SecretCode
Senior Member
I got ADSL on Weds 15th May. Since then, it's all working, except that I've had problems with certain forums, specifically ones running on phpbb.
The symptoms: I am unable to post topics and replies (except on one in ten tries) or to keep track of unread posts (new since last visit) on phpbb forums, like http://community.smoothwall.org/forum or forumer.com boards. I'll use the smoothwall board for examples but the same thing happens elsewhere. Vbulletin boards like here (myadsl) have no problem, and I haven't seen any problem with any other kind of internet traffic - browsing, mail, vpn are all fine.
The problem, I conclude, is that the "session" that phpbb recognises is always getting lost - timing out or being cleared by something. But what's the cause? I've tried a bunch of different setups and I'm fairly sure it's to do with the Mega 100WR router, but it's in bridge mode and there doesn't seem to be anything I can change on it. Any advice would be very much appreciated. Details follow.
Thanks - Joe
Details:
Conclusions so far:
phpbb uses cookies, afaik, to control its sessions. Something may be blocking dropping or corrupting cookies. But it could be something quite different.
It's unlikely to be the DSL line itself. It's unlikely to be the ISP's settings. It is 99% certain to be the Telkom Mega 100WR router. But the fact that the same problem occurs in bridge mode (when the box doesn't do any NAT or firewall stuff) puzzles me though.
The settings I've had on the Mega 100WR are:
The symptoms: I am unable to post topics and replies (except on one in ten tries) or to keep track of unread posts (new since last visit) on phpbb forums, like http://community.smoothwall.org/forum or forumer.com boards. I'll use the smoothwall board for examples but the same thing happens elsewhere. Vbulletin boards like here (myadsl) have no problem, and I haven't seen any problem with any other kind of internet traffic - browsing, mail, vpn are all fine.
- When posting it fails with the message "Invalid Session. Please resubmit the form." - or, if I leave "Log me on automatically each visit:" unchecked on the login screen, it returns to the login prompt when I try to submit.
- When checking for new posts (e.g. http://community.smoothwall.org/forum/search.php?search_id=newposts) I sometimes get a meaningful list if it's the very first page I visit, but usually "No topics or posts met your search criteria". And the index page (e.g. http://community.smoothwall.org/forum/index.php) shows the "You last visited on " time as always a minute or two ago (more accurately, around the time of my last page get, even just viewing a forum or topic).
The problem, I conclude, is that the "session" that phpbb recognises is always getting lost - timing out or being cleared by something. But what's the cause? I've tried a bunch of different setups and I'm fairly sure it's to do with the Mega 100WR router, but it's in bridge mode and there doesn't seem to be anything I can change on it. Any advice would be very much appreciated. Details follow.
Thanks - Joe
Details:
- The setup I want to have working, but isn't:
I have a Windows XP Pro SP2 laptop with ZoneAlarm and I browse with Firefox 2.0.0.3. I go through:
(a) a Smoothwall Express 2.0 firewall with fixes9
(b) a PPPOE connection via an ethernet cable to a Telkom Mega 100WR router set to bridge mode
(c) a Telkom Home DSL 384 line
(d) a Web Africa ADSL ISP account - prepaid bundle.
- Other configurations that also have the problem:
i) As above, but with the Mega 100WR router in router mode managing the PPPOE connection itself and the smoothwall just getting a DHCP address from it. (This was my first setup and I thought the double NAT involved was the cause, but it's not.)
ii) As above but with using Opera. (So Fx is not the cause.)
iii) As above but from another machine at home, running Windows 2000, no ZA, and IE5.5, and a Windows XP Home SP2 machine (my daughter's - also on forumer.com forums, which use phpbb). (So neither XP nor ZA are the cause.)
iv) As above but with my laptop plugged directly into the Mega 100WR router (running in router mode). (So Smoothwall is not the cause.)
v) As iv but with the router in bridge mode, making a PPPOE connection direct from Windows.
vi) As above, but with Axxess prepaid ADSL (so it's not something specific to the ISP).
- Configurations that work fine:
i) Same laptop on a company LAN running through an ADSL service (Datapro or IS, I'm not sure).
ii) Same laptop on another company LAN via a WebSense proxy and who knows what other components.
iii) Same laptop running through the same Smoothwall but using a POTS 56K modem and dial-up. For the past year. No change to Firefox or ZoneAlarm.
iv) Same laptop with a Huawei E220 3G modem and an MTN prepaid data bundle.
Conclusions so far:
phpbb uses cookies, afaik, to control its sessions. Something may be blocking dropping or corrupting cookies. But it could be something quite different.
It's unlikely to be the DSL line itself. It's unlikely to be the ISP's settings. It is 99% certain to be the Telkom Mega 100WR router. But the fact that the same problem occurs in bridge mode (when the box doesn't do any NAT or firewall stuff) puzzles me though.
The settings I've had on the Mega 100WR are:
- As router: Type - PPPOE: screen capture (except with my Web Africa username)
- As bridge: screen capture Although the radio buttons and checkbox don't look greyed-out, they are. There are NO settings to change here.
