Changed security settings for this site

[xantia_v6]

Due to an uptick of unwanted "guest" traffic (over 5000 users in 5 minutes), I have adjusted our Cloudflare configuration to reduce the server load.

I think that this should be transparent to our legitimate users, but let me know if your use of the forum is being impacted.

Ignore anything is the half hour before this post, as I was trying different settings, some of which were a bit draconian.

[mickthemaverick]

I've been on the forum since 8am and not noticed anything untoward at all!

[myglaren]

All OK up to now.

Having problems with a US forum. Almost impossible to even log in, never mind read anything. Same reason, lots of bots. The owners rarely surface these days though.
Just get these responses:-


Resource Limit Is Reached

The website is temporarily unable to service your request as it exceeded resource limit. Please try again later.

Currently Active Users: 9872 (1 members and 9871 guests)

[xantia_v6]

This forum was nowhere near crashing, but it was running at significantly elevated CPU loading. Adjusting the Cloudflare configuration seems to have dropped the CPU load by about 70%

[Hell Razor5543]

I had (for a few moments) a 'bot check' type of screen when I did a refresh, and then the forum went back to normal.

[Sloppysod]

Apart from cloud fire security page, that lasted 1 or 2 seconds, everything is fine on Waterfox mobile.

[Hell Razor5543]

This time I had the 'bot check' followed by the tick box screen.

[Paul-R]

Apart from cloud fire security page, that lasted 1 or 2 seconds...

Same for me a couple of hours ago.

[Stonehopper]

Bot check to ask if I was human - passed. (Must be something wrong!).

[myglaren]

Had this yesterday and again this morning.

Followed by the botcheck.

[xantia_v6]

Had this yesterday and again this morning.

Followed by the botcheck.

Was that on your first visit to the forum after a few hours inactivity?
Did you access the forum by clicking a link on a forum page, or a bookmark or something else?

[myglaren]

First time yesterday was after a reboot. The one this morning was after being shut down overnight.
I always run the browser cleaners as I shut them down, then run BleachBit before turning off so there are no cookies, site settings etc remaining.

[xantia_v6]

OK, that makes sense. If your browser doesn't have an FCF cookie, the site will initially treat you as a guest which will trigger Cloudflare to perform a challenge. I don't completely understand the page loading with no graphics (but I have also seen it here). It may be because your browser also doesn't have a Cloudflare cookie, so Cloudflare won't supply the cached images until after the challenge is completed.

[Hell Razor5543]

I have found that, if I don't look at pages for a while, I get the 'Human' verification screen.

[myglaren]

OK, that makes sense. If your browser doesn't have an FCF cookie, the site will initially treat you as a guest which will trigger Cloudflare to perform a challenge. I don't completely understand the page loading with no graphics (but I have also seen it here). It may be because your browser also doesn't have a Cloudflare cookie, so Cloudflare won't supply the cached images until after the challenge is completed.

Not a Problem, I can live with that if it means the bots get short shrift.
I came back to this thread to post that, and got this:-

No problem logging back in after closing that though.