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Softpedia.com Now Redirects To W3.mict.go.th On True Adsl

Veazer

By Veazer
in IT and Computers

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Veazer Silver Member

Veazer

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Someone in the blocking office must have thought that a website called softpedia had something to do with "pedia philes" of the soft variety.

Soft ones are less of a threat aren't they?

I just contacted True and they didn't even know what w3.mict.go.th was. They kept telling me they couldn't access it...

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filingaccount Silver Member

filingaccount

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I just contacted True and they didn't even know what w3.mict.go.th was. They kept telling me they couldn't access it...

To get anything done with True (and probably other ISP's) you have to be very persistent, it is going to take about 10-14 days before they will begin to acknowledge that there is a problem. Then they will tell you "Sorry, we understand the problem, but nothing we can do."

Naturally you'd ask, "who can do something about it?". And the answer would be "I don't know, let me check with my technical team".

Of course nothing will happen, so you'd call back and repeat the issue yet once more, and they will take their own good time and then decide not to respond.

This will be repeated ad naseum UNLESS you are on them twice daily asking what the update is and when they can solve the problem.

I suggest everyone start calling at least once a day, asking when the problem is going to be solved for websites that are "not working". (There is no point in mentioning government blocking.)

Please make sure to tell the call center people that you know it is not their fault that the ISP sucks, but they are the only point of contact you have so you ave to call them. Hopefully this will make the call center staff report "the big problem" to whomever listens.

Another possible thing you can consider is to inform them that since you are unable to view legal websites normally you are forced to use a VPN proxy which then blocks Trues legally required logging and filtering. Of course, you as a user do not want to put True in trouble by blocking their logging of the sites you visit, but they give you no choice. Ask them for an alternative way to connect to your critically needed websites.

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Tywais Star Member

Tywais

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Makes sense I believe Softpedia is the main source of a free software allowing bypass of MICT censorship.

Perhaps, but it is free downloads of both freeware and trialware/shareware and all legal as far as I know. Wonder if they actually look at a site or just guessing? :)

BTW, I'm back home now and my DTAC connection can still access it. Believe the university uses either True or Loxley as it's link provider to Bangkok.

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MisterBeetle Senior Member

MisterBeetle

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If it is not blocked by mistake (which would be embarrassing IMHO) it is just RIDICULOUS!!

Let's block GOOGLE since you can use it to find :) BAD THINGS :D

I have also had trouble accessing sites using True ADSL.

Including Myspace, Windowslive and sometimes random sites like my Blogpage.

My sister in-law works for true and I asked to find out what it was and she had no idea, reckons it has nothing to do with banned sites or blocking as far as she knows.

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welo Gold Member

welo

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I have also had trouble accessing sites using True ADSL.

Including Myspace, Windowslive and sometimes random sites like my Blogpage.

My sister in-law works for true and I asked to find out what it was and she had no idea, reckons it has nothing to do with banned sites or blocking as far as she knows.

Well, if you get redirected to the MICT page here then it most likely has to do with banned sites....

If there is no response or a blank page it might be related to MICT, bad internet service or several other reasons.

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Veazer Silver Member

Veazer

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I have also had trouble accessing sites using True ADSL.

Including Myspace, Windowslive and sometimes random sites like my Blogpage.

My sister in-law works for true and I asked to find out what it was and she had no idea, reckons it has nothing to do with banned sites or blocking as far as she knows.

Well, if you get redirected to the MICT page here then it most likely has to do with banned sites....

If there is no response or a blank page it might be related to MICT, bad internet service or several other reasons.

I definitely get a redirect but MICT page never loads. True insists that they never do any blocking themselves.

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welo Gold Member

welo

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Interestingly not all softpedia web server IPs are blocked. www.softpedia.com resolves to 4 different IPs (maybe round robin or location specific - don't know):

64.225.158.191 seems to be NOT blocked whereas 64.225.158.190 IS blocked. Didn't check the other two IPs.

However, you cannot just access the website using the IP address (e.g. http:// 64.225.158.191), the softpedia webserver will send a redirect to www.softpedia.com, which then gets resolved to the one cached by Windows - and that one is probably blocked.

In my setup with the Google DNS I get randomly assigned either .190 or .191. If it resolves to .191 I can access softpedia, otherwise I get the MICT page.

Please note that resolved IPs are cached on several levels (OS, browser, provider) and most likely you will get the same IP over and over again when running a ping or reloading the web page in your browser.

You might want to play the game to clear Windows' DNS cache (ipconfig /flushdns) and then ping www.softpedia.com to see which IP you get assigned. If .191, open your web browser and load www.softpedia.com - it should be OK. Make sure you close and re-open the web browser after flushing the Windows DNS cache.

Of course there are other ways to 'hard-code' the IP for www.softpedia.com, e.g. add an entry to the Windows hosts file.

For sure this is hardly worth the effort, and I guess MICT will remove the block soon anyway. This was merely an experiment out of curiosity...

welo

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  • 1 month later...
BB1950 Gold Member

BB1950

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Someone in the blocking office must have thought that a website called softpedia had something to do with "pedia philes" of the soft variety.
I like it!

But this makes more sense:

Makes sense I believe Softpedia is the main source of a free software allowing bypass of MICT censorship.

Looks like they are going for full media censorship.

Because they also are blocking FACT!

My other thought was, probably someone is getting "Tea Money" from the suppliers of illegal CD's at Pan Tip Plaza.

works fine for me here in Jomtien with ToT.
Interesting, since the May 19th episode in Bangkok, it doesn't work with TOT in Ban Ampur/Sri Racha. Only the sub-domains work (as mentioned above). I think the blocking is done in Bangkok. Probably by CAT as all traffic outside Thailand has to go through CAT. At least that's what a TOT technician told me when I was asking why the Internet speeds outside Thailand was so slow.

The problem is most Thais won't complain to the MICT! The either accept it or don't know. I have asked several Thais and none knew. The common response was "Really??? I get my software using P2P or Bit Torrents."!

Remember we foreigners are second class citizens. Your complaints go nowhere, even though we provide a large source of the revenue.

I've also noticed that the Public DNS providers also now appear to be blocked. I use to use the Google's Public DNS service, but can't anymore. I've tried the DNS addresses for about 11 others. None work.

Guess I'll have to start using my friend's VPN service to the UK. I don't think it's going to be rectified anytime soon. I suspect there will be more blocking! Wouldn't surprise me if they started blocking the Skype or other VOIP servers. After all, it could be considered a national security threat. That's why International Phone Calls and Internet Traffic have to go through CAT. It's also why the Government wants control of the Satellites again. They could then block the VPN providers.

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Supernova Gold Member

Supernova

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Makes sense I believe Softpedia is the main source of a free software allowing bypass of MICT censorship.

Looks like they are going for full media censorship.

The block has nothing to do with denying access to proxy or vpn software, which is readily available from many different sources.

Softpedia was blocked (during the Red Shirt protests) to prevent Thais from downloading streaming programs like TVU and Sopcast. The Government didn't want people watching the now defunct People Channel broadcasts. The same also goes for justin.tv and ustream, which are blocked as well. Pretty ridiculous if you asked me, but this is Thailand.

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SoMeOnEnUlL Advanced Member

SoMeOnEnUlL

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The block has nothing to do with denying access to proxy or vpn software, which is readily available from many different sources.

Softpedia was blocked (during the Red Shirt protests) to prevent Thais from downloading streaming programs like TVU and Sopcast. The Government didn't want people watching the now defunct People Channel broadcasts. The same also goes for justin.tv and ustream, which are blocked as well. Pretty ridiculous if you asked me, but this is Thailand.

Exactly! Not only softpedia, other website like the follow one is blocked, too. Because you can download sopcast. I didn't agree when people said Thailand is becoming like Burma. But now I am not so sure. :lol:

sopcast.en.softonic.com
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