, you *must* remove this software by installing up to date antivirus software & definitions and scanning your machine for adware. There is a chance that your network administrator may be to blame for running an open proxy on your IP address - if you are sure your machine is not infected, you should complain vigorously to him/her.

In order to regain access to NationCHAT Network, you will have to remove the misconfigured proxy software in question from your computer. The ban placed on you should be removed in less than 24 hours and you will be able to connect again. Note that if you try to rejoin the network before you have removed that malicious software you will be banned again.

NOTE: In general, it is fair to say that if your computer is behaving at all strangely, not running antivirus software, running an old WinGate server - or is behind a poorly installed corporate or home network, there is a high chance that your system could be abused in this fashion. If you are connecting from a large network like a college network or an internet cafe, you may encounter unavoidable problems with this also.

For more information and how to remove yourself from the Black List please visit the DroneBL database website.

We will not provide exceptions to the proxy scan.

Enjoy NationCHAT!

Kind regards,
NationCHAT Team

E-mail help@nationchat.org with any suggestions or comments
Services URL: http://services.nationchat.org
Nationchat URL: https://www.nationchat.org