I realize it’s only fediverse adjacent, but recently I’ve been unable to access catbox links. It seems like a prefered platform for the fediverse and it just seems to have disappeared.

  • synae[he/him]
    link
    fedilink
    English
    132 days ago

    Perhaps this, from their FAQ (question and answer copied in their entirety so you can actually read it)


    Connectivity Issues

    Why can’t I access Catbox/access files on Catbox (files.catbox.moe)?Good question! It turns out certain governments in the world hate freedom of information, don’t have net neutrality, don’t see online service providers as legally exempt entities, or a combination of the three!You will have issues accessing Catbox/files on Catbox if you are connecting from the following countries or providers:

    Austrailia

    Why? - The Australian government had a heart attack after the Christchurch shooting, and decided that Catbox was a terrorist propaganda spreading website, and has instructed multiple Australian ISPs to implement DNS blocks of Catbox’s domains.

    How to resolve? - Changing your DNS servers to a public server (i.e. 8.8.8.8, 76.76.2.0, or 208.67.222.222) or utilizing DoH should mitigate this problem.

    Ireland/UK

    Why? - Unfortunately the love of footy has overtaken the sensibilites of the British and Irish governments, and they have decided to implement an IP level block on Catbox’s primary IP address, due to clips of games being uploaded to Catbox…

    How to resolve? - You will need to utilize a VPN in order to evade this traffic hijack.

    Iran

    Why? - Unknown, but I’m sure you can probably make some pretty accurate guesses.

    How to resolve? - You will need to use a VPN to bypass the IP-level block.

    Afghanistan

    Why? - Unknown, but I’m sure you can probably make some pretty accurate guesses.

    How to resolve? - You will need to use a VPN to bypass the IP-level block.

    Comcast/Comcast Business

    Why? - Comcast Business’ “SecurityEdge” hijacking attack intecepts traffic going towards Catbox. Residential customers are blocked by “xFi Advanced Security” I have been unable to determine if this is a DNS level block, or an IP level block.

    How to resolve? - Comcast Residential: Disable the “xFi Advanced Security” hijack on your router. Comcast Business: Disable the “SecurityEdge” hijack on your account. See here.

    Spectrum

    Why? - Spectrum’s “SecurityEdge” hijacking attack intercepts DNS requests for Catbox for an unknown reason.

    How to resolve? - Spectrum Residential customers should disable the “SecurityEdge” hijack in their router/account settings, or use a VPN to bypass the hijack.

    Rogers

    Why? - Unknown. It appears to be dynamically filtering web traffic to Catbox.

    How to resolve? - Disable the “Advanced Security” hijack attack in your Rogers settings

    Verizon

    Why? - Unknown. This is a DNS based block, which means Verizon’s DNS servers are returning no result for catbox.moe.

    How to resolve? - Changing your DNS servers to a public server (i.e. 8.8.8.8, 76.76.2.0, or 208.67.222.222) or utilizing DoH should mitigate this problem.

    Quad9

    Why? - Quad9 actually pulls an aggregate list of URL blacklists and uses them for their filtered DNS service. Catbox is frequently added to no-name blacklists for various reasons.

    How to resolve? - Use Quad9’s alternative DNS server 9.9.9.10, or switch to another public DNS server.

    • @HeyJoe
      link
      English
      32 days ago

      Thank you! I use Quad9 and have noticed these links stopped working about a week or 2 ago. The problem was I redid my network at that time and kept thinking it was something on my end. I have a firewall with recursive DNS setup and I was able to add my own entry for it, but I’m guessing the IP changes because it only lasted a few days. Now that I know why I’ll see what else I can do since I do enjoy Quad9 otherwise.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    English
    52 days ago

    are you using Quad9 DNS?

    (Catbox and Quad9 have an ongoing squabble – usually it’s just a matter of waiting for a day for things to clear up)

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        English
        12 days ago

        other than similarity of services, I’m pretty sure the two aren’t affiliated

        but Cloudflare tends to be a little more “corporate” in its approach so more likely to block archive.today (and libgen and sci-hub)

  • L3ft_F13ld!
    link
    fedilink
    English
    52 days ago

    Seems like it’s just you.

    Tested with two different services and it’s up. I also accessed the site and it’s working fine.

        • @TropicalDingdongOP
          link
          English
          12 days ago

          Wow. This is a bit wild, so I’m going to add context.

          I’ve been sharing the link with friends and suddenly, all of catbox went dark for us. On different phones too.

          So multiple people have confirmed they can’t reach it.

          Potentially an ISP/cell level block?

          • L3ft_F13ld!
            link
            fedilink
            English
            1
            edit-2
            2 days ago

            Yes, that would seem like an ISP, DNS, or some other block. Try changing thn DNS on your deveces to p0.freedns.controld.com or something similar and test again.

            Edit: Changed to a DNS server with no ad or other blocking.